Baptism & Thanksgiving
For Babies, Children & Young Adults (under 18 years)
When a child is born there is often a desire to give thanks to God for this gift of a new life. As your parish church, we are delighted to help you celebrate and to welcome your new addition into the family of God.
As part of the journey of faith, Baptisms at St John's happen in two stages:
First stage: We usually hold baptisms on the second Sunday of the month at 12.30, where all family and friends are welcome. There can be up to two families in one service, and we usually use the stone font by the door of the church.
Second stage: We invite the immediate family to join us for a Welcome Service, which usually happens on the last Sunday of each month. This gives the congregation a chance to meet and welcome the child, and we give them their baptismal candle, a children's Bible and the baptism certificate. Following the service, all are invited for a tea and coffee in the Church Hall with members of the congregation.
For Adults
Being baptised is not just for babies and children, many adults get baptised every year. The service is similar to the service for a child's baptism, except that because you make the decision and the promises yourself, there is no role required for parents or godparents (who make decisions and promises on behalf of a child).
You may decide to have supporting friends or 'sponsors' - this can be anyone who wishes to encourage you in your Christian faith. It may be a friend, or someone in your family and you may have more than one person if you wish.
If you are interested in being baptised and you are over 18 years, please Contact Us.
Charges
There is no charge for a Baptism service, however, we would ask for a donation of £30 to cover the administration costs and materials.
Enquire about a Baptism
If you would like your child to be baptised with us, in the first instance please email the office:
lifeevents@stjohn-woodley.com
2. Baptism Preparation
As part of your child’s journey towards baptism, we have started a new course to help prepare for the big day. The course is called ‘Starting Rite’, and is a baby friendly sensory experience, where you and your baby can explore some of the deeper questions of life and faith, while having lots of fun!
It runs over 5 weeks for 1 hour during the school term. More details available when you enquire.
