The birth of a child is a joyous occasion. It’s really good to bring family and friends together to celebrate and to give God thanks.

A service of thanksgiving is just that – a special time in church in which prayers are offered to God and his blessing is prayed for your child.

A service of baptism is another name for the Christening of a child. Your child will be baptised with water, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Parents and godparents make important promises about bringing your child to church and encouraging them in their Christian faith. It’s the start of an amazing life-long journey with God and with the church.

A thanksgiving or a baptism can take place within a regular Sunday service or separately at 14:00 on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

We offer these services to:

• everyone who lives in our parish.

• everyone who worships regularly with us.

What happens next?

If you would like to make an enquiry, please contact us on jackie.crofts@stmaryschurchbse.org

We always prepare parents for the baptism of a child, so you’ll meet with a member of our ministry team to discuss the Christian faith and all that’s involved.

Comments from our families

‘It was such a beautiful day for us as a family to welcome Joseph, I will cherish Joseph’s hand knitted baptism blanket that was gifted to him’

‘Everyone at St Mary's made us feel so welcome from the start, both in the lead up to the Baptism and on the day itself. We really felt like part of the family and loved having it as part of the usual Sunday service. It was a really special day.’