Holy Baptism at St. Martin’s Church

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is the Christian sacred rite of initiation. We welcome all seeking to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Baptism is the sacrament (“an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace”) by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and inheritors of the Kingdom of God.

Holy Baptism is a public service of worship and is generally conducted within the context of a celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Days especially appropriate for Holy Baptism include Easter Eve, the Day of Pentecost, All Saints’ Day and All Saints’ Sunday, and the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord. Additional services are also scheduled throughout the year. Those dates are:
September 5, 10:00 a.m.
November 7, 9:00 a.m.
January 9, 2011 at 9:00 a.m., (First Sunday after the Epiphany)
April 23, 2011 at 7:00 p.m., (Easter Vigil)
June 12, 2011 at 10: 00 a.m., (Pentecost)
July 17, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.
September 4, 2011 at 10:00 a.m., (Labor Day weekend)
November 6, 2011 at 9:00 a.m., (All Saints Day)

To schedule a baptism, please contact the Secretary to the Rector at the church office at 404.228.0752.

The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage

The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is the Christian sacred rite of marriage. In the Episcopal Church it is required that at least one of the parties be a baptized Christian; that the ceremony be attested by at least two witnesses; and the marriage conforms to the laws of the State and the canons of this Church. When you plan to be married at St. Martin’s Church, the first step is to schedule the date and time with the Secretary to the Rector at 404.228.0752.

Generally a couple to be married here will attend a Premarital Workshop offered by the Care and Counseling Center of Georgia (404 636-1457) and hosted by the Cathedral of St. Philip. Meetings with a member of the clergy for three sessions of premarital counseling are also expected. If either party has been divorced, permission from the Bishop of Atlanta must be obtained before the couple can wed.

Wedding Music Guidelines
For more information on our wedding music guidelines, please visit the music pages of this website.

The Secretary to the Rector will provide you with additional details regarding church fees and honorarium.

Funerals – The Burial of the Dead

The Burial Office is an Easter liturgy. It finds its ultimate meaning in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus, it follows that the central theme of the Burial Office is one of Christian joy, while acknowledging the reality of death and loss. Without making human grief seem un-Christian, our Christian rite of burial emphasizes Christ’s victory over death and bears witness for the benefit and edification of the living to the deep meaning of the faith and hope of the Christian community.

At the Time of Death
When it is known that death is imminent, the parish clergy should be notified immediately so that a priest may join the family and friends to offer comfort, guidance, and prayers. If death is sudden, the clergy also should be notified immediately. The priests are available twenty-four hours a day. No final plans for burial should be completed without consultation with parish clergy. Clergy emergency phone numbers are published quarterly in The Parish Post, in the bulletin on Christmas Eve, and on page 36 of this guide (emergency numbers will not be published on the website). You may also contact the clergy during office hours (8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Mon.-Fri.) on their office phones. Staff phone numbers and e-mail addresses are available on the back of this guide.

Memorial Gifts
We encourage those who desire to pay tribute to the deceased to donate a memorial gift in lieu of flowers. This gift can be to the parish or another good work in which the deceased was interested or involved. Gifts to the parish are acknowledged by Saint Martin’s with a card to both the donor and the family. An appropriate memorial will be established at a later date. If you would like to make a donation to St. Martin’s Church, please contact our Business Manager, Susan Breunig, at 404.228.0756.