Baptism

Baptism of Children

Baptism - or Christening - is a momentous moment on the Christian journey. It marks the point when someone becomes part of God's woldwide church, a member of the body of Christ, receiving God's vocation to follow Jesus and love him always.

Even though the congregation, parents, and godparents make various commitments at baptism, baptism is firstly God's commitment to us. He makes the love he shows to us in the death and resurrection of Jesus particular for the person being baptised. The bible tells us that when we are baptised it's as if we die to our old life and rise again to a new and eternal life with God.

We are delighted to baptise any children who live in our parish or who are members of the congregation.

Baptisms take place regularly on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month at 12.00 noon, except during Lent. We can accommodate up to three families in each baptism service. Occasionally, when families particularly wish it, we baptise children during the 10.00am Parish Eucharist.

We hold over one part of the baptism service - giving a lighted candle - and ask the newly baptised to come along to a 10.00am Parish Eucharist a week or two after the baptism, when they receive their candle and are welcomed and prayed for by the wider church community.

If you are thinking of having your child baptised, we encourage you to come along to one of our regular services and see if Holy Trinity is for you. Once you're ready to arrange a baptism please make contact with Denise, our Baptism Coordinator who will take details from you and explain the process. You will need to choose godparents. The traditional number is three: for a girl, two women and a man; for a boy, two men and a woman. However, you can just have two godparents, a man and a woman. And, if you wish, you can have more than three. All the godparents must be baptised themselves. If you have friends who are not baptised that you would like to be godparents, they can be honorary godparents; they will be included in the service just as the official godparents are, but you must still have the minimum two baptised godparents.

Before the baptism a member of the congregation will visit you at home to talk through the baptism service, take details for the registers, and give you a choice of reading or hymns. After the baptism we look forward to continue to know you as your child grows up in the fellowship of our congregation.

There is no charge for baptism. We invite families to make a donation to the church  to support our worship and outreach.