Baptism
We welcome you into the fellowship of faith;
We are children of the same heavenly Father;
We welcome you.
Service of Baptism
We’re delighted that you’re thinking of baptism for your child and would be glad to welcome you, your family and friends to St Mark’s for this special occasion.
Your child is precious to you and precious to God.
Baptism for babies and children takes place in a service often called a Christening.
In this service parents thank God for his gift of life, make a decision to start their child on a journey of faith and godparents promise their help and support.
At baptism you promise to raise your child to know God loves him/her, and to help him/her to follow Jesus as a member of the Church. The church also promises to welcome the child and to pray for the family. For your child, being baptised at a Christening marks the start of a lifelong journey of faith as part of the local and worldwide Christian family.
The first step is for you to come along to one of our services on a Sunday. A member of the clergy will be glad to meet you. We can give you a simple application form and then arrange to meet with you to talk about what baptism means and to arrange a date and time.
Thanksgiving Service for the
Gift of a Child
The birth of a child is a cause for celebration. Many people are overcome by a sense of awe at the creation of new life and want to express their thanks to God.
This service provides an opportunity for parents and families to give thanks for the birth of a child and to pray for family life.
This service is not the same as Baptism (sometimes called Christening), which is the sacrament of initiation into membership of the Church, the Body of Christ. If you are interested in exploring the Christian faith, or finding out more about preparation for Baptism, please contact the minister.
If in any doubt contact the vicar, The Rev. Eileen Heaney or for more information go to the Church of England baptism website.
