Marriages

The Church provides facilities for Christian rites of marriage. The organisation should always be done well in advance to ensure that you can book the church without it clashing with other events.

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About eight weeks before the day of the wedding you must get a Marriage notice form from the Registrar. When you have completed it, you take this back with your Birth certificate, your fee (and divorce papers if you or/and your  partner  have been previously married).

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With this information the Registrar will make up a Marriage Schedule which you will collect seven days before the wedding.

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The Marriage Schedule is very important. It must be given to the Minister, and be in order before the wedding can take place. If there is no Marriage Schedule the wedding cannot happen.

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After the wedding the MARRIAGE SCHEDULE is signed by the Bride, Groom, two witnesses (aged 16 or over) and the minister. The MARRIAGE SCHEDULE is then returned to the Registrar

 

Church Fees.

There are usually three fees which the church charges to cover the cost of preparing the church.

Organist...£75.

Church Officer...£75.

Heating and Lighting of Church...

If neither party is a member of the church a donation is asked  to cover these costs.

A minimum donation of £150 is suggested.

 

For more information and details contact the minister at revjim@btinternet.com or 01259 760262.​

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Baptisms

Baptism is a sacrament, that is, a sign from God.

It is a sign which shows us how God saves us from all the mistakes we make in life.

People use water to clean themselves from dirt.

So the early church saw being washed in water, totally immersed in water, as a sign that God had cleaned us from all the dirt in our lives, all the wrongs that seem to haunt us again and again, all those things we wish we hadn't done.

In the time of Jesus rain was a sign of God's blessings. Without the rain the crops would fail and the people would starve, so we sprinkle water on the children's head to show that we want God's blessings to be on your child.

 

God's love, God's blessings, are for all people; no matter their colour, their race, their sexuality, or their age.

Just as an infant baby may not know the difference between wrong and right, but still recognises the love of a parent, so your child will recognise God's love.

 

It is like a seed that we hope will grow into an adult who is mature and has a good sense of right and wrong and a purpose in life.

 

As the parents you are asked to make a profession of faith.

Children pick up all sorts of habits from their parents. If a parent smokes the children will probably smoke as well. If a parent undermines their children their children will often in turn undermine their children.

We as a church believe this process works the other way as well.

If a child is brought up in a loving, caring environment where they are taught of God's care and help, then that child will probably grow to respect others and to respect themselves because they know, no matter what they face, that they are never alone.

If you do not know of God's love then it is difficult for you to pass that love onto your child.

So we ask all parents to profess their faith in God as the Father who created us, Jesus as the Son who died for our wrongs, and the Holy Spirit as the Comforter who guides us.

Parents who make this profession are saying that they are Christians; that they put their trust in God and, even though they are not perfect, there will be evidence in their lives of their faith by their commitment to the church  in their attendance and a desire to follow God's care for others in their lifestyle.

 

For more information and details contact the minister at revjim@btinternet.com or 01259 760262.​

 

 

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Funerals

Facing death can be a difficult time for most families. Often we are unprepared, especially when the illness is sudden. It is not uncommon for families to contact the minister before the death, maybe to visit the dying or the family and give what support and comfort they can.

Funerals are usually organised by Funeral Directors. Often the first step is contacting the funeral director who will then contact all the different authorities, including the minister to organise a mutually convenient time for the service to take place. The funeral director will then organise all the fees, including those for the church. After the funeral director has contacted the minister he/she will contact the family to arrange a time to meet and discuss the personal arrangements for that individual funeral.

​ For more information and details contact the minister at revjim@btinternet.com or 01259 760262

Speak to the Minister

You can discuss most things with the minister in a confidential environment. To contact the minister at revjim@btinternet.com or 01259 760262

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