St Jude’s Church is self supporting. Many people think the Church of England must be funded in some way by the state, but this is not the case. Almost half of the funds we raise locally go into a Common Fund run by the Diocese of Exeter who pay for our clergy and their housing. (The following is a short 5 minute video explaining the funding of Exeter Diocese)
The other half is fully used each year as we pay for a full time Youth & Children’s Minister to oversee the very full young people’s programmes of the church (up to 170 under 18′s use the site each week!), our Administrator and a full time OFSTED approved Pre-School. The direct costs of the Pre-School are met by fees, but the building it occupies and our other hall, Youth & Children’s Minister house and not forgetting the Grade II listed church and grounds all need to be heated and maintained.
And all the funds for this come from the congregation.
But St Jude’s tries hard not to suggest that is only interested in money. For instance, we no longer take a collection at our Sunday morning service as it can make guests and visitors uncomfortable – we’re really pleased they have come to spend some time with us and we certainly don’t want them to have to pay for the opportunity! But to allow this to happen, to enable our share of the common costs of the Diocese to be met, to maintain these buildings and fund all the fantastic ministries we support we do ask those who attend regularly to think about their giving as part of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
If you want to know more about this apect of life at St Judes, please click here to download our Guide to Giving.
Thank you for looking at this information about baptism at St Jude’s. As this involves making promises, we feel it’s right to explain what’s involved so that you can make an informed decision about whether it’s right for you (or your child if you are thinking about your child’s baptism – called christening by some). Please take the time to read the following. (the main content is also available to download in our leaflet, “Baptism at St Jude’s Church“)
If at the end of this you want to move towards baptism, then coming to some of our services is a good first step. Why not come along on a Sunday morning (the promises you would make at baptism include churchgoing, so you do need to make sure its what you want to come to!) and catch the Vicar for a chat after reading the following to make sure it is what you want to explore for yourself or your child.
Baptism. What do the words of the video mean? Baptism marks the start of a new beginning, a relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe, through his son, Jesus. As we recognise Jesus for who he is, that he did everything needed to enable us to come into this relationship with him we can decide we want to follow him and tell others about the great things he does in our lives. And that means turning away from stuff that messes up our lives and get in the way of knowing God to lives that work the way they were made to be – in a relationship with God. Baptism is the start of that process, a life long one that is so fruitful and meaningful.
There are two ways of looking at baptism. The first is a response by an adult to discovering a relationship with God through Jesus and then wanting to acknowledge that publicly by obeying Jesus’ request that we repent (turn away from the things that hurt others and God) and be baptised. In this case it is you saying at the start of your journey of faith that Jesus has become special to you and you want to begin something new.
Baptism signifies that you are joining with the community of believers known as the Church.
Patently, children cannot take these decisions in the same way as they are still young, but baptism is made available for both adults and children, so we need to look at the baptism of children differently. That is why the second way of seeing baptism is to consider it as children being welcomed into the same community that their parents and godparents are already a part of – the community they want to acknowledge as being important – the community who acknowledge Jesus as the saviour of their lives and the world – the local and worldwide Church.
This is why, at either an adult’s baptism or at a child’s, versions of the following Baptism Service Extract are used to acknowledge what is happening. The promises being made can only be said honestly when a relationship with Jesus has started and when the adults involved are part of the community of a church – showing their belief by their walk with others in getting to know Jesus more and more. This is also why we use our normal Sunday morning services so the community they are joining can welcome them.
Baptism Service Extract
You would say the parts in bold
Parents and godparents, the Church receives N with joy. Today we are trusting God for his/her growth in faith. Will you pray for him/her, draw him/her by your example into the community of faith and walk with him/her in the way of Christ?
With the help of God, we will.
In baptism N begins his/her journey in faith. You speak for him/her today. Will you care for him/her, and help him/her to take his/her place within the life and worship of Christ’s Church?
With the help of God, we will.
In baptism, God calls us out of darkness into his marvellous light. To follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him. Therefore I ask:
Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?
I reject them.
Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?
I renounce them.
Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?
I repent of them.
Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?
I turn to Christ.
Do you submit to Christ as Lord?
I submit to Christ.
Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life?
I come to Christ.
What is next?
If you are thinking about making these promises on behalf of your child to bring them up to follow Jesus and be part of His church, we would recommend you come along a few times to see if it is what you expect. We often find folks’ thoughts about church don’t match the way we meet and worship today. And, when the last three questions ask about your relationship with Jesus Christ – if you don’t attend a church somewhere, it is a bit difficult to see how you can affirm them. Also, you and your chosen godparents should be baptised, as again the promises you will be making don’t make sense unless you have already taken the step to follow Jesus. If you want to explore baptism for yourself, again, please just ask. It is a good iodea to give the Godparents a copy of this information – you can get our leaflet for them here.
So before you ask for a baptism, please do join us for a variety of our services to find out what we are like, and also think if this is what you believe before you promise to come and say so publicly. If you aren’t sure about the meaning of the promises we can help, please just ask. And there is no rush for baptism. It isn’t an “innoculation” that means you or your children are safe and can go to heaven – that comes from a living faith In Jesus and all he has done for you. Instead, baptism is about acknowledging Jesus as the one who has saved us from an eternity without God and our wanting to join Him and his worldwide family – the Church, for an exciting journey through life and into eternity with Him.
So, for baptism of children, it only makes sense if the parents of the child have a living faith and are members of the Church. If they are not, then the promises can’t be honestly made. Also, please do consider this before you ask any friends or family members to be Godparents as it would be very easy for them to feel uncomfortable making promises they can’t yet keep.
To be baptised at St Jude’s you normally need to live within its parish boundaries. However, if you are a regular worshipper at St Jude’s Church, but live outside the parish, then it is quite reasonable to want to have your children baptised where you worship. There is no charge made for baptism.
So, please don’t plan your thoughts for a baptism without coming to a few services. Your aim should be to decide if you can commit to this community, but more importantly, to Jesus Christ. Then speak with the Vicar on a Sunday morning (NB not every service is suitable to include baptism so please don’t plan any dates until things are confirmed with the Vicar)
And if you want help exploring a faith in Jesus, the Vicar will be able to give you some options.
Re-affirmation of Childhood Baptism Vows
We offer the opportunity to our own Church members to re-affirm their childhood baptism vows. Some adults want to publicly affirm the promises made on their behalf by their own parents. You cannot be baptised twice – you are accepted into the worldwide church once only – but for some that doesn’t ‘feel’ enough. Therefore, on a few occasions when we are considering some full immersion baptism, re-affirmation is always a possibility.
Baptism Application
Once you have been attending church for a short while and are sure about everything above, please ask the Vicar for a Baptism Application Form.