Planning a baptism 

Some Frequently Asked Questions. 

Who can be baptised at All Saints?

You are welcome to bring your baby for baptism, or to be baptised yourself, if either:

• You live in the parish

• You worship regularly at All Saints (not hard to see what you might do to qualify!)

Otherwise, you should contact the parish church where you live and have your child baptised there. You can check the details of your parish church by clicking here and putting in your postcode.

When do you offer baptisms?

Most baptisms at All Saints take place at 2.00pm on two Sundays of each month, currently the 2nd and 4th Sundays.
Sometimes, if you are regular members of the congregation, it is possible to have a baptism as part of the Parish Eucharist at 9.30 on a Sunday morning. We are increasingly encouraging families to have baptisms at the 11.15 Late Breakfast which is a family-friendly service.
Often we baptise more than one child at a service, and welcome more than one family.

What do we need for a baptism?

You will need at least three Godparents, usually two of the same gender as the baby to be baptised, and they will need to be old enough to have the maturity to take on the responsibility. They must be baptised - not necessarily in the Church of England. Parents don't have to be baptised, but it could be a good moment to talk about learning more about the christian faith and being baptised yourselves.  Our administrator will put you in touch with a priest if you want to talk about that. You can't be baptised again if you've already been baptised.


What about the service?

A stand-alone service takes about 30 minutes. It isn't an alternative wedding party, so you don't need hundreds of guests, special clothes, expensive presents and a lavish reception! Family and few supportive friends often works best. We don't usually have music, and that is probably best, but if you do want to sing a hymn or two and have music before, we may be able to arrange an organist, at a cost to you. 


Is there a charge?

We do not charge for a baptism. However, we do have a collection at the service, and we will encourage people to give generously. The work of the church and maintenance of the wonderful, historic building costs a great deal. We want to be able to go on offering worship and baptisms here in the future! If you are having your child baptised here, you might think about making donation yourselves. Many churches suggest about £75 or more, and if you complete a Gift Aid form we can increase that by about 25%. However, if you cannot or do not wish to make a donation, that is not a problem and we will baptise your child with joy whatever!

What is the process?

You may either fill in the Baptism Initial Enquiry Form, downloadable by clicking here, or contact our Administrator by phone or email.
We will then arrange a date and put it in the diary.

We have occasional sessions on Saturday mornings in church when we invite those to be baptised and their parents to come, learn a bit more about baptism and what happens in the service, get used to the space and meet other families on the same path.

The priest baptising you or your baby will also arrange to visit for a chat, sometimes with one of our congregation who will also be at church on the big day to welcome you. 

We encourage you to bring your child to Ducklings on a Tuesday morning from time to time, or Worship@4 on a Sunday or our new 11.15 Late Breakfast service, so you feel a bit more familiar with the church into which your child is being baptised.

After the baptism, we will ask you to bring your child to church - whichever service you like - to receive a Baptism Candle, a Baptism Certificate and a warm welcome from members of the christian family at All Saints.

After Baptism parties.

It is occasionally possible to hire the Parish Centre to smaller groups for refreshments after a baptism. Discuss this with the Administrator.