At the Waltham Group of churches we welcome all children of parents who wish their children to be baptised (christened) and adults who want to make that transformative decision to follow Christ and be part of the Christian faith and family. To arrange for a baptism, or a service of Thanksgiving for the Birth of a Child, please contact Reverend Rachel Fowler on 07508274626.

Alternatively ring 01472 281424 and leave a message.

On the day

Baptisms normal take place within the morning service. Always ask for further information. Please follow the link for further information on the Church of England website https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/christenings

Choosing Godparents

Godparents make promises to help raise a child in faith — to pray for their godchildren, and to help them get to know God. Therefore, Godparents must be baptised. On the booking form we will ask you to tell us when and where the Godparents were baptised.

If there are people you want to include in your child’s life who are not baptised, or who cannot make baptismal promises in good faith, we can find other ways to include them on the day, without asking them to say things they don’t mean. Most baptisms have a mix of true Godparents, and other Special Adults in the children’s life.

Sometimes, an adult starts thinking about baptism because they have been asked to be a godparent, and want to take the job seriously. If one of your potential godparents is not yet baptised, but would like to consider being so, please get in touch. We can easily prepare the adult for baptism, and baptise both adult and child on the same day.

Application Baptismal form

Confirmations

Confirmation is a special church service in which a person confirms the promises that were made when they were baptized. If you were baptized at a christening when you were a child, your parents and godparents made these promises on your behalf. As a young person or adult, you may be ready to affirm these promises for yourself and commit your life to following Jesus Christ. At a confirmation service, you make these promises for yourself. Your friends and family as well as the local Christian community will be there to promise to support and pray for you.  

The local bishop will lay their hands on your head and ask God’s Holy Spirit to give you the strength and commitment to live God’s way for the rest of your life.

Andrew Watson’s Statement:

My name is Andrew and this is my journey to confirmation.

Although I have always believed in God, through the life of his son, Jesus Christ. I have not always looked to God, even though I had been baptised as an infant by my parents. There were many years that I had turned away from God. It was not that I believed that I could live my life on my own, I guess it was that I did not make space for God and Jesus in my life. At times, I was embarrassed to proclaim that I was a Christian, and at other times, I just did not physically make time or space of God and Jesus in my life.

There have been times, like many others, both believers and non – believers, that I looked to God for assistance and help. There were also times when I would attend a church, but did not feel God and Jesus around me. I felt that the person at the front of the room was just speaking ‘empty words’ that did not mean anything to me, or resonated with me in any way.

Many years ago, when I was serving in the British Army. I was stationed in the Falkland Islands for four months, and during that time, I felt drawn to God through his son, Jesus and I asked God to come into my life and I became a ‘born again’ Christian. There was not any formal church service, but just myself and a member of the Mission for Military Garrisons, that led me in prayer. However, on my return to the UK, my life became busy and I did not make time or space for God and Jesus in my life. Again, it was not a turning away from God, but more of allowing myself to become consumed by the everyday world and I let myself lose sight of God.

In 2024, I started to feel the strongest, what I can only describe as a ‘Draw’ or ‘Pull’. It was not like anything I had ever felt before, it was like something, or someone, was calling to me, attempting to get my attention almost. I spoke to my wife about what I was feeling and experiencing and we agreed to attend a local church. The first time I stepped into All Saints church, Waltham, to attend a service, it felt like I had ‘come home’. Almost as if God had drawn me to that church, at that time, to be at that service. I knew straight away that this is place that I am supposed to be and where I could take confirmation and receive the Holy Spirit. I am ready to follow the path that God has planned for me. 

I feel such pride, yet, humility at the same time, to be stood before you today, to take confirmation and make a promise to live in God’s light and follow the path that he has laid out for me.

Debra Watson’s Statement:

Hello my name is Debra, and I am Sixty years young.

What follows is a little bit about my journey to God.

I remember as a young child of 11 years, seeking out the local priest with my friend 

Asking whether I could be baptised basically in my eagerness there and then.

Of course the priest shewed us away as he appeared to think we were sent to prank him. As we had never seen the priest before and we were unknown to him. So he of course couldn’t just baptise us without speaking to our parents. So, once I was home I told my mum off my declaration to the priest, to which she said ‘Umm, maybe’. 

Well, it took many, many years 49 to be precise, to be standing before you in God’s house and I am so happy and thankful to be here. I knew from the moment I entered Waltham, All Saints church and sat in quiet contemplation this was what was missing in my life. The Christian family that I longed to be part of.

I don’t know why it took me so long to come to God, because I have always believed in god and tried to live a good life. In times of happiness and sorrow, I have always prayed to God and felt God was listening. This has always brought me a lot of comfort over the years.

As the years have passed by, my wish to be baptised and confirmed has become ever present. I want god my creator to know that I trust him in every part of my life. I read psalms 25, 4-5 not long ago and felt those words so deeply.

I trust in god to ‘4. Show me the right path, O Lord, point out the road for me to follow. 5. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.’ (Psalms 25 4-5).

Reverend Pauline has been so inspirational over these last few weeks and so welcoming to myself my husband, and my family. My granddaughter was recently baptised by Reverend Pauline

And I am so very pleased to be getting baptised and confirmed along with my husband, the week after our granddaughter, Francesca’s, baptism, in the same church. I truly feel that God has a plan for my life, just as he tells us in the bible, and I am truly ready to know Jesus as our lord and saviour, and I am looking forward to God’s plan for my life unfolding.