What is a Christening? 

During a christening (sometimes called a baptism) your child will be baptized with water. It’s the start of an amazing journey of faith for your child and a special day for all your friends and family.

You can find answers to your questions and explore all that a christening means, not just on the day but long afterwards, on the Church of England Christenings website.

Thanksgiving service

Some people don't feel ready to make the promises of a Christening service for themselves, or prefer for the child to make their own decision to be baptised when they are older, but they still want to mark the birth of their child in a special way. 

The 'Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child' service is an  alternative to a Christening which gives the opportunity to say "thank you" to God for the gift of a child without making statements about the faith of those caring for the child, or ask you to make promises about bringing up the child within the Church. We are happy to offer Thanksgiving Services to families  before a Christening, and it doesn't mean you can't have a Christening at a later date.

Arranging a service

If you want to arrange either a Christening or Thanksgiving service for your child, then come and speak to us at one of our services on a Sunday, or get in touch via the church office. We'd then love to visit you at home to talk through the options, and answer any questions you may have.