St. John’s Baptism Policy

• If you live in the parish, or worship at St. John’s regularly, then it is usually possible to arrange for the baptism to be conducted at St. John’s.

• Baptisms are conducted during in the 10:00am Parish Eucharist and occasionally at 12:00 noon.

• You will be expected to come to church frequently from the time of booking the baptism upto the day itself and as often as you can afterwards. This will help you to become familiar with our Sunday service and it also means that we can support you.

• As part of our preparation for the baptism we pray daily for those who are to be baptised.

• It is a requirement of the Church of England that parents ae baptised. Please come and talk to us should this be a problem.

• Adults are usually confirmed following baptism. If you are interested in being confirmed, please contact the Parish Priest or Churchwardens after the 10:00am service on Sundays.

What does Baptism mean?

Baptism is the sacrament by which we become members of the Christian church. When children are baptised, parents and godparents make promises on their behalf to bring them up in the Christian way of life.

In addition to the promises that are made, there are three important symbols in the Baptism Service:

• The sign of the cross made on the candidate’s forehead.

• The washing with water at the font.

• The giving of a lighted candle.

Practicalities

• You can have as many godparents as you like and there is no set number of men and women. The important thing is to choose people who understand the responsibility they will be taking on and who will carry
out their promises.

• You will be presented with a certificate of baptism.

• Please arrive at church in good time for the service. We will reserve seats for your family and friends.

To be Baptised is to become a member of the Christian family.

Fees

There is no fee for Baptism, but we would ask you to consider making a donation to church funds.

It costs £1,000 a week to run St. John’s and we receive no help from the central funds of the Church of England or the state. The money must be raised by those attending or supporting St. John’s.

We are therefore extremely grateful for any contributions received to maintain and develop the work of St. John’s in Purbrook to ensure as far as we can that the church is here for the Baptism of the children of future generations.

For bookings and general enquiries please attend Vestry Hour on alternate Wednesdays in the church vestry (the room attached to the north wall of the church). Please see the parish calander for exact times and days.  If you wish to prepare for this you can download our baptism application form by clicking on the image of the form to the left.  Please complete as much of it as you can and either bring it along to the Vestry Hour or scan it and email the image of it to Baptisms .

You will need the latest version of Adobe Reader to complete the form.  You can download a free copy of Adobe Reader by clicking here 

For enquiries or to notify us of any changes please eMail Baptisms or phone 02392266170.

For regluar services at St. John the Baptist Church, Purbrook please see our Parish Calendar.