Baptisms

In baptism, we thank God for his gift of life and publicly acknowledge his love. In the Church of England it is common to baptise young children; this is sometimes known as christening.

Baptism is a ‘sacrament’ (holy ritual to symbolise God’s generous grace) that is traced back to Jesus himself being baptized in the river Jordan. It is the means by which children or adults become ‘members’ of the church. During the service the person to be baptised (or their parents and Godparents on their behalf in the case of young children) promise before God and their friends and family to grow in faith as a member of the Christian Church.

At St John’s we are delighted to baptise children and adults of all ages. Baptism services usually place during the main Sunday morning service (at 10am) unless pastoral reasons make a Sunday lunchtime more appropriate (at 12noon).

To arrange a baptism, please contact the Vicar, Rev David Ford, on 0115 963 3490. You will be invited to attend a baptism preparation meeting at the John Godber Centre and you will also be visited at home by the Vicar. Both of these meetings will give you the opportunity to explore what baptism means, and ask questions about the service and about the Christian faith in general. There is also a short rehearsal a few days before the service so that everyone involved knows what’s happening!

I also operate a ‘surgery hour’ on Sundays from 11.15am (after morning service). Please feel free to come and meet with me in the Church Hall for an informal discussion and enjoy refreshments with the congregation. Why not join us for our family service beforehand!

When children are to be baptised it is important to find at least three relatives or friends who are willing to be Godparents. It is normal for boys to have two male and one female Godparent and for girls to have two female and one male Godparent. Parents can be Godparents to their own children too! The one important point to remember is that all Godparents must be baptised. More information about Godparents may be found here.

Rev David Ford