How can I become a Christian?

Becoming a Christian is not a matter of simply praying a prayer, or deciding to start attending Church services. It is the beginning of a new life, and so it is truly and properly called being 'born again'. One of the followers of Jesus, a well educated Jewish man, heard Jesus speaking about the need to be 'born again' and didn't understand at all what he meant.

Jesus took the time to explain and spoke of being born of water and Spirit, and of believing in the Son who had come from heaven to save the world and show men and women a way back to God.

There are three things here which are different aspects of what it means to become a Christian. Firstly there is faith, and faith is necessary to become a Christian. Faith is not believing things about Jesus and God, even the demons believe that there is a God and that he is all powerful. Faith is putting our trust in God and in Jesus Christ, and putting our lives in God's hands, not for a moment but for now and forever.

Faith leads us to the waters of baptism. Baptism is not simply a ritual, but we believe that by the prayers of the priest and the immersion of the candidate in the waters, there is a real dying of the old unbelieving person, and a new spiritual person rises from the waters. This is why the newly baptised person receives a new name, a Christian name. They are now part of God's Church, his family, and have become sons and daughters of God.

Finally the newly baptised Christian is anointed with holy oil and by the prayers of the priest the Holy Spirit, God himself, comes to dwell in the new Christian, giving spiritual strength to begin to live the Christian life. Indeed one way of describing the aim of the Christian life is as a continual seeking to make the Holy Spirit welcome in our lives, doing all that we can to live a holy life by his power.

This Christian life is open to all. If you do not have faith the ask God to reveal himself to you and grant you the gift of faith. If you believe then the waters of baptism are open for you and obedience to the Gospel which says, 'believe and be baptised' will allow you also to become part of the Christian Church, the family of God.

An Icon of the Resurrection of Christ in the Coptic style

Many of our icons have been created by the internationally renowned iconographer, Deacon Stephane Rene. Visit the Icon Gallery to see more.