Baptisms / Thanksgivings

When it comes to your child’s journey of faith, there are decisions to be made.

We are glad that you are thinking about having your child Baptised, and we hope this information will help you make the right choices for your family.

At the birth or adoption of a child, many parents feel that they would like to say 'thank you' to God for a new life and a new addition to the family.

The Service of 'Thanksgiving for the birth of a child' offers an opportunity to do just that.

You may feel that this is the right thing for you to do. A Thanksgiving Service forms part of the main Sunday Service where you and your child will be prayed for, and there is no need to make any public promises to God, which you may not yet feel ready to make.

To have a child Baptised (Christened) is really to say that you and your family are committed to following Jesus, and to bringing your child up to follow Him. Your child would be beginning a life-long journey of faith, with Jesus as their guide and with you and their godparents to help them on their way.

What follows are a number of questions for you to think about. Considered carefully, these will help you decide whether Baptism would be right for you and your child.

You can download and print our Baptism / Thanksgiving Leaflet and if you have any questions please do contact us at the Coach House Office. We look forward to hearing from you.

Considering Baptism?

• Am I prepared to the best of my ability to give my child a Christian upbringing within the family of Christ’s Church?
• Will I help the child to be regular in public worship and private prayer, not only through teaching, but by my example?
• Will I pray regularly for my child?
• Will I encourage my child in due time to come to Confirmation and Communion?
• Can I make the promises that will be required of me in the Baptism Service with integrity?

If you think carefully about all the above questions, you will realize that having a child Baptized involves you in a commitment to the Christian faith as much as it does the child. Because of this it is essential that a period of preparation precedes the Baptism, especially for those who have had very little contact with the Church.

Some parents take this opportunity to reflect on their own Christian faith. We run a regular Christianity Explored course where small groups can talk about faith and ask questions in a relaxed atmosphere.

Please contact us for details of the next course or if you would like to chat about any aspect of the Christian faith.



Whether you opt for Thanksgiving or Baptism the process begins by coming along to Church. We like people to attend one of our Churches regularly over a period of a Term (3 months). Having done that make contact with one of our Ministers (you should have got to know them by then) who will talk with you and with whom you can decide what would be best for you and your child.

There are a number of different styles of worship at our four churches, so please contact us if you would like more details. If you have any questions do contact us at the Coach House Office.

Note:

A Service of Thanksgiving for a child can be carried out in any of our four churches and may be carried out by one of our Ministers or a Lay Reader.

Our ordained Ministers carries out all Baptisms within the Parish.