Baptism or Thanksgiving
In baptism, we thank God for the gift of life and publicly celebrate His love. In the Anglican Church, of which JohnPaul Parish is a member, it is common to baptise young children; this is sometimes known as "Christening".
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If you are interested in having your child baptised or Christened, we'd like to help you as you take this important step. Most importantly we want to help you work out if baptism is the best option for you and your child.
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We also offer an alternative 'Thanksgiving' service for those parents who want to give thanks for the birth of their child, but do not want to make the very Christian declarations that are part of the baptism service.
If you are seriously thinking considering baptism or thanksgiving then please think about the following guidelines.
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Come to Church!
Our baptisms and thanksgivings take place on the third Sunday of the month during our main Sunday services.
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St John’s: 10:30 AM
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St Paul’s: 9:00 AM ​
And we ask you to attend three times at any of our services to get a feel for our community before booking in for a baptism or thanksgiving (including Families@5 in St Paul's church hall on the second and fourth Sunday of the month).
You can pick up a form from Siobhan at St John's or Heather at St Paul's. And please ask any of the church leaders to sign it for you each week.
If you decide to choose a baptism, then you will be publicly, and before God, promising to bring up your child in the Christian family. So come and have a good look first! You might find we are not your cup of tea, or you might be pleasantly surprised.
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Pause and Reflect!
After visiting us for three weeks, you may decide:
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To have a thanksgiving or baptism service, in which case we can arrange a date. Just be aware we are quite booked up, you may have to wait a while!
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To delay a decision, giving you more time to think about it.
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Not to proceed with any service.
Any of the above options is absolutely fine. Our job is to help you find what is right for you. We will not place any pressure on you to choose one particular option.
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For more details, visit the Church of England website.
FAQs
Do I need to believe in God to bring my child for baptism?
Yes, in the baptism service the parents and Godparents publicly declare before God their belief and faith in Him
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Do I need to come to church for the rest of my life?
At baptism you are making a commitment to nurture your child in the Christian faith and to do this by your example; the church family also promises to do this. Baptism is also the start of a child’s Christian journey and we hope that coming together with the church family to worship God will play an active part in your child’s life
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Do I need to live locally to get my child baptised at St John’s or St Paul’s?
To bring a child for baptism you either need to live within the parish boundaries of JohnPaul Parish, or if you don’t, then you need to be on our electoral roll. If you live outside the parish boundaries you can join our electoral roll after you have regularly attended services for 6 months
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If I live in JohnPaul Parish, can I get my child baptised at a different church?
Yes – but you can only get your child baptised at another Anglican church with the permission of the current vicar of JohnPaul Parish.
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Who do I contact for more information?
Please contact Siobhan Entwistle, our Baptism and Thanksgiving Co-ordinator, who will direct you to the right service.
About
My name is Siobhan Entwistle
I am Mum to Talia and joined JohnPaul Parish when Talia was first born and I was considering getting her baptised in the same church in which I had grown up - St John's, Baxenden. I recently became the Baptism and Thanksgiving Co-ordinator.
