Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals
Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals are the 'Occasional Offices' of the Church of England. They are services which are offered to every person living in the Parish. The Vicar or a member of the team will be in contact to arrange a meeting where you can put together a service which fits you and your circumstances.
It is our privilege to accompany you through these most important moments in life, and with many years of experience we are able to help you prepare well and thoughtfully for the day and life afterwards.
Baptisms
Congratulations on the arrival of your baby! We are delighted that you are thinking of having your little one christened. In the Christening service the baptism of the baby takes place, surrounded by family and friends, in the presence of God and his people. Baptism is the first step on the road of Christian Faith and is a service of celebration and welcome into the family of God.
Every family will be asked to complete a Saturday morning informal preparation session, to which God parents are also invited. Visit the Church of England website to find out more about Baptisms, and get in touch with the vicar to find our more.
Weddings
We are delighted to be able to welcome you to celebrate your marriage in a service at St. Anne's. We have a church building that seats just 80 people, so it is perfect for a small and intimate gathering. Our team offer wedding preparation to enable you to plan your perfect day and to think through 'life after the wedding'.
Visit the Church of England website to find out more about Weddings and contact the vicar to find out more.
We also read banns for those who are living in the parish and are marrying in a church elsewhere.
Please contact the vicar for more details.
Funerals
"A funeral marks the close of a human life on earth. It is an opportunity for friends and family to express their grief, to give thanks for the life which has now completed its journey in this world and to commend the person into God's keeping."
The funeral service of the Church of England can be many things. It can be a short service, quiet, dignified, with a small family gathering. It can be a great celebration of a life well lived, or it could be an occasion of great solemnity with music, hymns and a packed church. Clergy from St. Anne's and St. Peter's conduct services both at the Church, and at local crematoriums, working closely with bereaved families to make funerals as appropriate as possible. In each service there will be time for tributes, hymns, prayers, poems, a reading from the Bible and an address bringing comfort and hope to those in mourning.
In addition we provide follow-up care with the offer of a visit from our Pastoral Care Team and an annual Memorial Service held in November for those who have been bereaved at any time in their lives. Many people find this helpful.
Visit the Church of England website to find out more about Funerals and click here to get in contact with a member of the team.
Grave Talk
From time to time we arrange evenings hosted in church or elsewhere to give an opportunity to get together over a cup of coffee or tea and some cake and to talk about that most taboo of subjects... Death.
We would all rather think about life and how to live it, but sometimes it is important that we consider how to approach well the end of life . This Thursday will be a great opportunity to talk about what we think happens at the end of life, to discover together, from each other's experience, how to manage some practical aspects of preparing for the end, and to listen to each other as we tackle the big questions we have around the subject.
The format of the evening is informal. There is no presentation and no expectation that you will take part - just come and enjoy the company, we would love to see you and anyone you would like to invite.