At St Mary’s we love to welcome people into the church family through the celebration of baptism. Whether you are an adult or older child wishing to take the next step on your ‘journey of faith’, or a parent wishing to publicly give thanks and celebrate the blessed arrival of a new child. A trained member of our baptism visit team would love to chat through with you your options and help you to make the right decision for you and your family. Please contact the Parish Office to arrange a visit.
We are happy to offer services of thanksgiving for families who are not currently at a stage of faith where they can make the serious baptismal promises on behalf of their child.
Alternatively, we can offer a service of baptism for those who are ready to publicly affirm their personal commitment to the Christian faith and to ongoing discipleship, or those who are willing to make these promises on behalf of their child. Further details of these promises can be found at www.churchofengland.org/weddings-baptisms-funerals.aspx.
For your information:
- Baptisms and thanksgivings are usually held during the 9.30 am Communion Service on the 4th Sunday of the month, or alternatively at the 11.15am TGIS service on the 2nd Sunday of the month.
- Although we appreciate that you will want to go ahead and invite your family and friends and also make the all important venue bookings for any celebration you are having following your baptism or thanksgiving, we would strongly advise you not to do so until your preferred date has been confirmed by the church. Baptisms at St Mary’s are very popular, and first choice dates cannot always be accommodated.
- Also, please be aware that the wider Church of England has guidelines and requirements concerning the choice of god-parents. So please check with the church what these requirements are before asking your chosen god-parents, to save yourself the embarrassment of having to change your plans! Further information can be found here.
- Please note that if you do not actually live within the Parish, but would like your child to be baptised at St Mary’s or St Peter’s, then we will need to seek the consent of the vicar in your local church.
If you have young children of pre-school age, you may also be interested in coming along to our Nursery Service at 2pm on Friday afternoons during term time. We always have lots of fun, and you would be assured of a warm welcome!