BAPTISM
Baptism is the full initiation by water and the Hoy Spirit into Christ’s Body, the church. Baptism brings us to new life in Christ, and is an indissoluble bond with God. Baptism by water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the only requirement for full initiation in the Church and is the root from which all other sacraments and rites of the church proceed.
Godparents speak on behalf of candidates for baptism who are infants or younger children who cannot speak for themselves at the Presentation and Examination of the Candidates. During the baptismal rite, the members of the congregation promise to do all that they can to support the candidates in their life in Christ and join with the candidates by renewing their own baptismal covenant.
At Saint Anne’s, we celebrate baptisms on the dates appointed in the Book of Common Prayer, including the Easter Vigil, Pentecost, All Saints’ Day and the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord (the First Sunday after the Epiphany). We also typically offer baptisms on a Sunday in late summer or early fall, as needed. If you or a member of your family would like to be baptized at Saint Anne’s, please contact the church office by phone or fill out the form below.
Confirmation, Reception & Reaffirmation
Confirmation is the sacramental rite in which we celebrate and affirm our Christian life in the rich tradition of the Episcopal Church. Candidates for confirmation “express a mature commitment to Christ and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop” (BCP, 860). It is an opportunity for teenagers and adults to publicly and sacramentally say “yes” to Jesus and His church, recommitting themselves to the promises made at baptism.
At Saint Anne’s, confirmation is preceded by several months of instruction and inquiry so that prospective confirmands (“inquirers”) may have a deeper understanding of the Christian faith, particularly the creeds and the sacraments, before they are confirmed.
Confirmation is typically offered every other year when the bishop visits. We are currently planning on offering an adult confirmation class in the spring of 2024 and a youth confirmation class beginning in fall of 2024. If you or a member of your family would like to be confirmed at Saint Anne’s, please contact the church office by phone or fill out the registration form below.
REAFFIRMATION is celebrated when a confirmed Episcopalian wishes to again publicly reaffirm their baptismal vows to the bishop and the community. Unlike Baptism, reaffirmation may be repeated multiple times over the course of candidate's life, according to their pastoral needs.
RECEPTION is offered for those adults who have already been confirmed in another denomination and wish to publicly affirm their choice to continue their spiritual journey as an Episcopalian.
