SPECIAL TIMES IN LIFE -
HOW THE CHURCH CAN HELP
The Anglican church in Central Queensland welcomes
† those who come for Baptism or Christening;
† those who are Baptized and wish to explore the possibility of receiving Holy Communion and Confirmation;
† those who come for Marriage in the church;
† and extends sympathy to those who have lost loved ones, and offers the assistance of the church in your grief, in arrangements for the funeral, and afterwards.
Baptism
The Anglican church in Central Queensland welcomes those who come for Baptism, or Christening.
To make arrangements for Baptism, you will need to speak to your local Parish Priest or the Ministry Team leader of your local church. They will be able to give you details for your particular town or area.
Generally, the following information may help:
† Christening and Baptism mean the same thing.
† A person may be Baptised at any age
† Children are brought for Baptism by parents and usually godparents
† Godparents must be baptised members of the Christian church.
† A person is baptised in the name of God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.
† Through Baptism, a person becomes a disciple of Christ and a member of the church.
† The time and day of the Baptism will have to fit with the arrangements and program of your local church. This may take some weeks or even longer, depending on the time of year. Please speak to the church contact person or priest before you make arrangements for a particular day.
† Baptism requires preparation, to explore the promises that you will be making. You will need to contact your local church for details and arrangements for preparation.
† The promises of Baptism include turning to Christ, repenting of our sins, living as Christ's disciple, loving God with our whole heart and loving our neighbour.
† Family and friends are welcome at church for the Baptism.
† An offering is given to the church, in thanks for Baptism.
The church can offer other ceremonies, if you are not able to make the promises of Baptism, where a child can be named and blessed.
We receive and welcome you as a member with us of the body of Christ,
as a child of the one heavenly Father, and as an inheritor of the kingdom of God.
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Admission To Holy Communion And Confirmation
The Anglican Church welcomes people who are Baptized and wish to explore the possibility of receiving Holy Communion and Confirmation.
To make arrangements, you will need to speak to your local Parish Priest or the Ministry Team leader of your local church. They will be able to give you details for your particular town or area.
Generally, the following information may help:
† Holy Communion is the sharing of the Bread and Wine Jesus gave us.
† You must be already baptised before taking Holy Communion.
† Times of preparation will be needed, to help you understand what the Holy Communion means.
† Children who go to church regularly can start taking Communion from the age of 7 years, although many children wait a little longer.
† Starting to take Holy Communion is not being Confirmed.
† A person is Confirmed from the age of 15 years.
† Confirmation includes making Baptism promises for yourself, and so involves significant preparation time.
† The promises of Confirmation include turning to Christ, repenting of our sins, living as Christ's disciple, loving God with our whole heart and loving our neighbour.
† Those who receive Holy Communion and those who are Confirmed are expected to be regularly involved in the life and faith of the church community.
The church can offer other ceremonies for certain situations, for example, if a person has been Baptised as an infant, but not involved in the Christian faith for many years, and then later in life wishes to make a commitment to Christ. You are welcome to speak to your Parish Priest about your situation.
Jesus said, "Take, eat, this is my Body given for you. This is my Blood shed for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
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Marriage
The Anglican church welcomes those who come for Marriage in the church.
To make arrangements for Marriage, you will need to speak to your local Parish Priest or the Ministry Team leader of your local church. They will be able to give you details for your particular town or area.
Generally, the following information may help:
† Congratulations are extended to those who have decided to be married by the church. You are welcome.
† It can be difficult to co-ordinate all the people and places needed for your wedding, to find a suitable date and time. Please contact the church early in this process, to ensure the church is available too.
† Each local church will offer you preparation for your wedding day, and the details for this will depend on the local situation.
† Arrangements for flowers in the church and music for the ceremony must be made in conjunction with your Parish Priest, and will depend on local circumstances.
† Both the bride and groom must be over the age of 18 years, and both the witnesses to the marriage must be over 18 also.
† Legal forms have to be filled in between 6 months and 1 month before the wedding.
† To be married in the church, at least one of the couple need to be already baptised in some denomination of the Christian church.
† If either the bride or groom has previously been married and divorced, the permission of the Bishop needs to be sought before the wedding can take place. Your local Parish Priest will do this for you.
† In some circumstances, the Bishop may give permission for a couple to be married by an Anglican Priest, in a place other than the church building.
May God enable us to grow in love together.
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Funerals
The Anglican church extends sympathy to those who have lost loved ones, and offer the assistance of the church in your grief, in arrangements for the funeral, and afterwards.
To make arrangements for a Funeral, you will need to speak to your local Parish Priest or the Ministry Team leader of your local church. They will be able to give you details for your particular town or area.
Generally, the following information may help:
† The Anglican church will help you in your grief and loss. God cares for all his children, and brings comfort to those who mourn.
† A person does not have to be Baptised to be buried from the Anglican church.
† You are invited to let your local Priest know about the illness of a loved one, even before death, so that prayers, counselling or the last Rites can be offered.
† At the time of death of a loved one, you are welcome to call your local Priest to say prayers, or ask hospital staff to call on your behalf.
† Please contact your local church soon after the death to make arrangements for the time and day of the funeral,or ask the funeral directors to ensure that your Parish Priest is available at the time you are planning for the funeral, before the time is advertised.
† The funeral can be conducted in the parish church, at the cemetery, or both, or, if in Rockhampton, at the crematorium.
† Most Anglican funerals take about half an hour, but may be longer if extra tributes are given by family and friends.
† Worshipping Anglicans may wish to have a Requiem Eucharist, ie, the Holy Communion as part of the funeral service.
† Music used during the funeral service will have to be arranged with your Parish Priest. Other music, particularly items which were favourites of your loved one, may be more suitable for use at a gathering after the funeral service.
Jesus said, "I am the Resurrection and the life.
Those who believe in me will not perish but have eternal life."
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Site Map
ANGLICAN DIOCESAN OFFICES
Location:
Kershaw House,
Glenmore Rd,
Rockhampton
Postal Address:
P.O. Box 6158,
C.Q. Mail Centre, 4702
Phone: (07) 4927 3188
Fax: (07) 4922 4562
Diocesan Email
Webmaster:
Canon Janne Whitehead
Site Designed & Maintained
by Kathy Thompson
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This page last updated
January 23, 2008