Baptism
We’re so pleased you have expressed an interest in having your child baptised/christened (same thing, two different words).
The vicar has a duty to prepare the parents of a baptismal candidate ahead of the baptism. Since baptism means joining God’s family (the church), as part of preparation for baptism we require parents to join us in worship on three separate Sundays (not necessarily in a row). The vicar will also invite you to the vicarage for an evening meal (with your whole family) to talk through the basics of the Christian faith, explain the meaning and significance of baptism itself, and share some ideas about how you as parents can help your little one grow in the faith.
Once you have been prepared, if you would like to proceed, we will arrange the date. Baptisms take place on Sundays either during the morning family Eucharist service (10:30am-11:30am), or at a separate service beginning at 12:30pm. There is no charge for a baptism service: since God welcomes people into his family for free, so does His church. The only exception is if you have a separate service and want some hymns, in which case you’d need to pay the organist.
Thanksgiving
As well as a christening, there is a special, simple service of thanksgiving, which is a lovely time when you can be with friends and family, ask for God’s blessing and pray for your baby. It’s possible to have this service instead of a christening if you decide that now isn’t the right time to have your child baptized. Or, you could even have the Thanksgiving service as well as a christening.
You might also choose this service when your baby is just born, or if you have adopted a child into your family and you simply want to celebrate this with special words said by a vicar in church.
Whatever the reason, the vicar will be delighted to talk to you about this service.