Baptism at Christ Church
For babies
Christ Church offers either a thanksgiving service or a baptism service for babies and their families.
Thanksgiving is a celebration of a new life, asking for God's blessing without the commitment that a
full baptism gives. The Baptism of babies brings them into God's worldwide family and is happily offered.
Baptisms of babies are held on a Sunday morning - about every 6 weeks - at 12.30 followed by a welcome
at a Sunday service the following weekend. Baptisms at other times can be arranged, please discuss this
with the vicar.
We are pleased to be able to share your babies baptism with you. We have found that people celebrating
baptism at our churches enjoy the service. We hope that it will be a wonderful and memorable occasion
and that it will mark the beginning of a long and happy association with our church.
For Children and Adults
Whilst the baptism of babies is decreasing, in recent years it is on the increase for children, young
people and adults. You are never too old to be baptised. The important thing is that it has to be a
personal decision to join a Christian community, receiving the blessings of God's love, presence and
strength alongside the responsibility of living a Christian life as an ambassador of Jesus throughout
our lives.
At Christ Church we are part of a partnership of
churches with Immanuel, Bath Road and St Mary's Church. In May of each year we celebrate a baptism and
confirmation service together -
see this year's picture - in which we invite all our young people and adults to become members of our
local churches and the wider worldwide Christian community. Preparation for this proceeds throughout
the year so that everyone comes to know exactly what to expect and what they are taking on, supported
and encouraged by fellow Christians.
We hope that this information will help you with some of the questions which surround baptism or
Christening (Christian-making) as some prefer to call it. We do not put pressure upon parents or
make them feel guilty about coming to church, but sometimes a baptism can remind us of how much
we have let our own Christian life slip. It can be an opportunity to affirm our trust in God and
to make a fresh start.
