St. Francis Episcopal Church
Palos Verdes Estates, CA

Baptismal Policy

Registration for Holy Baptism
Form should be completed at least one month before baptism.
(Link to pdf Form)

Baptismal Policy -

1. Holy Baptism will be administered in this parish according to the spirit and letter of The Book of Common Prayer and the Canons of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America.

2. Because Holy Baptism incorporates a person not only into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, but also into a relationship with his Body, the Church, it will (outside of emergencies) be celebrated only in the context of the Holy Eucharist on Sundays or other feasts. At St. Francis, Baptisms are regularly celebrated on The Feast of Epiphany (January), The Great Vigil of Easter (Saturday night before Easter Sunday), Pentecost (May/June), and All Saints Day (November).

3. Infants or other young children (under age 12) are prepared as candidates for Holy Baptism on the basis of having been born into a practicing Christian family.  It is required that at least one of a child’s parents be baptized, and a communicant member in good standing of St. Francis Parish.*  Godparent(s) or Sponsors must themselves be baptized Christians, but need not be parishioners here. Parents and Godparent(s)/Sponsors are asked to attend a baptismal preparation class before the baptism. Please consult the Children, Youth and Families section of our current Get Connected brochure to find out when the next class will be held.

4. Adults seeking baptism are invited to make an appointment with the Rector to discuss their course of preparation. In most cases, participation in our course called ABC’s : Foundations of Life in Christ plus a one-session baptism preparation class will be recommended. Please consult the Adult Christian Formation section of our current Get Connected brochure to find out when the next class will be held.
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 * St. Francis Parish (as well as the Episcopal Church at large) believes that it is essential that parents present their child for baptism in the parish which they will be attending, since that is the community which will help them raise their child into the “full stature of Christ” as vowed in the baptismal liturgy. “Communicant members in good standing” are members of said parish who “…for the previous year have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and have been faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God…”