Christenings

Christenings at St John’s or St James’ Church
A Christening is the start of a journey; it is a journey for parents who thank God for the precious gift of a child and have decided to introduce their child to faith with the support of the church; for the child it marks the beginning of a spiritual journey, becoming a member of the wider church family. It’s a wonderful celebration to share with friends and family.

Christening services normally take place on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at 2.00pm or 3.15pm at either St John’s or St James’ churches.

During the Christening service, important symbols are used:
Water – the priest will baptise your child by pouring water on his or her head. This is the heart of the Christening service.

The Sign of the Cross – the priest will make a sign of a cross on your child’s forehead. It is a significant moment which marks the child as belonging to God.

Light  – Jesus is the Light of the World so during the Christening a large candle will be lit in church to signify this. Afterwards you will be given a lighted candle as a reminder of the light which has come into your child’s life.

Booking a Christening
You can find out more about Christenings, and book a date and venue by visiting us at Vestry Hour on Tuesday evenings between 6.00pm and 7.00pm in St John’s Church Hall on Hallcliffe in Baildon centre. No appointment is necessary; you can just turn up. As parents you don’t need to be baptised (or Christened) yourselves.

Christening Preparation
We hold regular Baptism Preparation sessions on Saturday mornings at St John’s Church Hall. At these sessions parents and godparents find out more about what baptism means and what will happen during the Christening service.

Godparents
We hope you will decide to have Godparents for your child; they have a very important role to play. Choosing them is a big decision and you can find out more about this when you visit us to book the Christening at Clergy Hour. Godparents need to be baptised themselves but, if you have chosen someone who isn’t baptised, it may be possible to arrange an adult baptism before the day so that they can take up this important role. Please talk to member of our clergy at the time of booking.

The Cost of Christenings
We don’t charge for Christenings; this service if completely free.