What do we do?

1. We say "thank you"
The month before the Baptism takes place, there is a time of Thanksgiving within the 10.00am Sunday service when you and your child will be introduced to the congregation. This service provides the chance to give thanks to God for his gift of a child and to pray for your life together as a family. You will be given a book telling the story of Jesus, to help you and your child in your journey of faith.

2. We baptise your child
The Baptism service itself normally takes place within a 10.00am Sunday service, but can be arranged at a time more convenient for you. In the presence of wider family and friends, you and the godparents declare your faith in Jesus, and your child is baptised by being sprinkled with water in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

3. We welcome you
A couple of weeks after your child's baptism you are invited to join us at the 10.00am service for Reception, where your child is formally welcomed into the fellowship of faith as a member of the church.
You will be presented with a baptismal candle (a reminder of the light of Christ conquering the darkness of evil), and your child's Baptismal Certificate.

After Baptism
In Baptism your child joins the church, and begins a journey of faith. In Oadby today the only place your child will receive a proper grounding in the Christian faith is within the Church.
You can help in fulfilling the promises you made at your child's Baptism by bringing your child to Church. We promise to nurture your child's faith in our crèche and SundayClubs.
As your child gets older, you will find that we provide a range of "age appropriate" clubs and activities at St Paul's. Our aim throughout is to nurture the faith of your child that first found expression in Baptism, and to accompany you child on the journey of faith through life.

What happens if you ask for baptism?
You should receive a call in the next few days from the Vicar, arranging a date to meet you and to talk more about your Baptism enquiry. He will answer any questions you may have.
If you do wish to have your child baptised, the Vicar will tell you the available dates for the three stages: Thanksgiving, Baptism and Reception. There may be a gap of about 2-3 months from the date of your first enquiry to actual date of the Baptism.
We will keep in touch with you in the weeks approaching the Baptism. Shortly before the event, the Vicar or another member of St Paul's will contact you to sort out further details.
On the day of the Baptism, there will be lots of chances for friends and family to take photographs afterwards. We want this to be a memorable occasion for you and your guests.
We will also send your child a card every year for the next four years on the anniversary of the Baptism, and we will keep you informed of any family events at the Church.

Your children and St Paul's

Sundays at 10.00am
The Family and Parade Services are lively family-friendly services that take place on the first Sunday of the month and last just under an hour.
At all other Sunday services the children start with the congregation in Church before going to their SundayClubs in the annexe.
During every Service, there is a crèche for babies and young children. Toilets and a baby changing facilities are also available.

During the week
"Teddies", an activity for toddlers, parents and carers, meets on Wednesdays at 1.45pm at St Paul's. We start with a short time of child-friendly worship, which is followed by drinks, craft and play activities.