For many people their first contact with a church is through a baptism.  A lot of information is provided below, but do not hesitate to contact us through the contact form or telephone Tim to discuss things further.  He is normally in the church on a Saturday morning between 10.30am and 12pm where we offer free tea, coffee and cakes to anybody who comes in, whether to discuss baptisms, weddings, to ask questions about Christianity or who just wants to chat.  During that time Tim is very happy to meet with anybody who is seeking baptism at St Denys.

Baptism

At St Denys we offer services of Baptism and Thanksgivings for the Gift of a Child.   

Baptism, sometimes also called Christening, is a sign of God’s love. When we are baptised we are making a deliberate and public sign that we intend to follow Jesus Christ and be part of the Christian family, the church.

When Christian parents bring a baby or young child to be baptised, they and the Godparents make those promises on his or her behalf in the hope that when that child grows up he or she will come to faith in Jesus Christ and claim these promises as their own when they come to be Confirmed later in life.

Adult, or ‘believer’s’ Baptism is for those who were not baptised as infants but wish to declare their own faith in Jesus Christ and promise to follow him.  There is no upper age limit and we increasingly find that many adults who come to faith in Christ wish to be baptised.

Baptisms take place within the Sunday morning service at 10.15 and during that service:

To be Baptised at St Denys you have to live in the parish or be a member of the church family and worship here regularly. Baptism services only take place after an informal preparation course of teaching on the meaning of baptism and the Christian faith for the parents, as it would be unfair to expect you to make promises without considering them carefully beforehand.  If you don’t usually go to church we would also ask that you worship with us regularly before you or your child is baptised. If you are new to the Christian faith, or have not been baptised yourself then we would recommend going on the Alpha Course.  This is a popular and informal course that will take you through the basics of Christianity - details are in the top menu above.

If you are seeking baptism for your child, then you are also asked to nomiate at least three Godparents.  At least two of whom should be the same gender as your child and all of whom must have been baptised.  Tim would be vey happy to meet with you and your chosen Godparents to chat through the various promises that you will make during the service and to explain the what is involved by becoming a Godparent.

Everybody is welcome to come to any of our services. There is a family service once a month and children's groups on other Sundays, plus a safe play area at the back of the church for babies and young children.

Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child

A Thanksgiving is a public opportunity to say thank you to God for your child.
 
It is a beautiful service and suitable for those not yet wishing to make the promises of baptism, or for those wishing to give their child the choice to be baptised when they are old enough to make their promises themselves. However, it can also be used less formally for those who want to offer thanks to God after adopting children or who want a quiet service after having been brought safely through a difficult childbirth.
 
Like baptisms, services of thanksgiving normally take place during the 10.30 Sunday morning service, although sometimes we may be able to do them at other times and on other days of the week. During the service