Church of the Incarnation

3966 McKinney Ave

Dallas, Texas 75204

214-521-5101

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Sacraments

We thank you, Father, for the water of Baptism. In it we are buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in his resurrection. Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit.
The Book of Common Prayer, pg. 306

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism—administered with water and “in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”—is initiation into Christ’s Body the Church. The grace of Baptism is union with Jesus Christ and his Church, forgiveness of sins, and new life in the Holy Spirit. We celebrate Holy Baptism on designated feast days and other scheduled Sundays (and a few Saturdays) throughout the year.

Baptism for Adults

Baptism for Children

Baptism for Adults

Adults who desire to receive the Sacrament of Baptism should email

Once the candidate for Baptism has completed the required courses,
we’ll make arrangements for baptism on one of the designated Sundays.

Baptism for Children

When parents request to have their child baptized, they are committing to raise their child in the Christian faith with support from godparents. Incarnation is dedicated to fully preparing parents for this monumental life event for their child. 

These are the requirements for parents who wish to have their child baptized at Incarnation.

  1. Parents must complete a baptism prep class.
  2. At least one of the parents must be a baptized member of Church of the Incarnation.
  3. Godparents must be baptized Christians, and should be active, mature, and faithful members of the Church.
  4. Parents and godparents should be able to affirm in good faith the promises they will make on behalf of the child.
  5. If the parents are not members of Church of the Incarnation, but for some pressing reason wish to have their child baptized at Incarnation, they must demonstrate comparable membership in another Parish. A letter or a phone call from the member of the clergy of that parish is required in these cases, and the final decision is made by the Rector.

Baptism Prep Class

Parents of children who will soon be baptized must attend our baptism preparation class for parents offered quarterly. The class explores the origins of baptism in Scripture as well as what our Prayer Book and Anglican tradition teach us about this Sacrament of New Birth. We also examine the role of godparents and how to choose them, along with practical advice on how to incorporate the Christian faith in the daily life of your family, with particular care being given to using the Prayer Book.

Upon completion of the baptism class, we will work with you to schedule your child for baptism on one of the designated Sundays.

Please email for more information and to begin the baptism preparation process.

Seedlings

Children begin to understand the fundamentals of the Christian faith through this year-long class that focuses on baptism, prayer, and service. The last third of the year culminates in preparation for First Communion.

Class Details on Children's Page

Renew in these your servants the covenant you made with them at their Baptism. Send them forth in the power of that Spirit to perform the service you set before them.
The Book of Common Prayer

Confirmation is about strengthening the life of the baptized by the gifts of the Holy Spirit; it is the completion of the initiation begun in Baptism. The bishop of the diocese administers Confirmation by the laying on of hands (and often anointing with chrism), and an invocation of the Holy Spirit for strengthening and the gifts of grace. If Baptism is the beginning of life in Christ, Confirmation strengthens us by the Holy Spirit, by incorporating us more deeply into Christ and more closely into his Body the Church.

Adult Confirmation

Adults seeking Confirmation (or Reception, if Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox) into the Anglican Communion will be confirmed at one of our services at Incarnation. Confirmation is open for all those who are:

  1. Previously baptized but not confirmed in any tradition.
  2. If you have not been baptized, we will also baptize and confirm you.
  3. Previously confirmed in another tradition that is not Anglican, Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox. If you have been confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church or the Eastern Orthodox Church, you only have to be Received. If you have been confirmed elsewhere in the Anglican Communion, you do not have to be confirmed again.

If Baptism is the beginning of life in Christ, Confirmation strengthens us through the Holy Spirit by incorporating us more deeply into Christ and more closely into his Body the Church. Adults wishing to be confirmed should contact Fr. Matt Rossi for more details.

Register and join us for our next Adult Confirmation class, meeting Sundays, February 18-March 17.
REGISTER FOR ADULT CONFIRMATION CLASS

Sixth Grade Confirmation

At Incarnation, the sixth-grade year serves as the time when students are prepared for Confirmation. If a child has not yet received Baptism, they will be encouraged to do so at the Easter Vigil that year, so that they can also receive Confirmation at the spring visitation by the diocesan bishop. Contact Youth & Family Ministry for more information.

Confessions may be scheduled with any of the priests by contacting them directly or by contacting their assistant.

The first question a couple must answer is whether or not they desire a Christian marriage or simply a place in which to be married.

There is a risk that the nature and purpose of Christian marriage can be lost when the church and the building are reduced to no more than a beautiful setting for a service. It is vital for couples planning to be married in the church to understand that Christian marriage assumes the centrality of Jesus Christ and our life of discipleship in his life and the life of his Church, both in the new relationship and throughout their life together. The marriage liturgy itself is the beginning of that remarkable journey.

If you are seriously considering the implications involved in a Christian marriage, are willing to reflect deeply on these matters prior to marriage, and have determined that these can and will form your common life, we look forward to working with you at Church of the Incarnation.

Getting Started

The following document contains guidelines intended to assist couples and provide clarity about all that is entailed and expected at a Church of the Incarnation wedding.

Prior to filling out the Wedding Date Request Form, please read the wedding policies.

Wedding Policies (pdf)

Available Dates

All weddings are on Saturdays unless otherwise approved. View 12-month calendar »

Wedding Request Form
BRIDE'S INFORMATION

Provide information about the Bride below.

   

Address*

,    

( )   -

Baptized?*

Confirmed?*

Member of Church of the Incarnation?*

(denomination/tradition, name of the particular church, city, state).

GROOM'S INFORMATION

Provide information about the Groom below.

   

Address*

,    

( )   -

Baptized?*

Confirmed?*

Member of Church of the Incarnation?*

(denomination/tradition, name of the particular church, city, state).

MEMBERSHIP

Please provide information below if neither the Bride nor the Groom is a member of Church of the Incarnation.

Affiliation with Church of the Incarnation*

(Please list their name(s) below)

PRIOR MARRIAGES

Please provide details if either the bride or the groom was previously married.

Bride previously married?*

Groom previously married?*

If there has been a divorce of one or both parties intending to be married, permission of the Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas must be obtained. This upholds the Church's teaching that marriage is for life and also the pastoral responsibility to ensure that divorced persons fully comprehend the reasons for the failure of the first marriage. (More than half of second marriages end in divorce, often because of unresolved issues present in the previous marriage.) This process requires interviews with officiating clergy. When this consent is requested, the application may also be made to the Bishop for a judgment of dissolution or nullity (i.e. an annulment) regarding the previous marriage. The church requires one year from the date of the final divorce decree and the wedding date. In any of these situations, a minimum of eight months is customary from the point when a couple contacts the priest and when the couple would like the wedding to take place. Thus, when there is a divorce an initial meeting with the clergy must precede the regular steps in reserving the Church for the ceremony.

WEDDING PLAN

All weddings are on Saturdays unless otherwise approved. Please consult the availability calendar to select a date.

Wedding service to be held in*

Will there be music in the service?*

If yes, which parish musician will be the primary contact?

If multiple musicians will be used, the primary musician will coordinate with the other musician(s).

Does the couple desire the Celebration of Holy Communion as part of the Marriage Liturgy?*

Note: The Officiant for the service will be assigned by the Rector with requests taken under consideration. Please do not contact clergy until the Bride and Groom receive confirmation back from the Assistant for Liturgy and Worship of the wedding date, time and Officiant.

REVIEW

IMPORTANT! Please carefully review your form before submitting it to verify that all fields have been completed. Enter "unknown" or "not applicable" for any questions that do not apply. Failure to do submit a fully completed form may result in loss of data. 

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
John 11:25, 26

From the beginning of the Church’s life, Christian burial has been an important and integral part of the life of the parish community. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ put an end to the power of death; thus followers of Jesus believe that death is but the entrance to new and eternal life with Him. We wait in joyful expectation for the resurrection of the dead. Accordingly, Christians show a proper reverence and respect for the body which awaits that resurrection.

Christian burial is marked by three characteristics. First and foremost, it is an act of worship wherein we glorify God for the gift of eternal life offered in Jesus Christ our Lord. Second, it is a commitment of the one we love to the mercies of God in the faith that He will preserve in peace those who have died in the faith of Christ. Third, it is a time when members of the Body of Christ gather in the context of worship to comfort one another and to offer mutual assurance of God’s abiding love. The liturgy is an offering in which joy and sorrow are mixed, for while we say an earthly farewell, we know that the dead live in Christ. The Holy Eucharist is most appropriate at the burial of a Christian, for in Holy Communion we “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

To bury the dead is one of the Church’s seven corporal works of mercy; therefore at Church of the Incarnation, the Burial Office or a Requiem Eucharist is available to anyone and accordingly no fees are charged. View page 13 of the Funeral and Burial planning document for fee schedules of funeral musicians.

When flowers are desired at the altar, the Altar Guild will arrange for those displays with the family of the deceased and the florists we customarily use. That florist will bill the family directly.

Honoraria may be made to the participating clergy, but such gifts are neither required nor prescribed. When cremation is planned, Incarnation’s beautiful Memorial Garden is available for the remains to be put to rest.

BURIAL PLANS

We encourage all our parishioners to make pre-burial plans; this not only relieves your loved ones from making decisions in time of grief but clarifies your wishes. The Funeral & Burial Instructions can be downloaded below and will assist you in the planning of you or your loved one’s funeral and/or burial.

Funeral & Burial Instructions

When completed, return to the Church office and we will maintain a file of your funeral and burial plans and make it available to your family. Taking the time to make your wishes known is a tremendous gift to your family and, in the case of the funeral itself, can be especially helpful to family members who are not accustomed to the traditions of the Episcopal Church.