In baptism, you as parents are:

• Thanking God for the gift of life
• Deciding to start your child on the journey of faith, and
• Asking for the Church’s support.

For your child, baptism: marks the start of a journey of faith, which involves turning away from the darkness of self-centredness, turning toward Christ, and becoming a member of the local and worldwide Christian family.

Baptism is a ‘sacrament’: a visible sign of God’s love. In baptism, we are thanking God for his gift of life and publicly acknowledging his love. We are acknowledging that we all need to turn away from the darkness of evil, and to make a new start with God. Many other symbols will be employed during the service.