Centre Congregational Church is happy to provide baptism for infants, children, youth, and adults. Baptisms are most frequently held during the 10:00 worship service on Sundays.

The sacrament of baptism may be an opportunity for you, and/or your family, to make a church connection. Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!

Please fill out the baptism application which you can print from here or request from the church; then email, send, or fax it to the office. Please call the office at 781-334-3050 to speak to the pastor to schedule the baptism. Our pastor will meet with the parent(s) and/or the one to be baptized a few weeks in advance of the scheduled baptism date.

It is generally expected that those requesting baptism are able and willing to attend church services at Centre Congregational Church and participate in the life of the church community, though church membership is not required.

What Baptism Signifies:
In the United Church of Christ, baptism is a sacrament, considered to be an outward and visible sign of the grace of God. Through baptism a person is joined with the universal church, the body of Christ. We baptize people to recognize they are already God’s children.

When you present your child for baptism you are acknowledging that your child is a gift from God you commit to raise the child in a nurturing Christian community in anticipation of the day when s/he will profess his or her own faith in Christ, usually as a teenager through Confirmation.

How Baptism Takes Place:
Baptism usually takes place in church during a worship service with a gathered congregation. As part of the service, you will be asked the questions about instructing your child in the Christian faith. At the same time the church also makes a commitment to you. After you have made your vows, the members of the congregation are asked to pledge their “love, support, and care” for the one to be baptized.

We call upon the Holy Spirit to bless the water (a prominent symbol of cleansing and life in the Bible). Our pastor makes the sign of the cross in water upon the forehead of the person being baptized. Trinitarian language is used: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."

After baptism of a child, the pastor, deacon, parent, Godparent, or sponsor may then walk the infant up and down the aisle, symbolic of the infant’s new place in the church. Older children and adults may walk the aisle with the pastor. Finally the Certificate of Baptism is presented and the family returns to their place in the congregation.

Godparents:
Parents, in consultation with the pastor, may choose Godparents or sponsors for infants and young children who are to be baptized. Adults may have sponsors who accompany the candidates and may make promises similar to the promises of the parents concerning their role. Historically, the role of the Godparent was to raise the child in the Christian faith if anything happened to the parents. Today, the role of the Godparent is more frequently, to lend a lifetime of spiritual support to the person being baptized.

Baptism is a sacrament of the church, and no fees are necessary. If you wish, you may present the pastor with a minimal gratuity.

Logistics:
You should plan to arrive by 9:30 on the morning of the baptism. Baptisms are usually conducted early in the worship service. Nursery care is available for infants/toddlers. Children age 4-grade 4 are always welcome to join our Godly Play faith formation classes.

Photographs and videos may be taken--with discretion—so as not to disturb the ritual or congregation.

Parents may contact the office to arrange altar flowers or to bring a cake or other refreshments for our post-worship coffee hour.