We are delighted that you are thinking of having your child baptised at one of the churches in the Mortlake with East Sheen Team and offer our warm congratulations on the birth of your child. The birth of a baby is a very good time to think about the mystery of life and about what you want for your children. Baptism (sometimes called Christening) is a sacrament, a visible sign of God’s love. It marks the beginning of our journey of Christian faith. When young children are baptised, their parents and godparents make promises on their behalf to bring them up within the Christian faith and to encourage them by their example to become followers of Jesus Christ. Older children and adults can also be baptised and will make the promises for themselves. For them, baptism usually takes place at the same time as Confirmation

What to do next

Baptisms take place during one of our Sunday Morning Services. This is because baptism is not a private family celebration (although we hope your family and friends will want to attend), but a public event in which your child is welcomed into the Christian family.

If you would like your child to be baptised (Christened) you should contact the priest at the church in the part of the parish in which you live. He or she will want to talk to you about the next step and will let you know about available dates and Baptism preparation. Check the Map here to see which of our churches you should approach.

If you are not a regular church goer we would suggest that you attend the church where the baptism will take place at least a couple of times before the service. This will help you to feel at home in the church building, to become familiar with the service and should help you to think carefully about the promises you will be making at the Baptism.

There is some helpful information about Baptism on the Church of England Website.