​Christenings​

 

The birth of a baby is a time of great joy and something to celebrate! Your child is precious to you and precious to God. Being baptised at a Christening marks the start of a lifelong journey of faith within the local and worldwide Christian family.

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We also welcome adults who want to be baptised.​

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Qualifying criteria for Christenings​​

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Can you answer 'yes' to one of the following questions;

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• Do either of the parents reside in the Parish of Stratford-upon-Avon (this includes Stratford-upon-Avon, Clifford Chambers, and Luddington)? (If you are not sure, then you can use this link to enter your postcode and find the church that is closest to you: https://www.achurchnearyou.com.

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• Were either of the parents baptised in one of the churches of the parish (Holy Trinity, St Helen's or All Saints')?

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• Were either of the parents confirmed and/or have their confirmation entered in a register belonging to one of the churches of the parish (Holy Trinity, St Helen's or All Saints')?

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• Were the parents or grandparents married in one of the churches of the parish (Holy Trinity, St Helen's or All Saints')?

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• Have the parents had their usual place of residence in the parish of Stratford-upon-Avon for at least 6 months at any time during their lifetime?

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• Has a grandparent had their usual place of residence in the parish of Stratford-upon-Avon for at least 6 months at any time during the child’s parents' lifetime?

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• Have the child’s parents, at any time, habitually attended public worship at services in one of the Stratford-upon-Avon Parish churches for at least 6 months?

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• Has a grandparent, at any time, habitually attended public worship at services in one of the Stratford-upon-Avon Parish churches for at least 6 months during the child’s parents' lifetime?

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If you cannot answer 'yes' to one of the above questions, you could still qualify by attending a minimum of six services over a minimum time of six months. We won't take a booking until this has been fulfilled.

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For anyone not residing in the parish, the goodwill must also be sought from the vicar of their home parish for the christening to take place here.  Parents will be given a form for their vicar to sign.

 

Godparents and Sponsors

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Godparents

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• Should be present at the baptism

• Must have been baptised themselves

• Must be 16 or over

• Parents can be godparents

• There should be at least one male & one female godparent

• There is only room for 4 godparents to be recorded in the baptism register. If more than 4 are chosen, it is the parents' responsibility to decide which names are entered in the register.

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Sponsors

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If parents would like someone not baptised to be involved in the service, they may be there as a sponsor. Their names cannot be included in the baptism register, but they will be invited to participate in the service in the same way as godparents.

 

Here is the link to our Christening enquiry form. You will receive an auto-reply confirming that we have received your enquiry. Our team will then contact you to clarify any items (if needed) and to offer the next meeting dates when you will meet with our Christening Co-ordinator. At this meeting, we will go over the details of the service, what we need you to do, and what you can expect from us. We will also ask you to book a date for the Christening.