Baptisms/Christenings
Welcome to the enquiry page about baptisms/christenings.
If you are interested in being baptised or having a child baptised/christened, then please contact the office by clicking here.
What is baptism?
Baptism is the outward sign of a commitment to Jesus in response to his commitment to us. Using water symbolises two things:
- Washing - when Jesus died on the cross, he died to pay our debt with God so we can freely have a relationship with him. Our sin is 'washed' away. The water symbolises what Jesus has done for us.
Drowning - sounds alarming! But the symbolism is of dying to the old life of living for ourselves (going into the water) and instead living the new life of living for Jesus (coming out of the water). The water symbolises our intention to live for him and not for ourselves.
There is nothing magical about the water! The service is a powerful picture of what a person has already received through Jesus. With this in mind, we run an evening with a meal to understand the implications for parents who want children baptised.
Weddings
If you would like to enquire about being married at Christ Church then please click here. We will then contact you and fill in an enquiry form with you, which will be passed on to a member of the clergy.
To get married at Christ Church you need to be able to demonstrate a connection to the church. The laws governing who is eligible to get married in a particular church were changed in Oct 2008 so that there are more ways you can prove a qualifying connection.
You are eligible to marry at Christ Church if:
a) You live in the parish of Christ Church Clifton. To check this click here and enter
your postcode.
b) You have attended Christ Church regularly for over 6 months and can therefore
apply to be on the electoral roll
c) You were baptised or confirmed in the parish
d) Your parents or grand-parents were married at Christ Church
e) You (or any of your parents during your lifetime) have lived within the parish for a
period of more than 6 months
f) You or your parents have regularly worshipped within the parish (either more than 3
times a year for many years or at least once a month for 6 months)
If you do not qualify under any of the above criteria, there may be other options which would enable you to marry at Christ Church. Please contact the church office (0117 973 6524), who will be able to advise you on possible ways forward.