St James' Church of Scotland, Lossiemouth

For Christ, For You

Prospect Terrace, Lossiemouth, Moray.

Linked with St. Gerardine's High Church, Lossiemouth.

Minister: Rev. Geoff McKee.

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You are here: Home / Baptism or Christening

Baptism or Christening

Baptism – or ‘Christening’ – is the ceremony which welcomes a person into the worldwide church family.

It is one of the two ‘sacraments’ of the church – a sacrament being a symbol or sign. The ordinary water used in baptism is a sign of God’s love for us all.

There are no lower age restrictions on baptism in the Church of Scotland.

This is because, whether we know or understand it, God loves us first. As we then grow and mature, we can respond to God’s love with faith and love.

The sacrament of baptism is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Traditionally, most baptisms are of babies or children. This is in line with the belief, in our branch of the Church, that God’s love is not dependent on our understanding.

In fact, age is no restriction at all and adults of all ages may choose to be baptised.

A baptism usually takes place during one of the normal Sunday morning services at St James’.

It is a welcome into the family of the church – and your family and friends are warmly encouraged and invited to attend with you.

Where the baptism is of an infant, parent(s) and/or sponsor(s) are asked to confess (confirm) their Christian faith and make promises to bring the child up in the life of the church.

Where you are being baptised as an adult, it is you who confesses your faith and makes promises for yourself.

The congregation has obligations and duties in all of this too. In all cases, the members of the congregation must also make promises – to welcome and support the baptised person and their family.

Blessing of a child.

Some parents – while they may wish to give thanks for the gift of a child – may feel baptism is not right for them.

Some parents prefer to give their child the chance to make a decision about baptism for themselves later. Some might find the promises and confession asked in a service of baptism to be beyond what they feel comfortable with.

In those cases, a child can be blessed during a worship service.

These occasions involve no water and no promises or commitments on the part of the parents or godparents. Nevertheless, a Blessing of a Child allows family and friends – and the church family – to gather before God. It is an opportunity to celebrate new life and to give the support all families need.

How we can help

For further information, or to discuss possible arrangements, please contact Rev. Geoff McKee or send us a Free Online Enquiry via this website.

You may find the following blog articles on this website – which deal with different aspects of baptism – helpful sources of additional, background information:

  • The Baptism of Jesus
  • The Little Children and Jesus

Or, more generally, the category of ‘Baptism’ on this website has additional ‘sermon’ articles (including those above), all grouped together at this link.

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WELCOME TO OUTREACH

St James' Church Lossiemouth and Prospect Terrace from the East Beach

Lift your head and see the bow

February 19, 2021 By 2

The First Sunday in Lent arrives on 21 February 2021.

The Lectionary readings for this week are: Genesis 9:8-17; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Peter 3:18-22; and Mark 1:9-15. The Genesis text (God’s covenant with Noah after the flood) forms the basis of Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon.

Below you will find Genesis 9:8-17 and then the video service with prayers, readings and the sermon. Finally, there is Kath Robertson’s musicial selection for this week.

Read More

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Contact Us

We would be glad to hear from you. Feel free to contact our Minister, Rev. Geoff McKee, or attend one of the events or groups detailed on this website.

Our Minister

Our Minister is Rev. Geoff McKee.

St James' Church of Scotland, Lossiemouth, is a registered Charity No. SC000880.

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Our Mission

Our mission is to be a Christian community sharing the love of Christ, reaching out to the people in this area and encouraging them to worship God and grow in the knowledge of the care and love of Christ.

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