Rites of Passage

Milestones on the journey through life   In the New Testament we are told that as Christians we are to “Rejoice with those who rejoice” and to “Mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15). It is one of the joys and privileges of belonging to the Church of England to be able to interface with the local community at significant times in family life. Through celebrating birth and marriage we “rejoice with those who are rejoicing”; in bringing comfort to those who are bereaved we “mourn with those who are mourning”. Along with this joy and privilege also comes the opportunity and responsibility of sharing Christian truths at these significant times.    As well as authorised ministers, we are privileged to have teams of lay people engaged in helping run preparation and follow-up meetings. In Ashtead we have the joy of welcoming many new people into our Church family as a result of interfacing with them at these important times of life.

Baptism or Thanksgiving?   Through baptism preparation there is the opportunity of sharing the essential truths of the Christian faith since it is into this faith that children (and adults) are baptised. In baptism parents are: thanking God for His gift of life, deciding to start their child on the journey of faith and asking for the Church's support.   For children, baptism marks the start of a journey of faith, which involves turning away from the darkness of self-centredness, turning towards 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.   We also offer a service of Thanksgiving for a newly-born child, which is simply an opportunity to give thanks to God for the gift of a new life, with no ‘strings attached’! No promises are made.   Baptism is offered for both children and adults. Many adults opt for being baptised by total immersion which we are able to offer at St George’s.

Confirmation   At present there remains considerable confusion within the Church of England as to the place of Confirmation as an initiation rite, especially in a time where there are more adults seeking baptism.    However, until the Church of England gives clarity as to the role and purpose of confirmation, it is our practice to encourage all baptised members to seek Confirmation as a sign of their commitment of Christian faith, as expressed through responsible membership of the local church. Preparation for Confirmation takes place as follows:    Young people are offered confirmation from school year 10 onwards, and are referred to the Youth Team for preparation, in conjunction with a member of the clergy team.   Adults seeking confirmation are referred to a member of the Clergy team and are required to have completed a Christian Basics Course.

Marriage   Today, more than a quarter of all marriages in England take place before God in the traditional setting of a Church of England Church.    Couples who come to us seeking to be married in church do so because they want a Christian marriage. During Marriage interviews with the clergy and in Marriage Preparation there is the opportunity of talking with couples about the Bible’s teaching on marriage, as well as other aspects of building strong and healthy relationships. Attending the Marriage Preparation Course is mandatory for all couples seeking marriage in the Church of England.