On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached the
Gospel of Christ's resurrection. Those who
heard the message asked what they should do.

Peter told them:

  "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you,
  in the name of Jesus Christ
  so that your sins may be forgiven;
  and you will receive the gift
  of the Holy Spirit.
  For the promise is for you,
  for your children,
  and for all who are far away,
  everyone whom the Lord our God may call."

THE PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATES FOR BAPTISM

2.  The parents of the child to be baptized stand.

Minister: N and N, having heard these things, how do you respond to the offer of God's grace?

Parents: We thank God, and present our child for baptism.

THE AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

3.  Minister: Do you turn away from evil and all that denies God ?
Parents:  By the grace of God, we do.

Minister: Do you desire to receive God's gift of freedom and new life ?
Parents:  By the grace of God, we do.

Minister: Do you turn to God, trusting in Jesus Christ
             as Lord and Saviour, and in the Holy Spirit
             as Helper and Guide ?
Parents:  By the grace of God, we do.

4.  The Minister says:

I ask you now to confess, with all God's
people, the faith of the Church.

We believe in God the Father,
who made the world;
And in his Son, Jesus Christ,
who redeemed humankind;
And in the Holy Spirit,
who gives life to the people of God.

THE THANKSGIVING OVER THE WATER

5.  The Minister stands at the font and says:

Gracious God, we thank you
for your gifts of water and the Holy Spirit,
for your sustaining, cleansing, and life-giving power.
From the beginning
your grace has been made known
through water and the Spirit:
your Spirit moved over the waters of creation
and you led your people to freedom through a parted sea.
In the fullness of time you sent Jesus.
He was baptized in the waters of the Jordan
and anointed with the Holy Spirit.
He passed through the deep waters of death
and lives for evermore.

He offers living water
and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Minister may extend his/her hands over the water.

Pour out your Holy Spirit
that the one baptized in this water
may die to sin,
be freed from its power,
and be born to new life
in the family of your Church.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

THE BAPTISM

6.  Minister: What name have you given this child?

7.  The Minister may say to the child:

N,
for you Jesus Christ came into the world;
for you he lived and showed God's love;
for you he suffered death on the Cross;
for you he triumphed over death,
rising to newness of life;
for you he prays at God's right hand:
all this for you,
before you could know anything of it.

In your baptism,
the word of Scripture is fulfilled:

"We love, because God first loved us".

8.  The Minister, taking the child into her/his arms, signs the cross on the child's head, in 3 stages; once at the   mention of each Person of the Holy Trinity, saying:

N, I baptize you
in the Name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

By baptism, God has received you into the Church.

9.  The newly-baptized are shown to the people.

10.  All say:

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious unto you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.  Amen.

11.  The Minister, or a representative of the local church, says to them:

Christ is your Light and your Way.
May you grow and live in the faith of Christ.  Amen.

12.  A certificate of baptism is presented.