Baptisms / Thanksgiving for the Birth of a Child

InfantBaptism

If you are reading this page shortly after the birth of a new baby, congratulations!  As your local parish church, we are delighted to celebrate with you and would love to support you and your child as you grow into being a family together.


Baptism

"Baptism marks the beginning of a journey with God, which continues for the rest of our lives, the first step in response to God's love." (Church of England, Christian Initiation, Additional Baptism Texts in Accessible Language, 2015)


Baptism of Babies / Christening

If you live in the parish, you are entitled to have your baby baptised in the parish church, and we shall be delighted to welcome you. At Holy Trinity with St John's, baptisms take place by arrangement during the 10:30am service at our St John's Site.

Your first step will be to come to a 10:30am service and make yourself known to Jessica or to one of the service leaders. We will then arrange to meet with you and to talk to you about the meaning and commitment of baptism, and to agree a date and time.

If you do not live in the parish but have a strong and current connection with Holy Trinity with St John's, it may be possible for your baby to be baptised here as long as your own parish priest gives permission. If you wish to enquire further, please come to a 10:30am service and make yourself known to Jessica or to a service leader.


Baptism of an older child

If your child is old enough to speak for themselves, and you would like to have them baptised, it will be important that they understand what the service is about and what the promises mean. In addition to the steps outlined above, therefore, we would expect you to come to church with your child on Sundays and for your child to join in with our children's groups before beginning a conversation around times and dates for a service.

Broadly, the pattern regarding residence in the parish and the preparation for baptism is the same as for babies, but there will need to be greater discussion around individual circumstances.


Baptism of Adults and Teenagers

More and more adults are asking for baptism as they discover the riches of the Christian faith and the joy of Christian community. Baptism as an adult or a teenager is a joyful moment and also a big commitment. Everybody's needs are different, but if you are not already attending church regularly, we would expect you to do so over a period of time before taking this step. If possible, we would encourage you to get involved with one of our Home Groups, before beginning a discussion around times and dates for a service.

In the Church of England, Baptism and Confirmation for adults or teenagers usually happen in the same service or are closely linked. Preparation for Adult Baptism will include preparation for Confirmation.


Thanksgiving for the Birth of a Child (Dedication)

If you live in the parish and would like to mark the birth of your child but do not want at this time to make the promises and commitments involved in baptism, or if you would like to wait until your child is old enough to make these promises for themselves, we would be delighted to offer Thanksgiving for the Birth of a Child during any 10:30am service.

This is an opportunity for the church to give thanks with you for your baby, and to pray for God's blessing on them and for you at this joyful but momentous time in your lives.

If you would like to know more about any of these services, please do contact Jessica, the vicar, by completing this form.

Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

New to Church?

If you're coming to Holy Trinity with St John's for the first time, this information will help you know what to expect.

Where and When?

Our 8am service is at our Holy Trinity Site (location details here). 

Our 10:30am service is at our St John's Site (location details here). 

For more information about our different Sunday services, please click here.

What about my children?

We actively welcome families with children of all ages. If your child is a baby or a toddler, they will remain with you for the duration of the service. A welcomer will give you a Toddler Bag as you come in - these contain a variety of toys and games to entertain your child. We are aware that it can be very hard for a toddler to remain in their seat throughout the service. If your child is getting restless, there is space on the carpeted area at the back where they can move about - and don't worry at all if they make a noise!

To find out more about our groups for children and young people aged 3-18, please click here.

Midweek Activities

A variety of community activities run across our two sites throughout the week:

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Christians Against Poverty
We are pleased to be working in partnership with Christians Against Poverty (CAP), a national debt support and advice charity that works through a network of centres based in local churches. More ...
Knit and Natter
Knit and Natter
A group who like to knit and natter - they do exactly what it says on the tin! More ...
Little Fish Banner
Little and Big Fish
Our Adults' and Toddlers' Group is called Little Fish. More ...
Living Well
Living Well
Living Well is a charity founded and operating from our Holy Trinity site offering a food bank, community cafe, hot lunches and much more. More ...
Open Doors
Open Doors
A friendship group for the over-50s. More ...
 
Get in touch with us if you have any further questions
 
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Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

We will contact you by email during our normal office hours