Christian Rites: Baptism Marriage Funeral
Memorial Service All Souls Tide Confirmation & Holy Communion
Baptism or 'Christening'
What is Baptism?
Baptism is when a person publicly acknowledges his or her faith
in Jesus Christ and is the beginning of their membership of the
Christian Church. When children who are not old enough to answer
for themselves are baptised, their parents and Godparents answer
for them (see below).
Baptism is a service of initiation into the Church of God, not into the Church of England or any particular denomination. A baptism in All Saints will be recognised by most Christian denominations, including all those represented in Evesham.
Who can be baptised? As a parish, we have an open baptism policy and are happy to baptise any adult who lives in the parish and who expresses a desire to follow Christ. Adult baptism always takes place after a period of preparation, which is usually held alongside those who are preparing for confirmation. Those who are being baptised are also encouraged to take this further step of confirmation.
Similarly we will baptise any child whose family lives in the parish. Children are always supported at baptism by their parent(s) and/or guardian(s) and usually by Godparents. These adults are asked publicly to
We provide preparation for baptism for the child's family and Godparents so that they are aware of the significance of the purpose of the service, and can be offered the help and support of the local Church as they seek to carry out the promises made in the service. This preparation begins with a series of visits made by a member of our Baptism Team, who will also be present at the Baptism Service. There will also be a visit by one of the clergy.
Baptisms take place on certain Sundays of the year within the main 10:00am Parish Communion service. Please check with the Church Office when these services are planned.
As baptism is part of a process of belonging to the church, candidates are encouraged to come to church if they do not already do so.
Please contact us if you want to find out more about Baptism at All Saints - either as an adult, or for your child. The first point of contact will be the Church Office (01386) 442213 office@eveshamparish.com.
For further information visit the Church of England's "Life Events" page.
Baptism is a service of initiation into the Church of God, not into the Church of England or any particular denomination. A baptism in All Saints will be recognised by most Christian denominations, including all those represented in Evesham.
Who can be baptised? As a parish, we have an open baptism policy and are happy to baptise any adult who lives in the parish and who expresses a desire to follow Christ. Adult baptism always takes place after a period of preparation, which is usually held alongside those who are preparing for confirmation. Those who are being baptised are also encouraged to take this further step of confirmation.
Similarly we will baptise any child whose family lives in the parish. Children are always supported at baptism by their parent(s) and/or guardian(s) and usually by Godparents. These adults are asked publicly to
- acknowledge their own faith,
- to bring up the child(ren) within the family of the Church and
- encourage them to consider confirmation when they are older and can make their own Christian commitment.
We provide preparation for baptism for the child's family and Godparents so that they are aware of the significance of the purpose of the service, and can be offered the help and support of the local Church as they seek to carry out the promises made in the service. This preparation begins with a series of visits made by a member of our Baptism Team, who will also be present at the Baptism Service. There will also be a visit by one of the clergy.
Baptisms take place on certain Sundays of the year within the main 10:00am Parish Communion service. Please check with the Church Office when these services are planned.
As baptism is part of a process of belonging to the church, candidates are encouraged to come to church if they do not already do so.
Please contact us if you want to find out more about Baptism at All Saints - either as an adult, or for your child. The first point of contact will be the Church Office (01386) 442213 office@eveshamparish.com.
For further information visit the Church of England's "Life Events" page.
Marriage
All Saints' Evesham is a great choice of venue to begin your married life. For full details please contact us. For such a special day, we offer a special place. There are some great things about marrying in church that you might like to know. All you need to help you plan a personal, meaningful, spiritual and beautiful church wedding can be found on the weddings web site: www.yourchurchwedding.org | Wedding workshop
This can be arranged over one or more sessions. It covers many aspects
of preparing for the wedding including: The choreography (who stands
where), the ceremony itself, the bigger picture on how marriage fits in,
the declarations, vows, choice of prayers and hymns and rings to name
but a few.
Please contact us as we are happy to help. The Common Worship Marriage Service can be seen as offering a helpful pattern for preparation. • The Welcome raises the issue of Awareness of God • The Preface sets out basic Teaching about Christian marriage • The Declarations focus on the couple’s Intention to marry • The Collect, Readings and Sermon provide a range of Reflections on marriage • The Vows, Giving of Rings and Proclamation offer a way in to look at the Decision to be married. • The Blessing and Prayers give an opportunity to talk about the place of Prayer in marriage |
Funeral
Few of us ever give time to think about our funeral , an it's not
unusual to have an unexpected loss of a loved one and to be faced with
the business of completing the legal formalities and having to gather
friends and family for a final farewell.
These days funerals take many shapes and forms. At All Saints we offer the opportunity to grieve and fulfil our final duty to a loved one in the context of Christian ritual and sacred texts. A Christian funeral is a place where the life of a deceased loved one, and the lives of those present can be considered in the light of the Christian hope of resurrection and life with God. Every funeral is different because every life is unique, so we invite you to call the Church Office, (01386) 442213 to arrange for a meeting. | All Souls Tide
At All Souls Tide - on 2nd November - it is traditional to remember those who are close to us who have died: there are memorial services at church and the names of people who have died are read out in the prayers Memorial Service A Memorial Service may be held to celebrate the life and achievments of a family member, friend or colleague. Please contact us to discuss how you'd like such a service to be held and we can explain what is involved. |
Confirmation and Holy Communion
There is no right age for a person to be confirmed. Anyone may be
confirmed who has been baptized, if they are old enough to answer
responsibly for themselves.
In many dioceses, however, the diocesan bishop has set a minimum age for Confirmation. As a general rule anyone who is over 10 years old and can answer for themselves could be ready for Confirmation but the right time for you might be at any age. Young people mature in their faith in different ways and at different ages.
It is important that you come to Confirmation with firm personal conviction that it is right for you at this point in your life. You should pray about this and ask others in your church to pray for you.
Please talk to our vicar and even if you are unsure about being confirmed you may wish to participate in the confirmation course to explore your faith further as you think about it.
In many dioceses, however, the diocesan bishop has set a minimum age for Confirmation. As a general rule anyone who is over 10 years old and can answer for themselves could be ready for Confirmation but the right time for you might be at any age. Young people mature in their faith in different ways and at different ages.
It is important that you come to Confirmation with firm personal conviction that it is right for you at this point in your life. You should pray about this and ask others in your church to pray for you.
Please talk to our vicar and even if you are unsure about being confirmed you may wish to participate in the confirmation course to explore your faith further as you think about it.
