At St. Mark’s we celebrate and commemorate some of the major milestones of life in our ‘special services’ of baptisms, weddings and funerals. Here is some more information about having these services at our church for you or your family.
Baptism
Baptism (sometimes called “Christening”) is a symbol which marks entry into the Christian Church and our commitment to being a follower of Jesus throughout our lives.
Those who are going to be baptised make promises about their intention to follow Jesus and are then immersed in, or splashed with, water. As the words of the baptism service say:
Baptism with water signifies the cleansing from sin that Jesus’ death makes possible, and the new life that God gives us through the Holy Spirit. In baptism, the promises of God are visibly signed and sealed for us. We are joined to Christ, and made members of his body, the Church universal.
Our baptisms are conducted during one of our normal Sunday worship services, as baptism involves welcoming someone into the life of the church community.
As an Anglican church, we baptise adults who wish to affirm their faith, and also the children of Christian families. Regarding children, the baptism service says:
Children are baptised in response to God’s all-embracing love. Parents and godparents who have responded to that love come now to bring their child for baptism. Before this congregation they must express their own trust and commitment to the promises of God, and their intention to bring up their child in the faith and practice of the Church.
If you would like to get baptised or have your child baptised, please contact our church office (5968 4046, info@stmarksemerald.org.au). A staff member will then contact you and ask you to answer a few initial questions about your background and reasons for seeking baptism, and then ask you to attend one of our services to get a sense of what our church is like. Then we will set up an interview with one of our ministers to discuss and plan your baptism service.
Weddings
Marriage is a commitment with great significance for ourselves, our community and our understanding of the character of God. Those who are seeking a Christian wedding in the beautiful setting of the town of Emerald are welcome to come to St. Mark’s, as our ministers are authorised religious celebrants.
Please note that at this time marriage celebrants of the Anglican Church of Australia are not able to conduct weddings for same-sex couples.
Our services include the promises and vows of the Anglican wedding service, reflections from the Bible on the meaning and purpose of marriage, and opportunities for songs or other personal celebrations of your relationship.
All marriages have legal requirements for the notification of the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages which we will assist you to fulfil. We also ask all couples seeking a wedding at St. Mark’s to enter into a marriage preparation course with our minister that will help you to reflect on this new stage of your relationship.
If you would like to have your wedding at St. Mark’s, please contact our church office (5968 4046, info@stmarksemerald.org.au) to discuss the details and your requirements.
Funerals
A Christian funeral expresses our hope in the resurrection of believers to eternal life with Jesus Christ, and is a celebration of life and our memories of those who have died.
We welcome requests for our ministers to conduct funeral services at St. Mark’s.
It is best to ask your funeral director to contact us with your request and information about the arrangements for the funeral service.