Baptisms & Thanksgivings

The birth of a child is a special moment in life, and parents often want to mark that event in a special way. One of the traditional ways of doing that is to bring your child to church for either a service of Baptism, or a service of Thanksgiving. These events are sometimes called ‘christenings’.

 

Baptism is one of the ‘sacraments’ of the church. It is a special point where God meets us and gives us grace to help us know him and follow him. Baptism is the first step on a journey of faith and requires the person who is baptised to respond by believing in Jesus, committing their life to him, and becoming a part of the church.

 

When young children are brought for baptism, because they cannot understand or speak for themselves, parents and godparents make these promises on their behalf. For this reason, parents and godparents must declare their own Christian faith during the service.

 

Thanksgiving services are an opportunity for parents to bring their child before God and the church to give thanks for the gift of new life and to ask for God’s blessing on the child.

 

A service of Thanksgiving is a simple and joyful service of celebration and does not require the parents to make any promises. For this reason, it is more appropriate for parents who are unsure of their own faith commitments. What’s more, it leaves the option open to the child in later life to choose for themselves whether they wish to follow Jesus, at which point they can decide to be baptised.

 

What to do first?

If you would like to enquire about a service of Baptism or Thanksgiving for your child, the first step is to contact the church office. We will arrange for you to attend one of our 10.45am services on Sunday morning (usually the first Sunday of the month), to be followed by a brief meeting with our clergy.

 

At this meeting, we will explain in more detail the differences between the two services, and help you decide which option is best for you and your family. We will then talk you through the rest of the process of preparation.

 

Please note that we only take requests for these services from those who live within our parishes. If you live in another parish, you should speak to your local church instead. Also, we are not able to book any dates until you have come along to the necessary meetings.