Baptism and Thanksgiving Services for children
It is always good to get to know children in our community, whether they are newborn babies or older, and we want to do all we can as a church to help them as they grow up.
It is a great privilege to...
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WELCOME them into our church family.
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PROVIDE the right sort of church services and activities so that they can grow in faith.
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SUPPORT parents in bringing up their children in the Christian faith.
Baptism or Thanksgiving?
In the Church of England we offer a choice of two services for young children.
The emphasis of each is as follows:
Thanksgiving
We give thanks for your child, and pray for them and you as a family.
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This does not require you to make any promises about how you will bring them up or what you believe.
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You can contact us to arrange a date straightaway, and a minister will simply call round to see you beforehand to get to know you a little and make the service personal to you.
Baptism – sometimes called Christening (using water)
Your child becomes a member of the church.
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This is done on the basis of their parents’ faith and on the understanding that they are brought up in the Christian faith within the church family.
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During the service parents and godparents make a commitment to do this, and are asked to affirm their belief and trust in God.
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We do not simply fix a date for a Baptism over the phone, but if you would like to consider Baptism or are unsure which choice to make, please read on...
A time to think
Every few weeks we hold an evening meeting for parents thinking about Baptism. This includes a short video, a look at the services and the chance to meet others who are thinking about the same things. You are welcome to bring smaller children along if that is easier for you, but we recommend finding a baby sitter if possible. The meeting normally starts at 8 pm and ends about 9.15 pm.
A time to discover
We also ask anyone thinking about Baptism to come to three church services before the Baptism takes place. This gives you the opportunity to meet others in church, get a feel for what our services are like and discover a bit more about the Christian faith.
We particularly recommend Church Together or Messy Church, as they are for all ages together. You can find out more about these services on the relevant pages on this website and our Calendar has the exact dates and times, but if you have any questions please do not hesitate to email or phone us.
Dates
We do not normally consider a date for a Baptism until you have attended the evening meeting and at least one service. We realise that some parents can be very anxious to get on with the process, so you can always come along to church before coming to the evening. If you do, please say hello and introduce yourself to one of the leaders!
Godparents
Any potential godparents are also very welcome to come to the evening meeting or any church services with you. This is optional, though, and we realise that they may live some distance away.