Baptism (Christening) and ‘Thanksgiving for a Child’ 
services

If you are interested in a service of Baptism (Christening) or Thanksgiving for a child, please read this page.  Alternatively, you can download and read this information as a 6-page PDF file by clicking on Baptism-Thanksgiving Booklet.

Having read this information, please complete and submit the Initial Contact/Enquiry Form which you will find at the foot of this page.

Later on, the Baptism-Thanksgiving Application Form can be downloaded using the link at the end of this page.

What is 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.  For all involved, particularly the candidates but also parents, godparents and sponsors, it is a joyful moment when we rejoice in what God has done for us in Christ, making significant promises and declaring our belief in the Christian faith.  The wider community within the church, as well as friends and family, welcome the new Christian, promising their support and prayer for the future.  Hearing and doing these things also provides an opportunity to remember our own baptism and reflect on the progress made on that journey, which is now to be shared with this new member of the Church.

The baptism service itself paints many vivid pictures of what happens along the Christian pilgrimage.  There is the sign of the cross, the symbol of faith of the Christian journey, which reminds us of Christ’s death for us.  Our ‘drowning’ in the water of baptism (where we believe we die to sin and are raised to new life) unites us to Christ’s dying and rising.  Water is also a sign of new life, as we are born again by water and the Spirit.  This reminds us of Jesus’ baptism.  And, as a sign of that new life, we give a lighted candle, a picture of the light of Christ conquering the darkness of evil.  Everyone who is baptized walks in that light for the rest of their lives.

When someone is baptised, they join the whole, worldwide Church throughout the ages, journeying into the fullness of God’s love.

Jesus said, ‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’
John 10.10

What is a ‘Thanksgiving for the gift of a child’ service?

For families, as well as a baptism (christening), there is a special, simple service of thanksgiving, which is a lovely opportunity to be with friends and family, ask for God’s blessing and pray for your baby.

It’s possible to have this service instead of a baptism if you decide that now isn’t the right time to have your child baptized, or if you aren’t ready to make the baptism vows on your child’s behalf.  Some people choose this service when they would like their child to choose baptism for themselves when they are older.  You might also choose this service when your baby is just born, or if you have adopted a child into your family and you want to mark the occasion with special words said by a member of the clergy in church, along with the wider community celebrating and praying for you and your family.

Whatever the reason, we will be delighted to talk to you about this service.  Your application for this service initiates a similar flow to the process of having a baptism at St. Michael’s.  You will have an initial meeting with the clergy, and then be supported through the process by our thanksgiving team, who will visit and plan the service with you, as well as welcoming you, your friends and family on the day.

What to expect from a Baptism (or Thanksgiving) of a baby or child at St. Michael’s

Establishing a qualifying connection

First of all, we need to establish that St. Michael’s is the right place for your child’s baptism.  Our initial contact form (at the foot of this page) gives important information about our policy.  You can also let us know on which date you were hoping the baptism might take place.  A member of the clergy will be allocated to engage with you in this journey.

Clergy home visit

A member of the clergy will come and visit you in your home so that we can get to know you, listen and have a conversation about the Christian faith, reflecting together about what has led you to the point of making this profound commitment.  We will decide together if Baptism or Thanksgiving is the most appropriate step for your family.

Paperwork

If both parties are happy to go ahead, we will invite you to fill in the relevant full application form (which can be downloaded using the link at the end of this page).  In the case of a Baptism, this gives us the necessary information about godparents and supporters that we will need for our legal register.  It also includes GDPR information and permissions which will enable our ongoing contact with you after the service itself.

Coming to church

Getting baptised is an opportunity for us to get to know one another as your child joins the family of the Church – and specifically in this season, your local church of St. Michael’s.  You will be invited to come to one of our 10am services, after which the clergy will introduce you to the Baptism team members who will be supporting your family.  Of course, you are always welcome to come to church whenever you like!  We are generally very friendly, welcoming any noise that babies and young children make during our services!

Team visit and planning the service

To support your sense of belonging within our church community, a couple of people from our baptism team will then be in touch and come and visit you too.  They will go through the service with you and help you make the decisions about the service content.  They may use resources to get to know you better and share a little more about what Baptism means.

The Baptism service

Your baptism isn’t just about you making a commitment to us, but we make a commitment to you.  As such, we encourage you to hold your baptism as part of our 10am service.

Members of the Baptism team will be there to greet you, your family and friends, ensuring that everyone feels really welcome.  You can bring a special cake to share with the congregation in our refreshments afterwards if you’d like!

Alternatively, you may choose to have the baptism as a separate service, usually at 12.00pm on a Sunday.  If you choose this option, you will be invited back to church the following week, during which we will present the baptism certificate and pray for you, as well as give the opportunity to the wider church to meet and welcome you.

During the service, we will hang a special stained-glass dove on our Baptism tree, as a visual reminder for us to pray for your child.  Later on, you will be invited to our annual renewal of vows service when we will present this dove to your child as a symbol of the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Becoming a member of the church

In the Baptism service, you commit to joining in the life and worship of Christ’s church as part of a community of faith.  We very much hope that you will choose to live out this promise at St Michael’s.  There are lots of ways to belong to our church family.  We are a friendly and welcoming community seeking to follow God with our whole lives.  For babies and children, we have a weekly Sunday School during our 10am services, and our weekly ABC toddler group on Tuesdays at 10am, followed by a short toddler service.  We also have bi-monthly all-age services and events for the whole family.

Annual renewal of vows

Every year we have an annual renewal of vows just for our Baptism families.  This is a short, simple service followed by refreshments and craft.  As part of the service, you will be given your stained-glass dove which will have been hanging on our baptism tree as we keep you in our prayers.

The Baptism flow

If you have any questions about any of these elements of Baptism preparation, please do speak with a member of the clergy.

Initial Contact/Enquiry Form

We’re delighted you’re thinking about a special service for your child.
Please fill in this on-line form so we can begin the conversation.

Click here to go to the form.

Full Application Form

Later on, when you're ready to make your application for a Baptism service or a 'Thanksgiving for a child' service, please click on Baptism-Thanksgiving Application Form (3-page PDF file).

You will need to print the form, complete it carefully and sign it, and then return it to the Parish Office (see page footer for postal address or the ContactUs page for opening times).