Baptism

We are always delighted to discuss baptism for children or adults.

Baptism at St Andrew's

Baptism is one of the principal sacraments of the Christian faith. It marks the beginning of a lifelong journey of discipleship and welcomes a child into the family of God and the life of the Church.

During the service, parents and godparents make promises to support and encourage a child in the Christian faith. These promises are also shared by the wider church community, which commits itself to helping children and families grow in faith and belonging.

In a society where many people retain a connection to Christianity as part of our culture, we believe it is important to distinguish between cultural Christianity and living faith. Baptism is not simply a family tradition or a special ceremony; it is an invitation into the story of Jesus Christ and participation in the life of his Church.

For this reason, we encourage families seeking baptism to become part of the worshipping life of St Andrew's before a baptism takes place. This gives us the opportunity to get to know one another and to explore together the meaning of the promises being made.

The Baptism Journey

At St Andrew’s, we encourage families preparing for their child’s baptism to spend 12 weeks - roughly one school term - getting to know our community and sharing in our worship life. As a guide, we ask families to attend at least twice a month during that time, mirroring the attendance expectation for Foundation places at Church of England schools in this area.

At the end of each term, we host a baptism preparation evening with a meal in our café. This is an opportunity to explore the meaning and spirituality of baptism, the promises you will make, and how we can support you and your child in your journey of faith.

Our next Baptism Evenings are likely to be on 10 March 2027, 14 July 2027, 10 November 2027

Once you have spent this time worshipping with us and booked into the preparation evening, you can arrange a baptism date through the church office. Baptisms are generally held on the second and fourth Sundays of each month.

We suggest allowing around six months for the whole process: an initial three months of worship and preparation, followed, where possible, by a baptism within the next three months. The timing will depend on available spaces and the number of families seeking baptism. 

We look forward to welcoming you and accompanying you on this journey.

Rev Johnny Sertin, Vicar