Baptism (Christening)
We are delighted that you are wanting to know more about Baptism (also called Christening). We hope that the information on these pages relating to Baptism for adults and for children will be of help.
Infant and Child Baptism & Thanksgiving Services
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At the baptism of your child you promise to raise your child to know God loves them, and to help them to follow Jesus as a member of the Church. In a service of Thanksgiving , which is an alternative to baptism you have the opportunity to give thanks to God for the gift of a child and to ask God’s blessing on them.
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A Christening, also known as Baptism, is the start of an amazing journey of faith for your child and a special day for all your family and friends to celebrate. In Baptism, we welcome a new person into the family of the Church. If you are thinking of having your child baptised, then we would love to hear from you!​
Christenings in our church buildings take place in our main Sunday morning worship service. Your family and friends will receive a warm welcome, and the service will be accessible so that everyone can understand what is going on and join in. We love to welcome children, and often invite them to join in with the service, as well as provide fun activities for them to get involved with during church.
Adult Baptism
At your own baptism as an adult you publicly declare your intention to be a follower of Jesus, make your own promises and ask for God’s help for your future.
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You’re never too old to begin a relationship with Jesus. Our faith is a deeply personal thing, but it is something that Jesus instructs us to live out publicly. For Jesus, the first step in his adult ministry was being baptised by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. For
Christians today, baptism is still the public symbol of our personal relationship with God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
If you’d like to discuss your baptism further, then please get in contact with the ministry team so that we can meet you for a coffee (or whatever you fancy!)
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Please read on for more information about Adult Baptism in our church community.
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What if I was Christened?
You may have been christened as a child. This means that you have already been baptised, although that baptism may not have meant much to you until today. If you were christened, we can still celebrate your faith in Jesus now with a similar public service, at which you can personally acknowledge and inherit the promises made on your behalf by your godparents when you were baptised as a child. You can read these promises below, at the end of the section “The Baptism Service.”
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There is also the option of a confirmation service, at which you acknowledge that you want to be a member of Christ’s church and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide your life in prayer.
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Preparing for Baptism
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We encourage adults preparing for baptism to join us on a discipleship course, such as The Bible Course or Alpha. This is an opportunity to explore the Christian faith with others from the church family. If you are unable to attend a course, this does not mean that you cannot be baptised. Instead, one-to-one preparation with one of the ministers is another option, with a few meetings over coffee chatting about the Christian faith. Although attending a discipleship course in which you can journey alongside other disciples from our church family is always preferable.
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The Baptism Service
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When you’re ready to make the commitment and promises of baptism, one of our ministry team will gladly meet with you to discuss when you might like to take this step. All baptisms take place as part of our Sunday worship, where you will surrounded by (some) of the global and timeless church family that you will become a part of through your baptism.
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You’ll make the following promises when you’re baptised: To turn away from sin and reject evil, to turn to Christ as Saviour and to trust in Him as Lord.