Baptismal Process

Thank you for inquiring about the sacrament of Holy Baptism. In the Episcopal Church, we believe Baptism to be the foundational sacrament of the Christian life. Our prayer book proclaims it to be, "full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body the Church" (p. 299). In it is both the sum and beginning of all it is to be a Christian, of all it means to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Adults (people age 16 and above) are admitted to Baptism through the "Catechumenate" (from an ancient Greek word describing a period of training). The Catechumenate is a long-term process of Christian formation that allows a person to develop a deeper relationship with God in Christ through prayer, study, and service. Adults are normally baptized during the Easter Vigil, the most important and resplendent of Christian worship services held the night before Easter, when Jesus "passed over" from death to life.

Young children and infants are baptized when they come from Christian households. We seek to help the parents and godparents of such children understand the commitment they are making on behalf of their child/godchild by requiring that parents, and godparents when feasible, attend a pre-baptismal process beginning four to five weeks prior to the baptism and consisting of special blessings held each week in Church, two meetings with parish sponsors, and attendance at a class held by the Pastor.

Children should be enabled by their parents and godparents to grow into a relationship with Christ, coming to the point where they are willing and able to make a mature, adult commitment to their baptismal covenant (via Confirmation or some other such public witness).

Children are normally baptized five times a year on special feast days that enhance the meaning and celebration of the baptism (Easter Vigil, Pentecost, All Saints' Day, Pentecost, and the Bishop’s Visitation), although the Pastor schedules baptisms on other days when necessary.

All baptisms are celebrated by the parish with a reception following, at which our phenomenal baptism certificate is presented (see below). This reception is more elaborate on the baptismal feast days, yet every newly baptized person is offered a party on one scale or another. The newly baptized are also given, as a gift of the parish, a baptismal candle inscribed with the individual’s name (presented during the service itself.)

People interested in baptism for themselves or family members should contact Christ Church at 770-447-1166 or office@ccnorcross.org.

Baptismal Certificate

This example of our unique, one-of-a-kind baptismal certificate (copyrighted 2005) honors the importance of baptism with a look and size worthy of this fundamental sacrament. Our practice is to have the particular person's information done in calligraphy, with all who vowed to support the newly baptized signing the certificate after the service, in multi-colored pens around the certificate's perimeter.

Click on image to see a larger view.