Baptism services are a joy for all connected with God’s church and that is especially true here in Wilmslow.  In baptism, we welcome people (big and small) into our church family but even better than that, the worldwide family of faith. Friends of Jesus have been baptising and being baptised since he first issued the instruction (Matthew 28:19)

Baptism is, at the same time, the simplest of rituals and an event with deep significance.  When we go ‘under the water’ we signal our joining Jesus in his death so that when we ‘come up’ we can signal a desire to join him in his new resurrection life.  It is big stuff that we’d love to explore with you in person.

If you’re interested in getting baptised or having a child baptised then please fill in the form by clicking the link at the foot of this page and we’ll be in touch.

Baptism FAQs

• Can I be baptised in the parish?

Each parish church has boundaries and, normally, you would ask for baptism at the parish church which serves your area.  However, if you have a particular reason for approaching us then please fill out the enquiry form and we will try to help ensuring that you have all the right advice.

• When do baptism services normally happen?

We welcome people for baptism on multiple Sundays during the year and they can either be part of a Sunday service (9.30am or 11.00am) or can be lunchtime events 

• Where can I learn more about what baptism is?

We’d like to do that with you and so depending on whether you are asking for yourself or your child, we will tailor some preparation work to help you discern what’s next.  If you want to learn some more about baptism then these links might be useful.

Read about - The Meaning of Baptism in the Bible - Bible Project

 Wilmslow Parish Baptism application form

If you would like to know more, please download our information pack and complete the form on the I'm New page.

Some of our churches hold annual Memorial Services for those recently bereaved. 

We are also here to help local communities commemorate major events in the life of the nation such as Remembrance Sunday, and an Annual Memorial Service for those recently bereaved.

If you would like to know more, please contact us via the information on the Contact page, or complete the form in I'm New.

We really are delighted that you are thinking of being baptised yourself or (more likely) bringing your child for baptism.  For the purposes of this information pack, we are going to assume the baptism is of a child.  We hope that you will find the information helpful, and we have laid it out in a question and answer format based on the usual questions we are asked.

 Q What is the difference between christening and baptism?

A The two words, normally, refer to the exactly the same ceremony. The church prefers to use the word baptism as christening does not describe the ceremony well but the there is no difference.  For simplicity the word baptism will be used in this document.  

 Q What is baptism?

A Christian Baptism is a ceremony that goes back 2,000 years to the beginnings of Christianity, of rinsing with water, as a one-off event.  In more recent church tradition, it involves the sprinkling of a child’s head with water from the font - the ancient stone basin usually located near the entrance of the church. The parents and godparents, on behalf of the child, make promises that they will encourage the child in their own journey of faith.

 As we baptise, we welcome your child into God’s church and we pray for them as they begin what we hope will be a life of faith

During the service all kinds of images and symbolism will tell the Christian story: -

• the cross which reminds us of Jesus’ death for us will be traced on the child’s forehead
• ‘going under’ the water reminds us of God’s cleansing love and that one day we all die and yet be raised up in Jesus
• a lighted candle will be given reminding us that Christians are meant to be a light in all of the world’s dark places.

“Baptism is about beginning and belonging”

 Q How did the tradition of baptising babies start?

A In the early years of Christianity, when adults came to Christian faith, and so were baptised, they naturally wanted to share the ceremony with their children as well, as a seal of God’s love; a sign of belonging to the wider Christian family. So the tradition of baptising newborn babies soon became established.   

 Q How do I book a baptism?

A We like to see our families before we book any dates in the diary, and the best way is either to drop into a Sunday service at your chosen church or give us a call. We will then invite you to a session of preparation and we will discuss possible dates and other arrangements with you then. If there is a reason why you would like us to baptise your child as a matter of urgency, then do call and speak to us.

 Q When do baptisms usually take place?

A Sometimes baptisms may be part of a normal Sunday service (at either 9.30am or 11.00am depending on which church you choose). If you have lots of friends and family likely to attend the service who are not used to church, then we may be best considering an afternoon service which will be much shorter and just be tailored for you and your guests. These will usually be at 1pm on a Sunday.

 Q Can the service take place in any church?

A Parents may bring their child for baptism in their own parish church – the church which serves the place they live. Baptism is also possible in a parish church where there are other significant family links but, as a courtesy, the vicar of the home parish should be informed in advance.  

 Q How much does a baptism cost?

A Baptism in The Church of England is free as the service celebrates the free gift of God’s love! However, in order to enable the church to meet its practical running costs we are always happy to receive donations but that’s entirely up to you!

 Q What about godparents?

A There is a tradition of a having two godfathers and one godmother for a boy, and two godmothers and one godfather for a girl.  It is just a tradition and we will not hold you to it.  Three is the normal number for godparents but we set the limit at four as there are four spaces in the register. The role of godparent is a spiritual role of promising to pray for the child, and take an interest in its spiritual development. Strictly speaking, the parents and godparents should themselves have been baptised and preferably confirmed, but we understand this may not always be the case.  Please speak to us if you are concerned about this.

 Q Can an older child or adult be baptised?

A Absolutely! Yes! In this case the person being baptised makes the promises and recites the vows personally.  We may also ask them to attend a short course of preparation, but we are always delighted to baptise older children and adults. 

 Q Can we choose some hymns and songs?

A There is a section on the form for you to tell us some of your favourite hymns and songs and where possible we will try to include at least one of them.

 Q Next Steps?

A Many families bring a child for baptism and that’s it for the time being and that’s OK.  We are here every week and, hopefully, we are the kind of people it is worth sticking around for a while! 

 For around twelve months after your service, we might invite you to special services and events in the hope you find them helpful and interesting.  At any time, you can unsubscribe from our communication.  We will keep praying for you but we will not bother you!

 Thanks for reading this far…now here is the link to the online form!

CLICK HERE FOR THE ONLINE FORM

• We are learning how to love God with all our hearts

• We are trying to love our neighbours at least as much as ourselves

The second of those two priorities cause us to want to befriend and support people across our community in all kinds of ways including

• café drop-in sessions,
• food provision,
• working with our local schools, and
• supporting the bereaved. 

When we pray on a Sunday “your kingdom come, your will be done”, we take that seriously and see ourselves as part of the answer to that prayer.

If you would like to know more or if you would like to get involved in supporting one or more of these projects, please Contact Us. We would love to hear from you.

It is what we do whether we admit to it or not. Whether what we worship is worth our adoration is another question. Even our vicar admits to coming close to worshipping when he visits The Etihad! The Apple Store, the Aston Martin Garage and umpteen other products, services and experiences compete for your adoration too!

Of course, we want to invite you to worship God as he is revealed in Jesus and like most churches, we host a variety of services of different styles through the week and in both of our church buildings.

Our regular pattern is as follows, but please do check the current timetable on the Calendar, or on our What's On page.

Sundays

8:30 am Holy Communion St Anne’s second sunday, st bart's fourth sunday

This is a traditional quiet Holy Communion service (Book of Common Prayer)

9.30am Morning Worship at St Anne’s & 11.00am St Bart’s

Every Sunday of the year these are our main acts of worship and celebration. They will often involve a choir leading us in sung worship of hymns and songs old and new and the sharing of Holy Communion. There will always be a teaching slot, a chance to pray and material aimed at the younger members of our church family as well as dedicated spaces for the children.

This should go without saying, but there will always be a warm welcome and there will always be coffee!

6.00pm Evensong at st bart's

On the 1st Sunday of each month we have a Sung Evensong with a robed choir using The Book of Common Prayer. It is a quiet time with some beautiful liturgy, prayers, music and a short teaching slot.

Tuesdays

9.30AM midweek worship at st bart's

St Bart's will be open from 10.00 to 11.00 am.

Thursdays

10.00am Morning Worship at St Anne’s

We celebrate the Holy Communion together, sing a couple of hymns/songs, there is a short teaching slot and always coffee and conversation.

St Anne's will be open from 8.45am to 9.45am.

Saturdays

St Bart's will be open from 10.00am to 1.00pm.