Baptism or Christening? – these are two names for exactly the same thing.
Baptisms take place in all of the Churches in the Benefice, but the process for arranging one is the same for all.
If you know you would like your baby or child to be baptised, or would like to be baptised yourself, or would like to discuss the possibility, then please contact the Benefice Administrator via ‘Get in Touch’ form here or our Contact Page – please put Baptism in the Subject, thank you.
Where can we have a Baptism?
Whether the baptism is of a child or adult, in baptism a person is joining the church, the family of Christians worldwide and throughout all ages, but is also joining the local church. Hence baptisms usually occur in the parish in which a person lives. (People are sometimes baptised in other parishes with which they have a connection, but the permission of the priest in the parish in which they live is needed).
Please note that under normal circumstances Baptisms take place on Sundays, ideally as part of a Communion service. If a morning Communion service isn’t practical, then they can take place on Sunday afternoon. You can see a copy of our Baptism with Communion Order of Service on our Documents page.
What is Baptism all about?
If you would like to know more about what baptism means, or about the service please read our Guide to Baptism for Parents for see this section on the Church of England website.
When choosing your Godparents, please note that they should be baptised and need to attend the service in person, thank you. Please also ask them to read our Guide to Baptism for Godparents for more information on what being a Godparent means.