BAPTISMS

Can I have my child baptised at one of your chapels? Can I get baptised at one of your chapels?

We offer two ceremonies for children and adults to choose from.

A service of Thanksgiving is a dedication of a child to God and a special service held to honour the child. Usually there are no special vows or promises to make but instead a celebration of new life. This can occur in a private setting such as a home or a garden.

A Baptism or Christening takes part in a Sunday worship service. A baptism is not a private ceremony, but it is a sacrament and therefore the congregation must be present to make and fulfil promises. In both cases parents, Godparents and the people gathered make special promises to raise the child as a Christian, participating fully in the life and works of the church. It is a recognition that the child will become part of the body of Christ. This participation is a life long commitment to attending church often, teaching the child to pray and to read the Scriptures, and, to live a Christian life.

The child has blessed water placed on their head and is baptised into the Trinity in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Living up to these promises can be challenging, which is why the congregation also promises to help raise the child in faith.

While we do not refuse any child or person a baptism, we encourage parents, godparents and carers to seriously consider the promises made on behalf of the child and to consider what commitments they will make to prayer, church attendance and teaching of the Gospel to the child.

We don't live in the area but wish to have our child baptised at one of your churches. Is that okay?
Certainly we can baptise a child in these circumstances. As promises are made by the congregation it would be helpful to have someone from the church you are attending or planning to attend to be present to take the vows on behalf of the other church.

For more information on baptisms, please contact our minister.

CONFIRMATION

Confirmation is an act of committment offered to those who have been baptised, perhaps as a child or adult. It confirms the promises you or someone else made on your behalf and is the next commitment on your faith journey. If you are interested in being confirmed, please contact our minister.

MARRIAGES

Can I get married in one of your chapels?
We do offer marriages in our chapels and the minister for those chapels is registered to do weddings. If you are considering getting married in one of our chapels, please consult the minister before booking any reception venues, photographers or other aspects of wedding planning as the to ensure they are available for your chosen date. In some cases, short notice marriages are possible, so speak to the minister if this is your circumstance.

Can we use your chapel and a different minister?
As the minister of the chapels is registered to those chapels, it is possible to have another minister present for the ceremony and have participation with the minister for that chapel. In this situation, the ceremony would have two ministers presiding. The minister registered for the chapel must be present and must sign the register.

Can same sex marriages occur in your chapels?
The Methodist Church of Great Britain offers same sex marriages in some churches. In the Shrewsbury area, Bayston Hill, Belle Vue and Greenfields Methodist Churches are registered to provide same sex marriages. Those churches also offer blessings on existing legal marriages or blessings on conversions from civil partnerships to marriage.

FUNERALS

If you have experienced a bereavement please accept our sincere condolances.

We do offer funerals in our chapel and work closely with funeral directors. We also offer funerals graveside and at the local crematorium. Please contact our minister for more information.