Here you will find information about the sacraments of the Church
Holy Baptism
The sacrament of Baptism is the way a person joins the Christian Church. Jesus instructed his first disciples to go to the ends of the earth and baptise all people ‘in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit’. The Church of today follows that same instruction pouring water (usually over the forehead) and using the name of the Holy Trinity. By this action God’s grace is recognised as being present in the individual to be baptised. In return a human response is made to God asserting belief in God and promising to live a life committed to live, work and worship for God alone and to reject everything that may hinder that promise.
Adults make this promise for themselves. Children are baptised on condition that parents and godparents make these solemn promises on behalf of the children until they are old enough to promise for themselves in the sacrament of Confirmation.
If you are seeking baptism for your child an application form should be collected by attending Sunday worship at any of our three worship centres.
Admission to Holy Communion
The Diocese of the Highveld allows for children who are at least 8 years of age to be admitted to Holy Communion with the following conditions:
§ the child must have been baptised and be able to furnish a certificate as proof of this
§ the child’s family have developed a regular pattern of physical attendance at Sunday Mass in the Parish
§ the child and family engage with materials (supplied by the Rector) to assist in this particular part of their faith journey
§ preparation begins at Easter and weekly Sunday attendance is expected during Eastertide
§ the child and family must attend a workshop and rehearsal
§ the child must be available to attend the Admission Service held on Corpus Christi Sunday (nine Sundays after Easter Day)
Application for Admission to Holy Communion should be made on a pink application form (which becomes available in Lent) on Sundays from each worship centre.
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Confirmation
The sacrament of Confirmation is administered by the Bishop for those who will be 16 years of age or older in the year the sacrament is administered.
A course of varied experiences begins at Easter and application (together with proof of baptism) should be made on the green form available at all the worship centres.
Holy Matrimony
Christian marriage in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa is understood as the lifelong union of one man and one woman. In the sacrament of Holy Matrimony the bride and groom stand before God and in the presence of their witnesses to minister to each other as they make solemn vows committing themselves to each other ‘from this day forward’.
The Anglican Church requires that at least one of the couple should be a baptised member of the Church.
Enquiries regarding the solemnisation of Holy Matrimony should be made with the Rector before any other details such as date and venue are decided upon.
Funerals
A Christian funeral is an opportunity for the bereaved family and friends to take their leave of their loved ones who have died and to this end The Anglican Prayer Book 1989 is quite clear that ‘A Memorial service is not an alternative to a funeral service’.
A Christian funeral recognises that each of us, with all our individual characteristics and achievements as well as our faults and failings, is a creature of God. In taking our leave of our loved ones we are giving them back to God with thanksgiving and confidence that God will be loving and merciful. Such a parting and change in our relationship with our loved ones will be challenging and will involve its own pain and tears. A Christian funeral embraces that human sadness but also celebrates the faith that we can trust God because of the promises Jesus made that God will never forsake or abandon us. A balanced funeral service will find space to recognise the reality of loss and the joy that comes from trusting that we are each offered a share in Christ’s resurrection.
The Rector will assist the family in the appropriate inclusion of different elements as well as the involvement of family and friends as appropriate.
Whilst every effort will be made to accommodate the family’s wishes, it is most important not to commit to dates or times for the funeral arrangements before contacting the Rector.
