Baptism

The Church of England receives children with joy! We hope that you discover that St Dionis is no exception to this. We greatly look forward to meeting you and welcoming you into the life of the church family.

The birth or adoption of a child is a cause for great celebration. Many people are overcome by a sense of awe at the creation of new life and want to express their thanks to God.

At St Dionis, we offer a Thanksgiving service for the Gift of a child. This service provides an opportunity for parents and families to give thanks for the birth (or adoption) of a child and to pray for family life. It may be a private celebration at home, or in hospital, or it may be a public celebration in the church building itself on a day, and at a time, to suit you. A Thanksgiving service is not the same as baptism; many see a Thanksgiving service as a stepping stone to Baptism.

Baptism (sometimes called Christening) is the official and public rite of passage into formal membership of the Body of Christ, the church. We offer Baptism at St Dionis on the understanding that those presenting themselves for Baptism (or those presenting candidates who are too young to speak for themselves) have already made a personal commitment to follow Jesus Christ as their saviour and Lord. We would therefore expect that they have already begun to join in with the life and worship of the church.

If you are interested in exploring more about the Christian faith, or finding out more about preparation for baptism, please do not hesitate to contact the vicar, Tim Stilwell, on 7731 1376. tim@stdionis.org.uk