Baptism

Baptism is the visible sign of commitment as a follower of Jesus and is the most important (and exciting) decision you will ever make in your life. At St. Paul’s we are delighted to baptize both adults, older children who wish to make this commitment, and the young children of Christian parents who want them to grow up in the community of faith.

Holy Baptism, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit:

  • joins a person to Jesus Christ in his death, resurrection, and eternal life;
  • makes a person a member of Christ’s spiritual body, which is the church;
  • gives the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We want you to be able to make an informed decision about baptism, so we invite adult candidates and parents of young children to be regular participants in Sunday morning worship for at least three months before a final decision is made. If you are new to St. Paul’s and wishing baptism for yourself or your child, we invite you to use this time to determine if this is the right spiritual home for you.  

Tyler Wigg-Stevenson Pouring

We host services of Holy Baptism three times a year and want you to be well-prepared for this important step.  Adult candidates and parents of young children to be baptized will complete the six sessions in our faith preparation class, Turning to Christ, which is offered several times per year. Parents of young children are also invited to participate in the follow-up class Faith at Home, which helps you be confident as a Christian parent in how to raise your children as followers of Jesus.

The first step toward Baptism at St. Paul’s Bloor Street is to have a conversation with Bishop Jenny Andison. You will be invited to share your faith journey and questions, learn more about the baptism preparation process, and plan for the next available service of baptism. 

Our next service of baptism is November 26. We are excited to be on this journey with you.  

Confirmation & Reception

At St. Paul’s we know that life takes twists and turns and people often don’t come to full ownership of their own faith until later in life. Confirmation is a reaffirmation of the promises made in infant baptism and a declaration of the intent to live as a follower of Jesus Christ. In confirmation, the bishop lays hands on the confirmand to pray for the renewing activity of the Holy Spirit in their life.  

Confirmation is commonly done for teens who were baptized as infants and wish to claim the faith as their own. However, adults who were baptized in another Christian tradition and not previously confirmed are welcome to join the Anglican Church through confirmation. Reception occurs at the same time as confirmation and is offered to adults who were previously baptized and confirmed in a different denomination, and who now wish to make the Anglican church their spiritual home 

Those wishing to be confirmed or received are expected to be regular participants in the church for at least three months.  

If you’re interested in confirmation as an adult, please contact The Rev. Tyler Wigg-Stevenson.

If you’re interested in confirmation for your youth, please contact Dylan Ziegler.

Marriage

Congratulations on your engagement! We are delighted to walk alongside members of our congregation who wish to enter into Christian marriage. If you are new to St. Paul’s and looking for a church to make your spiritual home as a married couple, we would love to connect with you.

At St. Paul’s we affirm that “marriage is a gift of God and a means of God’s grace, in which man and woman become one flesh. It is God’s purpose that, as husband and wife give themselves to each other in love, they shall grow together and be united in that love, as Christ is united with his Church” (Book of Alternative Services).  

We value Christian marriage very highly and want to prepare you for the joy of this lifelong covenant. Our marriage preparation process has two steps:  

1) The Pre-Marriage Course, a five-week class on the skills required for a successful marriage, which is offered 2-3 times annually.  

2) Pre-marital counseling for the couple with the priest performing your wedding (usually 3 sessions).

Both steps are required for a wedding at St. Paul’s. Couples should plan to complete the course and the counseling before their desired wedding date.  

Marriage is an extension of the worshipping life of our congregation, and we are pleased to offer marriage to active members of St. Paul’s. Couples wishing to be married at St. Paul’s are expected to be regular participants in the church for at least three months prior to the wedding. If you are new to St. Paul’s and would like to be married here, we invite you to use this time to determine if you would like to make this church your spiritual home as a couple 

At least one member of the couple must be baptized prior to marriage and all marriages at the church must be performed by St. Paul’s clergy.

Please note that we uphold the marriage policy of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, which directs churches to “treat with respect the diversity of views about the theology of marriage”, a diversity that exists in our congregation, as we learn and grow together.  

If you are ready to take the next step, please fill out the form below and a clergy member will be in contact with you.

Funeral

St. Paul’s is here to provide funeral assistance and comfort to members of our congregation during the difficult period following the death of a loved one.

You may choose between a traditional Anglican Book of Common Prayer funeral service (or a more contemporary service), or a memorial service. All follow the basic Anglican Funeral liturgy, but you will be able to personalize it with passages, music, and a time of thanksgiving. The service can be held either in our main sanctuary or in one of two smaller chapels, depending on availability and attendance. Livestreaming and A/V are available at extra costs.  

We can also host funeral receptions with in-house catering to follow the service in one of our two halls (the Great Hall or Cody Hall), depending on availability.  

Pre-planning a funeral in advance or during the final weeks of life can help you communicate clearly with your family and loved ones about your funeral preferences.