Baptism and Thanksgiving Services

As a part of the Church of England we baptise babies, children and adults at All Hallows Church.  Those being baptised make promises (either for themselves or for their children) that they wish to follow Jesus and be part of his Church.  At baptism the Church welcomes such people into the church family.

 

Some parents might wish to acknowledge the birth of their child and say thank you to God, but might feel uncomfortable in making such promises or they might want their child to be able to choose for themselves whether to be baptised when they are older.  So, we also have a Thanksgiving Service for such parents and families.

 

If you are interested in finding out more about having a Baptism or Thanksgiving Service for your child then we would love to invite you to a family service (usually the first Sunday morning service of the month) in order to see what we are like and to stay behind for a short meeting afterwards with the vicar and any others also considering Baptism / Thanksgiving.  The vicar will explain the differences in a little more detail to you.

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Weddings

We do love a good wedding and to celebrate this important moment in people’s lives with them.  If you live in the parish and would like to be married here then please make contact with the vicar, who will go through the preparation process with you.

 

If you live in the parish but want to get married in a different Church of England church, then you will need to approach that church to establish if you have a ‘qualifying connection’, which means establishing whether you have a legal right to be married in that church.  In such a scenario you would also need to contact the office at All Hallows as we would be required to read your Banns in the weeks leading up to your wedding day.

 

If you are not sure which parish you live in (which is not always easy to tell) then visit www.achurchnearyou.com and insert your postcode.

 

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Funerals

Funeral services obviously take place during sad and difficult times for families and friends.  But, different people approach them in different ways.  Some people want a sombre occasion.  Others want a more upbeat occasion.  Neither is right or wrong. 

 

At All Hallows we are very happy to support families and friends through grief and to provide a funeral service that best suits each situation, within the context of a Christian service.

 

If you would like to arrange a funeral here then get in touch with your Funeral Director and they will contact the church in order to arrange a service time.  The Funeral Director will also make contact with the Crematorium or Cemetery for after the service in the church.

 

We can also provide a certain amount of ongoing pastoral care.  This is particularly for those who are widows or widowers.  Activities such as the monthly lunches are available too and are a good opportunity to get out of the house and see some other people.

 

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Service to Remember

As a part of our ongoing pastoral care after a funeral service we invite close family members to a special service, which is held once a year – usually on the first or second Sunday evening of November.  It is a simple service, which includes the opportunity to light a candle in memory of the person who has died.

 

We invite family members from funerals we have taken over the past year or so, but anybody is free to come along to remember and give thanks for loved ones who have passed away recently or many years ago.