Baptism & Confirmation
Baptism, sometimes known as Christening, is a service of welcome and celebration.
Baptism is the first step on an amazing journey with God. Using symbols of oil, water and light we give thanks for the gift of life in Christ and extend a warm welcome into the life of God’s church. For babies and toddlers, promises are made on their behalf by parents and godparents, alongside family, friends and the church community.
We welcome both children and adults for baptism, and rejoice in the opportunity to mark this moment of faith with you and your loved ones. For adults, we also seek to offer Confirmation alongside Baptism, and there is often a short course of preparation leading up to this special moment.
Services of baptism can be part of our Sunday morning worship or as a separate service (usually on a Saturday afternoon). They are led by the Rector and are free of charge. Please get in touch with any questions or to begin arranging a service of baptism at one of our churches.
Weddings
We would love to welcome you to one of our churches to celebrate your special day!
Whether you live in the parish or would like to establish a ‘qualifying connection’ with a particular church, we’d love to hear from you and walk with you as you prepare for the big day. Planning a wedding is an exciting time, and there is a great deal to think about. Whatever stage you are at, we want to help and support you.
It’s always best to plan as far ahead as you can and book a date early, because weekends can be busy, particularly in the summer months. During the Easter and Christmas seasons, our buildings need to be available for private prayer and the preparation for services, so we don’t usually take bookings for weddings at those times.
If you live in another parish, but want to marry here, we will do all we can to make that possible through establishing a qualifying connection. There is also a very good website yourchurchwedding.org produced by the Church of England and this will give you a lot of help and suggestions.
Sadly, it is currently not possible for same-sex couples in get married in our churches. We recognise this is disappointing and so we would love to work with you to arrange a service using the Prayers of Love and Faith to celebrate your love.
We very much hope that we can welcome you and your family and friends for your special day. No question is too small or silly. Just get in touch.
Funerals
Losing those we love is one of the hardest things with which we have to cope.
Planning a funeral service is never easy but we will help you plan a service which will allow you, your family and friends, to give thanks for the life of the person who has died.
Funerals can be conducted either in one of our churches or at the crematorium. When somebody dies, it is usual for the family to contact a funeral director who will then contact us directly to arrange the conduct of the funeral.
The minister taking the funeral will arrange to meet with you to help plan the service. At the funeral, we give thanks to God for the life of the person who has died, we pray for those who are grieving, we commend the departed person to God’s eternal care, and we give thanks for God’s gift of eternal life.
We also welcome you to come and pray in church at any time, or to light a candle in memory of a loved one. Our churchyards are also open and accessible for visiting graves or finding a moment of peace. Clergy are always available to visit you at home if you’d like to talk to someone in confidence.
Church of England
