Baptism of a child

We are delighted that you are thinking about baptism at St Mary’s. Also called a Christening, baptism services are the beginning of an exciting journey of faith. Baptism is a service of commitment during which parents, godparents and the wider church make promises about how you will show your child the way of Christian faith.

In baptism, you commit to:

• Being available for your child to talk to about the bigger questions of life – questions about hope, faith and love.
• Praying for your child through the ups and downs of their faith journey.
• Showing them practically how to make those good choices in life.
• Helping them to learn more about their Christian faith, through their church and in other ways.

We celebrate baptisms both in the main 10.30am service on Sundays and on Sunday afternoons, depending on circumstances. We ask families to attend a preparation session prior to the service so that you can understand more about the promises and commitments you are making as part of a baptism. We also invite you to attend church services if you haven’t already done so. A christening or baptism is a decision to be part of a church community and so it’s important to us that we welcome you and help you to find your place in the life of St Mary’s.

I’m not sure if baptism is right for us…

We know that baptism is a big commitment involving some big promises to God and on behalf of your child. You might prefer to explore a service of thanksgiving or dedication instead of a christening. This is a wonderful opportunity to give thanks to God for your baby or child and to ask for God’s help as parents. Thanksgiving services can also take place in the main Sunday gathering or in the afternoon and you are can always explore baptism at a future date when you feel ready. A member of our clergy team would be very happy to talk through the different options with you and see what might be right for you.

To find out more about baptism, please complete our enquiry form here.

Exploring baptism as an adult?

We are delighted to support you in exploring baptism as an adult. We hold regular baptism and confirmation preparation sessions and our Learning Community is designed to help you continue the lifelong journey of faith in Jesus Christ.

If you would like to know more about being baptised as an adult, please complete this form.