Thanksgiving service and Baptism
We offer two services: a service of Thanksgiving for (and naming of) a child and a service of Baptism.
have a family occasion to celebrate the gift of their child and say thank you to God
to invite people to be godparents for their child
to ask God's blessing on their child
There is an order of service (see above) but the thanksgiving service can made as personal as you wish. Sometimes one of the family speaks about the child, and favourite music is played. You can have as many people who act in the role of godparents as you wish, and they (and you) do not need to be baptised, nor regular churchgoers.
Baptism can then follow when people become more certain of their own faith, or when the child grows older and makes the decision for themselves.
The service of thanksgiving usually takes place at a time when it is convenient for the family. It can also take place in one of our main services.
The Baptism service is for people who wish for their child to belong to the church and be fully involved in the life of the church. In this service you make specific declarations about regular church attendance, your own faith in Jesus Christ and about your way of life.
We therefore take baptism and the promises that are made very seriously. We would expect people to have been regularly worshipping with us for at least three months before agreeing a date for baptism. We would also want to spend time with you, explaining the meaning and significance of baptism. This will usually mean that we invite you to attend a four week 'Introducing Jesus' course.
For the baptism of a child, according to the Book of Common Prayer, it is usual for a child to have three godparents (for a boy: 2 men and 1 woman; for a girl: 2 women and 1 man). It is important that at least one of the parents has been baptised and regularly comes to church, and that the godparents have been baptised and are committed to bringing up the child in the Christian faith. We will usually need to see certificates of baptism.
Because at baptism we welcome the child into the family and community of the church, the baptism service usually takes place in one of our main Sunday services.
There is no charge for either service if they take place in one of our main Sunday services. If the service is at some other time, there is a basic charge of £50 for either a baptism or thanksgiving service. There may be additional costs if a verger, PA person or organist/musician is required.
Please contact the parish office for more details (01284 754680).