Your Child's Baptism at All Saints

To have your child baptised at All Saints, you need to live in the parish or be a member of the congregation, or have a strong family link to the Church.

You need also to be clear as to your own Christian faith and committed to regular involvement in church life, bringing your child with you.

Baptisms usually take place on the second Sunday in the month at the 11.00 am morning service. The service is in contemporary language.

To arrange a Baptism for your child, please:
a) contact the Vicar to discuss your request, and consider possible dates, and
b) if you are not already an active church member, come and join us at one of our services (following the link on the left for more information).

Please discuss your wishes in plenty of time prior to the event, and before any other bookings. This is because we prefer not to have baptisms for more than two families at any one service, and there are other events and occasions we will have to work around.

There are two important decisions for you to take:

1. Should we have a 'baptism' or a 'thanksgiving' service? This is something to discuss with the vicar as soon as possible.

2. Who should be the godparents? Some people you know will be very supportive, and you will naturally want to acknowledge them at this time. However, to be a godparent also requires a personal declaration of Christian faith. Again, the vicar will discuss this with you.

SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q	One of the child's parents has not been baptised, does this matter?
A	No. But that parent should at least be willing to allow the child to be brought up in the Christian Faith, within the Church of England.
Q	Do the godparents need to be baptised Christians?
A	Yes, because it is their responsibility to bring up the child in the Christian faith in partnership with the parents.
Q	Do the parents and godparents have to say anything in the service?
A	Yes, they have to declare their commitment to following Jesus Christ, by making a series of declarations during the service. They do not have to learn the words, and they will not be put 'on the spot'.
Q	I was not baptised as a child and would like to be baptised with my child. Is this possible?
A	Yes, we can baptise you both during the same service. And it is possible for any of the godparents.
Q	At what age should I bring my child to baptism?
A	A person can be baptised at any age. The most important thing is a genuine faith in Jesus Christ. When the person being baptised is old enough to do so, they make this declaration of faith for themselves.
Q	We don't really go to church very often, but we don't want our child to miss out. Can we have a baptism?
A	Yes, in the parish where you live. But this is a great time for you to think again about church. Regular attendance is not easy, but is a commitment well worth making. What matters most in life is to know Jesus and to receive his salvation, because he gave his life for us. At All Saints, we are always happy to discuss people's questions about this!

NEXT STEPS

If you want to explore baptism for your child, or yourself, at All Saints, please contact the Vicar (click here for contact details), and come to see us at one of our services.