We are delighted that you are thinking about baptism, whether for your child (many people call this a Christening) or for yourself. No one is too young or too old to be baptised, and everyone is welcome.
Getting started
Please contact the Parish Office and speak to our Parish Administrator, Debbie, who will help you. You can call 01237 472551 between 9am and 12 noon, Monday to Thursday.
You will be invited to a Baptism Preparation evening led by our clergy, where you will be asked to fill in a baptism form. Most baptisms take place on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, either during our main Sunday service or afterwards. On the second Sunday our main service is the All Age Service at 10.30am; on other Sundays it is our 9.30am Holy Communion.
Nearer the date, one of our baptism visitors will come and see you to go through the finer details, which they will pass on to the member of clergy taking the service.
Joining the family of God
Baptism is much more than a special day. It is the moment your child is welcomed into the family of God and into our church family here at St Mary’s, and the start of their journey of faith.
That is why we warmly encourage you to come and worship with us, both before the baptism and afterwards, so that you can get to know us and see what it means for your child to belong. You would be very welcome at:
- Our All Age Service at 10.30am on the second Sunday of the month, a relaxed, family-friendly service with coffee beforehand.
- Our 9.30am Holy Communion on other Sundays, with Junior Church giving children their own place to explore faith.
- Encounter at 11.15am, our more relaxed, smaller service (except on the second Sunday).
At the baptism, you and your child’s godparents will make promises to help them follow Jesus. Coming to church when you can, and taking part in our children and youth activities, is one of the best ways to keep those promises. See all our services.
Looking ahead to Confirmation
When a child is baptised, their parents and godparents make promises on their behalf. Confirmation is the moment, usually from around the age of 13, when young people choose to make those promises for themselves. After a time of preparation with our clergy, they are confirmed by a bishop, who lays hands on them and prays for the Holy Spirit to strengthen them in their faith.
Our hope is that every child we baptise will grow up as part of our church family, and that one day we will celebrate with them again at their Confirmation. Adults who were baptised as children, or who are baptised as adults, can be confirmed too. If you would like to find out more, please contact the Parish Office.
