Baptism

Congratulations!
We are pleased that you are thinking of Baptism for your child, or indeed yourself. This page tries to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Baptism at All Saints. 

If you would like to book a Baptism, please contact the Church Office to arrange an initial meeting.

The Church of England has a new website which gives lots of information for parents, godparents and guests to a Baptism. It also has a facility to light a candle for the child being baptised. The website is churchofenglandchristenings.org. Please do direct your guests to this site as it will help them prepare for the day and for afterwards. 

I'm not a regular churchgoer. Can I still have my child baptised?
The Church believes that God loves everybody. Ask about all the options for your child. Maybe a Thanksgiving service feels right for you now. You can still have a Baptism later, when you've decided whether you want to make the public promises Baptism involves. 

When will the service be?
Baptisms will be during the Sunday morning Holy Communion service at 10am. Baptisms are usually booked 2 or 3 months in advance.

What is the service like?
The 10am Service is our main service of the day. There will be hymns/songs, a talk and communion, lasting about an hour and fifteen minutes. Children are welcome at all our services.

Before the service the person baptising your child will visit you to talk in more detail about the meaning of Baptism and what happens during the service. It would also be lovely if you could come along to All Saints for a few services, to familiarise yourself with the Church and the people.

What about Godparents?
Godparents make promises with the parents, for the child and for themselves. Godparents should all have been Baptised, and they should be adults. They should be people who will be around for your child, people who might be able to help them as they grow and learn, especially to help them grow in faith. It is usual to have two Godfathers and one Godmother for a boy and two Godmothers and one Godfather for a girl, but you may have more than this if you wish. Once you have the right people, then that is the right number.

What if I don't usually go to church?
At the Baptism, Parents and Godparents make promises on behalf of a child whilst, if you are older and able to answer for yourself, you will be asked to make your own promises.

Parents bringing a child for Baptism promise to bring the child up "as a Christian within the family of the church." You might want to ask yourself if this is the moment to deepen your own spiritual life.

The decision on Baptism is up to the parent; we will explain the promises, but we won't "test" you or judge you. Some parents simply want to give thanks for the birth of their child and celebrate the new life so we have a service called "Thanksgiving" if you would prefer.

What is a "Thanksgiving Service"?
Sometimes parents want to give thanks for the birth of their child and to celebrate the new life, but do not want Baptism (maybe because they cannot make the promises in good conscience, or so that their children can choose for themselves when they are older). In this case there is a service called "Thanksgiving for the Birth of a Child" that we can offer. If you want to know more about this, get in touch.

What if we are not married, or are divorced, or a one parent family?
We understand that families come in all shapes and sizes. We do not judge or discriminate and are honoured that you want to be with us on this important day in the life of your child.

What about Adult Baptism?
We are thrilled that you are considering being Baptised. Please phone the Church Office for more details.

Can we take pictures/videos?
Yes. If you want us to pose for photos after the service, then that is fine too, just ask.

How much does it cost?
There is no fee for the Baptism itself. There will be a collection during the service and if anyone wants to make a donation to the work of All Saints then we welcome that.