Baptism
We welcome enquiries regarding the baptism of both children and adults.
​
If you are thinking of having your child baptised (sometimes referred to as a Christening), here are some things to consider:
​
Children are precious to God. When your child is baptised, you are making a promise to bring them up knowing that God loves them as part of His Christian family - the Church.
At the heart of the baptism service your child will be welcomed into God's family. We give thanks for their new life, dedicate them to the worship ​and ​service of God, and pray that God will bless them and give them the gifts of faith, eternal life and the Holy Spirit.
​
The parents and godparents will be asked to publicly affirm their faith in front of the congregation and promise to bring the child up as a member of the Christian church.
​
You can find out more about baptisms or christenings on the Church of England website: https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/christenings.
​
If you do not feel you are able to make the statements and promises involved in baptism, but would still like a service of thanksgiving for the gift of your child, you might want to consider a Service of Thanksgiving. This is a special service to which you can invite family and friends to say thank you to God for your child.
​​
Please contact the Church Office by emailing admin@stjohn316.co.uk or by telephoning: 01926 853203 if you are interested in a service of baptism or thanksgiving.
Weddings
First of all, if you have just got engaged, congratulations!
​
Getting married in church is a special and unique experience. If you are considering a church wedding, you can find out more information on the Church of England website, including helpful advice on planning your special day: https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/your-church-wedding.
​
To get married at St John’s one of you will need to have a qualifying connection. These are:
-
To live in the parish or have lived there in the past six months (if you are unsure which parish you are in you can find this by entering your postcode on the website: www.achurchnearyou.com )
-
Be a regular worshipper at St John’s
-
Have been baptised or confirmed at St John’s
-
Have parents who have lived in the parish or regularly attended services at St John’s at some point since your birth for a period of at least six months
-
Have a parent or grandparent who was married at St John’s
If one of you meets any of the above criteria and you would like to get married in church, please contact the church administrator on admin@stjohn316.co.uk who will be able to talk through the procedure with you.
​
If either of you has been divorced, we would need to have a conversation with you before we could agree to conduct a marriage service in church.
Funerals
Funeral arrangements are normally made with funeral directors who then get in contact with us if you would like one of the St John’s ministry team to take the service either in church or at the cemetery or crematorium.
The Church of England has many helpful pages on its website which can be accessed here.
