Baptism marks the beginning of a life with God.
In baptism we are symbolically washed with water, indicating a fresh start as we turn to live life with God. We become members of his family, the Church, and commit to following the teaching of Jesus with his help.
Baptism is available for both children and adults – please see below for further details for both. If you are interested in baptism for yourself or for your child, a great place to start would be to come along on a Sunday morning, and speak to the Vicar after the service. Alternatively, please do get in touch by phone or email here.
Baptisms normally take place during the main 10am Sunday service, where the wider church family can welcome you into the life of faith.
Baptism of Children (Christenings)
We are thrilled that you are considering having your child or children baptised. It’s a big decision, so here are some points to have a think about:
- Baptism is more than a thanksgiving for a new life; it’s a commitment to walking with God. In the service, the parents and godparents make promises to turn from sin and follow Christ, so it’s important that you have a sincere intention to help your child live the life of faith in the church. Do see our Children & Young People pages for more information about provision for children.
- Godparents: typically, there are three godparents, two of the same sex as the child, and one of the opposite sex. Godparents have a role in the spiritual care of the child, and so they are required to have been baptised themselves, and ideally also confirmed. It is not possible for someone who’s not been baptised to be a godparent. If you are struggling to find three godparents, it is possible to only have two, one of which can be one of the parents.
- The Vicar will arrange a couple of meetings with you to help prepare you for the service. Further information about the baptism of children can be found on the Church of England website.
If baptism is not right for you, we can also do a Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child, a service simply giving thanks for the life of your new child.
Baptism of Older Children and Adults
Adults, and children who are old enough to make the decision for themselves, are baptised as an expression of their decision to follow Jesus. If that’s you, we are absolutely thrilled for you, and want to do all we can to help support you as you make this first step of faith. When you contact the Vicar, he will arrange to meet with you a few times to prepare you for this big step.
If you want to learn more about what it means to be a Christian, we regularly run short courses introducing the Christian faith – please check out our What’s On pages to see if there is one coming up, or contact the Vicar.
If you were baptised as an infant, but want to make a fresh commitment to Jesus as an adult, we can arrange for you to be confirmed. Baptism only happens once, and so we cannot baptise you again. Confirmation happens in a special service overseen by the Bishop. The Vicar will make the arrangements for you, and will meet with you to prepare you for the service and for the life of faith that follows.
