Baptisms (Christenings)

Your child is precious to you and precious to God. Many parents want to mark the birth of a child with a special service of celebration.

The Church of England offers two alternatives: a simple service of thanksgiving for the birth of a child or a christening service which includes baptism, marking the start of a journey of faith. Baptism is a ‘sacrament’ (a holy ritual to symbolise grace) in the Christian tradition that is traced back to Jesus himself being baptised in the river Jordan.

In baptism, you as parents are thanking God for his gift of life, and making a decision to start your child on the journey of faith and asking for the Church’s support.

For your child, baptism marks the start of a journey of faith, which involves turning away from all that is evil, turning towards Christ and becoming a member of the local and worldwide Christian family.

We will be delighted to help. The first step would be for one of our team to talk to you (and possibly the godparents) about the service and the promises you will be making. Please get in touch.

Find out more about the service of christening and baptism.

The Church of England has produced FAQs for godparents which you may find helpful as you think about the christening.