Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals

Baptism ~ sometimes known as Christenings

The Methodist Church offers two types of service that celebrate God's gift of a child:

Thanksgiving

A service of thanksgiving ~ is a rite which celebrates the birth of a child, it gives an opportunity for the family to gather, to show their support and give thanks to God. In this service there are songs and readings and a special blessing given to the child. Baptism is then reserved for later allowing the child to decided later in life if they are willing to commit themselves to God.

Baptism

Baptism is a sign of being received into the Christian Church ~ it is a way of saying "God loves you" and a sign of us responding to that love.

The baptismal service requires the family and the church to make promises to each other and before God.

The promises we make at a baptism:

* The Church promises to maintain the life of worship and service, so that the child may grow in the knowledge and love of God.
* Parents promise to pray for and with their children, and to guide and encourage their child who is to be baptised
* Godparents promise to support the parents in all this

These promises are not easy to keep ~ but all make the promise with the answer "With God's help, we will". God's Spirit is always with us ~ we need not rely on our own strength. Parents are also asked to confess the Christian faith ~ to turn to God for help, repent of sins and renounce evil.

Q: As a parent can you make these promises ~ the only true way to keep these promise is by attending church regularly. ~ Your Minister/Baptismal Visitor will discuss this with you.

If you do not feel comfortable with these promises you should look towards a service of thanksgiving.

A time to reflect ...

Baptism is a one off, once in a life-time act. Once baptised = always baptised. It is important you realise this and are able to explain in later life why you made the decision you did. More and more adults have a life changing Spiritual experience that they wish to mark in some way ~ if they have already been baptised we can't do it again!

When & Where

Both services usually happen during Sunday worship ~ the child is being welcomed by the whole church … so they need to be there! The date of baptism is set by the Minister ~ much of it depends on when s/he is at the Church to conduct worship.

Godparents

The Godparents you choose should be able to answer the question "Will you support these parents and help them in the Christian upbringing of their child?" If at all possible you should choose Church attendees as your Christian supporters.

Adult Baptism

Is a time to celebrate an adult offering their life to God. If you are an adult and want to be baptised you should talk with your local minister.

The Symbols and Signs of Baptism

The symbol of water
At baptism the Minister pours water upon the child in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The water is a sign of life, refreshment, cleaning/washing away sin, raising again to new life in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The sign of the cross
The Minister makes a sign of the cross on the forehead of the child because the child now belongs to Christ (who was crucified on the cross and rose again to new life). Belonging to Christ means they are a member of the Christian Church.

The symbol of a candle
Reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world who we are called to follow.

The welcome of the Church
By baptism your child is welcomed into the church family. It is within the life of the Church and within the Christian family that your child will learn the Christian faith and hopefully will come to confess faith in Christ and enter into the full life of the church.

The Certificate of Baptism
Is a reminder of the day we all made our promises before God for your child.

Weddings

So you want to get married in a Methodist Church?

To get married in the Methodist Church of your choice one or both of you must either
· Live in the same registration district as the church or
· Worship regularly in that church
· Live in an area where the local chapel is not registered

Once you have decided which Methodist Church you want to get married in you need to contact the Minister for that church. S/he is usually the authorized person for that church and will arrange an initial meeting with you and your partner.

What do we need to consider?

The main consideration when thinking of getting married in a church is "why?". "Why get married in a church?" There are many places that offer secular wedding ceremonies. We are always happy to marry people in a church, if they believe in God and want to ask Him to be part of their married life. If you don't believe in God you need to ask yourselves whether a church marriage is the most appropriate.

Can I get married when I want to?

Within reason. You will need to discuss this with the Minister. Your wedding may clash with someone elses, or the Minister may not be available. The best thing to do is to arrange a meeting with the Minister as soon as possible.

Can I get married in a Methodist Church if I have been divorced?

Yes. Talk to the Minister s/he will discuss with you the reason for your divorce and the possibilities of being remarried in church.

How much will it cost?

This depends on what you want in your service. Again, talk to the Minister. At Central Hall the cost for 2010 is around £410

How do I contact the Minister? Click here

Funerals

When someone dies the people of the Methodist Church are here to support the bereaved.

Usually you will contact the Funeral Director in the first instance. However, Methodist Ministers will always be there for you if you need them.

If you want a particular Minister to conduct the funeral service you should tell the funeral director. Alternatively you may feel that you would like the Methodist Funeral Rite but don't know who to ask to do it. All you need do is ask the funeral director to contact a Methodist Minister.

The Minister will them come to your home to discuss the service you want, to say goodbye to a loved one and to celebrate their life.

There are various options:

* A service in a Methodist Church followed by committal at a cemetery or crematorium
* A committal at either the cemetery or the crematorium followed by a service of thanksgiving in a Methodist Church
* A service and committal at the Crematorium

If you want any more information please contact the Minister

Funeral Catering Facilties

Help in planning your own funeral