Christening of a baby or child

During the christening your child will be baptised. It’s the first step of an amazing journey with God, parents, godparents, friends, family and the church. You don’t have to have been christened yourself, and you don’t have to have ben a regular churchgoer. In baptising a baby, often known as a christening, you promise to raise your child to know God loves them and to help them to follow Jesus as a member of the Church.

When a baby or child is baptised, the parents and godparents make promises on behalf of the child and, because of the very special role they have in supporting your child’s faith journey, godparents must be baptized themselves. This means it is important to choose the right godparents because they will be important people in your child’s life for many years.

For more information on christenings visit www.churchofenglandchristenings.org or contact the Vicar at vicar@christchurcheastgreenwich.org.uk

Adult baptism

You are never too old to take the step of baptism, and being baptised as an adult is a wonderful experience.  It marks your acceptance of God’s love and becoming fully part of God’s family.

At Christ Church you may choose to have water poured on your head at the font or we can use our special pool and you will be fully immersed in the water. However your baptism happens, it’s a great occasion, full of joy.

Thanksgiving for the birth of a child

At Christ Church, we can also offer a service of thanksgiving for the birth and life of a baby or child. A thanksgiving takes place during our regular Sunday morning service, as an opportunity to give thanks for the life of your child and to pray publicly for your child and family.

If you would like to find out more about a service of baptism or thanksgiving at Christ Church, please contact the Vicar at vicar@christchurcheastgreenwich.org.uk

Preparation for baptism

Whatever age of however you or your child are baptised, we will make sure you are properly prepared for the occasion. It is wonderful opportunity to find out more about the Christian faith.

It is also a time to prepare for the service and to discover some of the rich meaning in the signs and symbols of the baptism service.

Confirmation

Confirmation is a special church service in which you confirm the promises that were made when you were baptised making public your commitment to a journey of faith. If you were baptised at a christening when you were a child, your parents and godparents made these promises on your behalf.

At a confirmation service, you make these promises for yourself you affirm these promises for yourself and commit your life to following Jesus Christ. Your friends and family as well as the local Christian community will be there to promise to support and pray for you. The local bishop will lay their hands on your head and ask God’s Holy Spirit to give you the strength and commitment to live God’s way for the rest of your life. It’s a great moment to acknowledge your place in the local and worldwide church.