Members of the Church of England are being challenged to use new opportunities presented by infant and adult baptism.

The place of baptism in the life of the nation and the Church has changed significantly in the last century, a new book from the Church of England has found.

In Connecting with Baptism, experienced Church ministers explore the most recent statistics and research into the role of baptism in the Church, revealing:

Significantly more infant baptisms as a proportion of births take place in rural dioceses such as Carlisle, Hereford and Lincoln than in urban areas.

Fewer than 20 per cent of infants under one year old are baptised today compared to 65 per cent in 1900, while the numbers of older children and adults getting baptised has risen from 11,000 in 1900 to 46,200 in 2004.

"The families bringing their children for baptism today represent a significant section of society with a past Church connection, open to the Church's message and the idea of getting involved again - and churches are developing effective ways of capturing and nurturing this interest," said the Church of England.

For some families today, the baptism of a child represents an opportunity for the first public acknowledgement of the parents' relationship, and churches can use this as an opportunity to promote marriage.

Connecting with Baptism blends an accessible explanation of the Church's policy on baptism and the theology underpinning it with close attention to the details of preparation, planning, choreographing and following-up of baptisms for infants, children and adults.

It covers topics including the role of godparents; helping those who are baptised to grow in faith; and Christian initiation in fresh expressions of Church.

In an innovative design format for Church House Publishing, Connecting with Baptism is also divided into sections with biblical and liturgical references displayed in a wide side margin, and helpful links to other relevant sections of the book clearly marked to help readers dip into the text as a reference book as well as a scholarly work prompting reflection on what the Church says and does in baptism.

The book - edited by the Ven Trevor Lloyd, former Archdeacon of Barnstaple, the Rev Mark Earey, Liturgy Tutor at Queen's College Birmingham, and Canon Ian Tarrant, Senior Anglican Chaplain at the University of Nottingham - argues that baptism is about "starting as you mean to go on" within the Christian faith.

It also argues that baptism should lie at the heart of all that the Church does, a critical "integrity between sacrament and life" which should constantly be demonstrated by the Church.

The Rt Rev Michael Perham, Bishop of Gloucester, says: "Baptism is recovering its place at the heart of Christian life and liturgy. But there is a huge gap between some of our baptismal practice and the rich possibilities Common Worship envisages. Connecting with Baptism is a comprehensive tool for bridging that gap. Every parish should use it."