A christening and a Thanksgiving is the first step of an amazing journey with God, parents, godparents, friends, family and the church.

A lifetime of discovering more about love, faith and hope begins - a wonderful moment to celebrate.

Christening and Thanksgiving Enquiry

Parents full name(s)

We need the FULL names of the parents of the child(ren) who is being christened.

Email

Please provide an email address that we can use to contact you.

Telephone

Please provide a telephone and/or mobile number we can contact you on.

Home address

Please provide your home address. If you live outside Market Harborough please provide the contact details for your local church.

Name and date of birth of child(ren)

Please submit this form again if you need space for more than 2 children.

Child's full name

Please provide us with the FULL name of your child.

Date of birth

Child's full name

Date of birth

Preferences

Let us know if you have a preferred church or timing for your christening.

Preferred church

If you have a preferred church please select from the list.

Message

If there is any other information you think would be helpful you can add it here.

Looking after your information

Your personal data is important, therefore we hold and use it only in accordance with the Data Privacy Notice of the Harborough Anglican Team. However, we do need your permission to use it and store it.

I consent to my information being stored and my contact details being used by the Harborough Anglican Team

Contacting us

We understand that when a family contact us to arrange a christening or Thanksgiving for their child it will not have been a decision taken lightly.

We very much value your contact with us. The first thing we need are your contact details and some basic information so that we can register your interest and put you in touch with one of our churches.

Making an enquiry

The button at the top of this page will take you to an enquiry form where you can provide us with some basic information. Please see our Data Privacy Notice for our policy on how we use your data.

WHAT HAPPENS AT A CHRISTENING BAPTISM?

At a christening your child will be baptised with water. This is the heart of your child's christening.

There are several special moments in the Baptism Service:

The vicar will pray for your child and for all those who will support them on their path of faith.
You and the godparents will make some important promises for your child in the service.
A special oil will be used to make the sign of the cross on your child’s forehead.
It’s a significant moment, which marks your child as belonging to God.
Water, which is blessed in the church’s font, will be poured over your child’s head by the vicar. This is your child’s baptism.
Everyone promises to continue supporting your child from this moment.
A candle will be given to you in the service when the vicar says, “Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God”.

FIRST STEPS

The Church of England christening website will tell you what you need to know about preparing for a family christening, choosing godparents and continuing the amazing journey of faith.

Christening Website

What happens at a Thanksgiving?

Some families decide that a baptism is not right for them and decide instead for a Thanksgiving Service.
It may be that the timing is not right for a christening or that the promises are not right for your family.

A Thanksgiving Service is does not include a baptism. It is still a special time and a wonderful way of gathering friends and family together to welcome and celebrate the gift of your child.

It involves thanking God for your child’s life, blessing your child by name, and expressing hope for your child’s future.

Continue browsing to find out about christenings and thanksgivings in one of the Church of England churches in Market Harborough.

Getting ready for a christening

The vicar of your church will invite you to come to a church service and meet with others to talk about your christening or thanksgiving and what it means for the whole family.

Getting ready involves thinking about faith and what it means to bring children up in a Christian family. This can raise questions and having someone you can talk things over with is often helpful.

Exploring Christianity

Choosing to have your child baptised is an important decision and we want to support you to explore the Christian faith and what it means to you and your family. As part of this faith journey we will invite you to a special Alpha Taster evening. As well as having an enjoyable evening out, you will also meet other people wanting to find out more about Christianity.

Planning a Christening

You will also be invited to a short, informal workshop with other families to explore the meaning of a Christenings and Thanksgivings, the promises that are made and what you need to do on the day. We find that families really appreciate this time and opportunity to get to know members of the church and other families on the same journey. This workshop will be completed before the Christening or Thanksgiving takes place.

Groups for under fives

Our toddler groups for carers with pre-school age children are also a good way to meet others and chat to people informally about the church and christenings. Meeting days and times of all the groups are on the Under Fives page.

Under fives

Alpha Tasters

Our Alpha Taster evenings include a meal and a chance for us to get to know each other in an informal setting.
We regularly run Alpha courses where you can explore life and the Christian faith in a friendly , open and informal way.

Find out about the next Alpha Course

Family Workshop

Our Workshop has been specially prepared for families getting ready for a service of baptism or thanksgiving for a child.

The Family Workshop is informal and helps us to support you in the important decision you have made. The workshop will be held on a Saturday morning and we welcome siblings and godparents to join you.

All families preparing for a baptism or thanksgiving will attend a workshop and choosing a date for your workshop will depend on the date of your service. Your vicar will talk to you about this.

Which church?

Which church is right for you and your family is often decided by a family’s previous church connections.

Families often have a church that they feel particularly connected to and we will do whatever we can to support you in this.

All our churches are available for baptisms and thanksgivings but only on certain dates and at certain times.

Your vicar will discuss with you the dates and times of your service so please be cautious when making any arrangements until dates have been confirmed.

Choosing a date

Whatever day or time you arrange to have the Christening it will be a very special day!

If the Christening takes place during a Sunday morning service, your child’s church family will be present, joining you and your guests in prayer and support for the amazing journey ahead.

If the christening takes place at one of our special Sunday 12.45pm Christening services, there may be other families also present and the service will focus entirely on the Christening.

Whichever type of service is arranged we plan for it to be a very special and meaningful occasion for you and your family and friends.

Coming to church

You are warmly invited to come to church whenever you can. We will keep in touch and let you know what is going on, particularly at special times of the year. Some of our services are described as All Age which means they are particularly suitable for families with children. Other services have spaces set aside for children to explore faith in a child friendly and fun way.

Church Services planned with families in mind

Faith in the home

There are lots of ways to bring faith into our homes and make this amazing journey with God as a family together. It’s not just about special times, but about the ordinary times of wonder, love and joy – and the times when things go wrong.

Find out more

Adult Baptism

Please contact a member of the clergy for more information about baptism for adults or older children.