Baptisms & Thanksgivings

We welcome families who wish to bring their children to be baptised. A first step would be to attend a church service and introduce yourself, or to contact the Rector directly as well.

We will help you to understand what baptism means. In it you make a commitment to Christ and to the nurture of your child in the Christian faith. As a church we promise to provide for your child to grow as part of the church.

If all you wish to do is to express your gratitude to God for the gift of a child then an alternative to baptism would be a service of Thanksgiving.

Baptisms are usually held during a main Sunday morning service at 11am.

General information about baptism in the Church of England may be found here.

Weddings

If you are planning to get married the best way to do so is in church in the presence of God. To say your vows "in the sight of God" concentrates the mind on the seriousness of the commitment and expresses your need for the strength and help of God in your marriage.

You are eligible to be married in St Peter's or St John's if either of you are resident in the parish or one of you is a member of the electoral roll of either church, and neither of you is divorced. For non-residents to join the electoral roll it is necessary to have attended worship regularly for at least six months.

If you are divorced it may still possible to be married in church at the discretion of the local priest, depending on the particular circumstances.

Contact the Rector as a first step in your wedding plans. For general information on marriage in the Church of England look here.

Confirmations

Young people may be prepared for confirmation at any age from school year 6 and upwards. This is normally done in a group each year or every other year, which meets weekly on a Sunday evening for about 8 weeks. On the last two occasions the confirmations have taken place in Chester Cathedral on Easter Eve.

Adults may be confirmed at any age, and preparation for this may be done individually or in a group.

Contact the Rector with any enquiries about confirmation.

For general information about confirmation in the Church of England look here.

Funerals

It is natural to wish to mark the close of a life on earth with some form of ceremony where the deceased is remembered with thanks and where there is mourning for the loss of a loved one. The church provides this in the context of the worship of God, and the declaration of the hope of the resurrection through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If you need to arrange a funeral service the first step is normally to contact a funeral director. They will liaise with the Rector to make plans suitable for all concerned. You will need to decide whether you want a service in church, and whether it should be a burial or cremation. The Rector will visit you to discuss the arrangements for the service in detail, taking into account your wishes as far as possible.

Churchyards

Both St John's (right) and St Peter's (left) have the benefit of an attractive churchyard with space for many years of future burials or interment of cremated remains. Any residents of the parishes have the right to burial in the churchyard. It may be possible also in other circumstances, for example if there is an existing family grave with space, or there have been previous significant connections with the parishes.

The approval of the Rector must be obtained before placing a new memorial stone, or amending an existing one. This is normally obtained on your behalf by the stonemason. The diocesan regulations for churchyard memorials and the maintenance of graves may be found here.

The churchyards are maintained largely through the voluntary efforts or donations made by church members. Any contributions to this are gratefully received.