Christian Nurture in St James Parish

Anglicans take great care in their understanding about the sacraments and about the process of equipping its people to lead a mature Christian life. Our history, experience of God and understanding of scripture call us to attend properly to the process of becoming mature Christians. We do all we can to help people enter the Church and grow into a faith.

We try to structure the ministry of the church to stress the role of the congregation in the rites of Thanksgiving for a Child, Holy Baptism, Admission to Communion, Confirmation and the process of faith maturation. This process is not ours alone but is God’s gift to the Church. Christ’s Church, has developed a way in which we bring this great gift to the people and continue to nurture their faith through participation.

We also need to remember that any practice seeks to coincide with the practice of the wider Church and it is for this reason the understanding of the wider Church is a central part of our process. Our practice starts with the good news of God’s action in Thanksgiving for a Child and Holy Baptism and builds on that gospel as it seeks to build on the implications of the Good news of God’s action in our lives.

Rites on the Road to a Mature Christian Faith.

In the Parish of St James the rites used to enable us to mature in our faith and in our Christian life are:

• Thanksgiving for a Child
• The Sacrament of Baptism
• Admission to Communion
• Confirmation
• The Catechumenate

The Church has moved somewhat in its understanding. In light of the Churches understanding of who is able to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion, the practice here in St James Parish is that any person who is baptised and a member of the Body of Christ is able to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion. To help the person in their growth in faith, we offer teaching and the rite of Admission to Communion. Confirmation is viewed as a rite whereby a Christian after prayer and study ‘confirms’ the vows that were made, either by themselves or by their parents and sponsors, at their Baptism.

Thanksgiving for a Child

This rite provides an opportunity for parents and families to give thanks for the birth or adoption of a child and to offer prayer for family life. This enables the family and child to begin a process of seeking and exploration of a relationship with God and a relationship with Jesus Christ without feeling pressure. It is not a sacrament of initiation like Baptism.

After preparation, a couple bringing their child for baptism may be inclined to believe it would be more appropriate for them and their child to have a “Service of Thanksgiving for a Child” in which the child can be named, but not at this stage baptised.

Holy Baptism

Baptism is a celebration of a special time. It is when we commit our children to God or as an adult we wish to make that commitment for ourselves. Jesus says at our natural birth we are given life for this present world and become members of our natural families and citizens of our country. Jesus says that birth is not enough for his disciples and we must be spiritually born again to become members of God’s family and citizens of His Kingdom.

Baptism is the means whereby we become disciples of Jesus, Citizens of God’s Kingdom and members of the Church. (John 3:1-6) The good news of the gospel is quite clear: We are joined with Christ in Baptism and through it we are forgiven and raised to new life with the resurrected Christ.

Baptism by water and the anointing with oil does witness to an important spiritual truth;

OUR FAITH BEGINS NOT WITH WHAT WE DO FOR GOD, BUT WITH WHAT GOD DOES FOR US.

While infant Baptism is common practice in the Anglican Church, it is also recognised that many have not grown up in the Christian Faith and may have never been baptised. All, who have never been baptised, are welcomed into the Christian community through Baptism. Baptism is carried out only once in a person’s life for those who are active in the Church. Baptisms are special events for the Church and are therefore celebrated as part of regular congregational worship.

When a person is baptised they are baptised into the body of Christ, which is the Church, the gathered community of faith. Private baptisms are appropriate only in emergency situations, when it is not possible to gather the community of faith.

Congregations commit themselves to support the newly baptised in their new life of faith which is a commitment not taken lightly. The congregation pledges itself to care for and nurture the newly baptized person as they grow in their relationship with Jesus.

We, all the baptised, are to continually grow in our understanding of God’s good gift of life as God’s baptised people. We are all called to live out our baptismal vows in our lives. Adult Baptism is carried out by the Bishop who would normally confirm the adult at the same time. This would be done after appropriate teaching and preparation.

Admission to Communion

A person who has been baptised and not yet confirmed is able to be admitted to Holy Communion after appropriate instruction as to the nature and meaning of Holy Communion and is supported by their family or other confirmed members of the congregation. This is often done around the age range of 7 to 10 years old.

Confirmation

At Confirmation we confirm our baptismal vows and claim the promises of our Baptism as a responsibility of our own. The commitment is made after prayer, a period of appropriate teaching and faith exploration. For adults who wish to be baptised, the candidate after teaching and preparation, is baptised and confirmed at the same time by the Bishop. Usually for those who have been baptised at an early age the rite is performed by the Bishop and is usually sought by the candidate when they feel they have reached a point of maturity in their faith journey. For most this is in their late teens or early twenties but can be earlier after consultation with either the parish priest or the Bishop.

Catechumenate: The Journey Program

The Journey is a series of meetings for those who wish to enter more fully into the life of the Church. They and the Journey team meet to ask questions about the church, religion and prayer. The Catechumenate is a programme of study and exploration for Christians wishing to mature in their faith. It can be used by those seeking baptism as adults or confirmed or by those who wish to deepen their understanding and faith. The process ends with a service which may be baptism or confirmation on a Feast Day. These programmes are run when needed.

Request and Preparation for the Rites

All inquiries for the Rites come through the Parish Administrator at the Cathedral Office (phone 4771 2247 or email at stjamescathedral@hotmail.com). A person or the parents of a child who desire to mark their next step in faith through one of these rites may then discuss the process with one of the parish clergy.

It is then ascertained as to what path the request will follow and it will include preparation at a group evening or at a time on the weekend or on an individual family basis when appropriate. It may be that after preparation, the persons presenting may believe it would be more appropriate for them to wait or to take some other avenue. This is respected.

Baptism at St James Cathedral usually takes place on the first Sunday of the month and where timing is appropriate and preparation has taken place, in the worship service at St Mark’s, Belgian Gardens or St Margaret’s, Magnetic Island. Thanksgiving for a Child, Admission to Communion and Confirmation Services are held when there are candidates.

There are no fees for Thanksgiving for a Child, Baptism, and Admission to Communion or Confirmation. This congregation does not charge a fee to celebrate any of these rites as they are a ministry of the church and therefore seen as a part of a sacrament freely given by God.