There are some really big moments in life which can be marked with a special ceremony; a child arrives in the family, a couple decide to get married, or when someone dies.
At these moments, people can have big emotions and big questions.
Right across Leicestershire, churches would love to welcome you and be a part of these special times with you and your family. Ministers, and many others who support them, have vast experience in welcoming families at some the happiest and also the most difficult times in their lives. Churches will always be there for you, for the day itself and for all the days afterwards too.
Use the headings below to choose a ceremony you’re interested in, and how to find out more.
Christenings for babies and children
For your child, being baptized at a christening marks the start of an amazing, lifelong journey of faith as part of the local and worldwide Christian family. To find out more about baptism/christenings for babies and children, visit www.churchofenglandchristenings.org. There’s also information on the site for godparents and all other guests at a christening. You can also contact a church to talk more about having your child christened - the vicar there will be delighted to explain all that’s involved.
Thanksgiving/blessing services for children
A special church service, different from a christening, can be used as a way to say ‘thank you’ to God for your child. It is called a Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child. The child will be blessed and prayed for, and supporting friends will promise to support the parents in bringing up their baby. It’s possible to have this service instead of a christening if you decide that now isn’t the right time to have your child baptised. Or, you could even have the Thanksgiving service as well as a christening. You might also choose this service when your baby is just born, or if you have adopted a child into your family and you simply want to celebrate this with special words said by a vicar in church. Your vicar will be delighted to talk to you about this service. To find your local church, try searching here.
Baptism for adults
A growing number of people are becoming Christians as adults who were not baptised/christened as babies or children. If this is you, many congratulations! Your local church would delighted to baptise you, and join you in celebrating your choice to become a follower of Jesus. Sometimes an adult is baptised with just a small amount of water at the font; sometimes with more water in a baptistry (where you go under the water for a short moment). Different churches may differ on how the actual baptism with water is done, so contact your local vicar to find out more about what happens there.
Confirmation and reaffirming baptism vows for adults
If you were baptised as a baby or child, there is an opportunity when you’re an adult to own the words of the baptism promises for yourself. There are two ways to do this:- Confirmation - this affirms your faith, acknowledges God’s faithfulness in your life and there is prayer for God’s blessing on you. For more about confirmation, follow this link to the national Church of England website. Your local vicar will be delighted to talk to you more about being confirmed. Search for yours just here. Re-affirmation of Baptismal Vows. This often happens with others on a particular date in church. To find out more, contact your local church.
Getting married
Many congratulations if you’ve decided to get married! This is an exciting time with such a lot to organise. If you’re thinking about having a church wedding, or have already decided to marry in church, visit yourchurchwedding.org. The site offers information on everything to do with planning a church wedding, including the legal aspects, fees, and tools for creating a beautiful ceremony with your choice of hymns, readings and more.
Arranging a funeral
A church will always be here for you to help you through one of life’s most difficult moments. For generations, churches across Leicestershire have been supporting families to mark the end of a life with a funeral. There is no requirement to have been a churchgoer, or to be ‘religious’ to have a church-led funeral - it is open to all. There will be decisions to make with your funeral director and minister, as well as coping with bereavement. Your church can help you with all of this, every step of the way. You may find churchofenglandfunerals.org are helpful pages to visit where you’ll find further information about arranging or attending a church-led funeral, where to find bereavement support and how your church can continue to support you after a funeral.