Baptisms: Explore the thinking

The Church of England has done some major research with families to help us understand more about why they come for baptism – and what we can do to help them make this the beginning of a lifetime of exploring faith. In this section, find out about the things that really make a difference.

The Archbishops’ Council commissioned extensive research to help find out why families choose to have their children baptized, and why they might choose not to. It focused on baptisms of children under 12. The research offered a basis on which new resources for churches could be developed to help them:

• Attract more people to come to the church for baptism.
• Build understanding of what the Church of England provides, and build understanding within the church about what families think about baptism in today’s culture.
• Care so much that when do people do come, they want to come back.

Baptism is where we welcome a child into the family of God’s people, and rejoice in God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ. Ministry around baptism is also explicitly about church growth. At the beginning of every baptism service these words are said: “In baptism the Lord is adding to our number..” The research and resources aim to help churches deliver exactly that.