Baptisms

At St Peter’s, we love celebrating a Baptism (also called a Christening) with somebody. It is a special moment when an individual makes a public commitment to following Jesus and expresses their faith. This might be for them personally, or they might want to have their child baptised and are therefore committing to raising them in the Christian faith. Baptism services are a celebration and mark a recognition that we belong to Jesus, believe and trust in Jesus and want to grow to become more like Jesus. You can be baptised at any age, and we have services most months of the year where people can make this special commitment.

What Happens during a Baptism Service?
In a baptism service, there are several really special moments. These include:
Promises: Everyone present, including the congregation, will make promises to help the person being baptised to know more of God’s love and be welcome in the church community. The person being baptised, or their parents and godparents, will make promises to follow Jesus.
Signed with the cross: As a sign of belonging to Jesus, the person being baptised will receive a cross in holy oil on their head.
Baptised with water: The person being baptised will be called up to the font at the back of the church, and the priest will call their name and say “I baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” whilst pouring water on their head three times. This is a sign of new life in Jesus.
Receiving a candle: Everyone who is baptised will receive a candle as they are commissioned to shine the light of Jesus in the world.

Can I be Baptised at St Peter’s?
Yes! We are a Church of England church, and so if you would like to be baptised and feel this is the right place for you, we would love to hear from you. You will usually be asked what your connection to the church is, so this might mean that you live in the parish, that you have a connection through special family events at the church, or that you already regularly attend services here. When you are baptised, you are welcomed into the church family, so we really encourage anyone thinking about being baptised at St Peter’s to come along to services and get to know our community.

Baptism of Children and Infants
Many parents decide to have their children baptised as a way of giving thanks to God for their children and welcoming them into the church community from a young age. We are delighted to baptise many children throughout the year and to support families in raising their children in faith. As children are often too young to make the promises and commitments involved in baptism themselves, parents and godparents make them on their behalf.

Godparents can be family members or friends of the parents and are usually adults. Their role is to support the parents in raising the child to know God’s love, follow Jesus, and be part of the church community. They need to be baptised themselves, but if this isn’t the case and they would like to be baptised, they could be baptised in the same service as their godchild.

Some people would like to give thanks for their child in church but do not want to make the promises that come with baptism, or would like to give their child the choice of being baptised when they are older. For these people, we offer a thanksgiving service in which the promises associated with baptism aren’t offered; instead, it is a service thanking God for the child. If this is something you would like, please contact the parish office requesting a thanksgiving service for your child.

Adult Baptisms
It is always joyful when an adult decides they would like to be baptised, and we love to walk that journey with people who are perhaps new to faith or adults who were not baptised as children and feel ready to make that commitment now. Adults who would like to be baptised are asked to complete the enquiry form linked at the bottom of this page, and a member of our clergy team will be in touch to discuss next steps.

What if I am already baptised but would like to make a declaration of faith?
There are many ways for people to take a step of faith, and for some, it is important to make a public declaration of faith and commitment. This could look like:
Re-affirming baptism vows: Sometimes people want to make a fresh commitment to their baptism promises
First Holy Communion: Receiving Holy Communion can be a truly significant and special moment in people’s faith journeys. This can be done in a quiet and private way by coming to receive during a normal service of Holy Communion, or more publicly by speaking to a member of the clergy team and asking about preparation for first Holy Communion. Every year, we offer preparation for young people in school years 5 and above, but if you are an adult who would like to take this step, please speak to one of our vicars.
Confirmation: This is an opportunity to take your baptism promises for yourself, and for some, it also means receiving your first Holy Communion. Confirmation is a special service in which the Bishop invites you to make your baptismal promises and prays a special prayer for you to receive the Holy Spirit. This is usually offered to people aged 11 and older, including adults. These services take place a few times a year, so please do get in touch to ask about the next one if this is something you are interested in.

How can I arrange a Baptism?
Please start by filling in the form below. Make sure you click “Submit Enquiry” at the bottom of the form when you are done to ensure we receive your details. The form is geared towards gathering information for children, but adults can also use it to provide the basic contact information we need to progress their query. Please just type ‘Adult’ in the spaces that ask for the child’s name so we know this is an adult baptism request.

Once we receive your form, you will receive an email with more information about the services we offer and available dates. Once you have chosen a date, you will be invited to a baptism preparation session to help you know what to expect from the service and to explore more about what baptism is and how to live out the promises you will be making.

Complete your Baptism form here

If you would like any further information, you can email us at [email protected]