Life Events

the font of st chads with stained glass windows behind

Life Events @ St Chad's

Christenings

Every new life is an opportunity to share in celebration and thanksgiving. We hope at St Chad’s to welcome you and your family to celebrate with us.

Everyone is welcome to have their children christened in their parish church. During the Christening service your baby will be baptized. There are around 10,000 babies and children baptized in the Church of England every month. We also welcome adults who want to be baptized, or perhaps re-affirm their faith.

Your child is precious to you and precious to God. At Baptism you make a decision to start your child on a journey of faith. The church and the godparents support the family and the child in this decision. Please see our contact details to make arrangements.

Maybe you were never baptised? It may be that you are thinking about this now, or want to consider more deeply what following Jesus means for you, come to church, or get in touch.

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two wedding rings sitting on a white cushion

Weddings & Marriages

You are very welcome to hold your wedding at St Chad’s - this will be your special day and we want to do all we can to help you have a wonderful day as you begin married life together. We meet with you to prepare both for your wedding service and for this most important time of your life.

Marriage at St Chad's is possible in three ways – if you live in the parish or you may be a regular at one of our services, or have strong link with the parish through family or work connections.

If one or both of you has been divorced then the minister will want to discuss with you how the previous marriage went wrong. We need to look at the needs and concerns of any children from a previous marriage or relationship.

If the marriage is possible here, you can be married under the same qualifying conditions as above. If one of you belongs to a faith that is not Christian we still are able to marry you at St Chad's but it will be the normal Christian service.

Come and talk to us, if a church service is not for you, we may be able to do a blessing in church after your civil ceremony. We do not charge for a blessing but just take up a collection, just as we do in a usual Sunday service.

Reading of banns may be required for those who reside in the parish, but are being married outside the parish. Please use our 'contact us' page for your enquiry.

New! Wedding Planner, with lots of help and information:

Have a look
Holy Bible on a wooden desk with old books and a key

Joining the Church - Confirmation

We hope that you may join us on our journey of faith, love and service.

Becoming a member of St Chad’s is open to all who regularly attend church or who live in the parish and wish to join the electoral roll. Confirmation classes run at various points during the year. No need to worry about membership costs; it is free!

We try to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, as in our Diocesan vision, called Run the race- look to Jesus

Locally we work to the ‘Eight qualities of Health Growing churches’- always glad to tell you more

Eight Qualities of a Healthy Growing Church

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Funerals

A funeral is used to mark the end of a person's life here on earth. Family and friends come together to express grief, give thanks for the life lived and commend the person into God's keeping. These can be a small, quiet ceremony or a larger occasion - St Chad's has room for up to 200 people. We always take time with you to make a service that is personal and proper. We hope to meet the needs of your family, whatever faith tradition you hold. Please use our contact us page for your enquiry, or ask the undertaker to contact the ministers.

Everyone is entitled to either a burial service or to have their ashes buried in their local parish churchyard [if available] by their local parish priest regardless of whether they attended church or not. We now have a Garden of Rememberance which was consecrated by the Bishop of Manchester in July 2016.

Remembrance Garden

Fees

Charges for weddings and funerals, searches of registers etc. are set out by the church. All monies go back to a central pot so that poor parishes are helped by the rich ones. See 2019 fees tables on the Church of England by clicking here to go to the website:

Your funeral undertaker can also advise about funeral fees.

There is no charge for Baptism or Confirmation.

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