Life Events
We are always thrilled and honoured when we are chosen to be a part of your special life event. We appreciate how important this event is to you, and pride ourselves on providing a personal service no matter the occasion. We are able to talk you through every step of the process, and guide you to help you achieve your perfect event.
You can find out more information about the process and the services we provide below.
Alternatively, you can contact us to arrange an informal chat and we will happily discuss your requirements with you.
Baptisms
Baptism was often treated as a sort of birth rite within a Christian society, but now Christians are rediscovering the richness of baptism, seeing it as both God’s gift and our human response to that gift. It symbolizes the beginning of a new relationship with God through faith in Christ, and assumes the candidate will want to grow in their Christian faith. Parents presenting children for baptism, and adult candidates, will be encouraged to commit to attending church regularly to help them grow in faith.
The first step when considering Baptism is to contact us for an informal chat with the vicar. During this chat we will discuss the details of the ceremony and organise a date for the Baptism to take place.
Some points to consider:
We usually hold Baptisms during our usual weekly Sunday worship services, so our whole congregation can celebrate in welcoming you to our Church and make a promise to support you in following the Christian faith. We also recommend you allow at least 4 weeks prior to the ceremony to ensure you are fully prepared.
Before the ceremony you will need to select Godparents. We suggest a minimum of three people, of mixed genders. The role of a Godparent is an important one; They, along with you, will be responsible for your child's spiritual welfare, so you should think carefully about who you want to take on this role.
We also recommend that you and your chosen Godparents join us for our weekly worship services prior to the ceremony, if you don't already. This is so you can get to know our congregation and be sure that St John's is the right fit for you & your family. Our followers will also be making a promise to support you & your family in your following of Jesus, so us getting to know each other ensures your day is all the more special.
During the service, you and your chosen godparents will be asked a few questions and to declare your Christian faith before God and in front of the congregation. This is also a promise to help raise your child to follow Jesus. It is important that you think seriously about whether you feel ready to make these promises. During our preparations we will show you the questions, explain what they mean, and will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Baptism marks one of the most important stages in a person's life, no matter the age they make this commitment to follow God, and we are dedicated to supporting anyone taking this solemn vow in any way we can.
Weddings
Firstly, if you are thinking of getting married at St John’s we would like to offer you our congratulations. A Wedding is one of life’s great moments, a time of solemn commitment as well as great joy. Marriage continues to enrich society and strengthen community. On their wedding day the bride and groom face each other, make their promises and receive God’s blessing for their new life together. Weddings are an important part of the life of our Parish and one of the varied ways in which we try to serve God and the community.
In supporting wedding couples, we help them plan the service and offer guidance throughout. The first step is to contact us for an informal chat with the vicar. During this we will discuss the details of the ceremony and organise a date. We will always do our best to honour the date you desire, but cannot always guarantee this due to other commitments. Therefore the earlier you inform us of your desired the date the better, as this will greatly improve our ability to honour your required date.
Before any wedding can take place there is a legal obligation to announce your intention to marry, which is known as 'The reading of the banns'. This is a legal requirement, and is a chance for anyone to formally announce any reason why the marriage may not lawfully take place. The reading of the banns must be announced in the church parish where each of the participants reside as well as the church which you intend to be married, and must be carried out at least 3 times within 3 months of the intended wedding date. As this is a vital, legal requirement it is important you consider this when considering your desired wedding date.
In the months leading up to the big day the vicar will meet with you as often as is required to discuss the details of the ceremony, to ensure the occasion is uniquely yours. This will include discussions around any music or hymns you would like, which Bible or personal readings you would like and who will be responsible for these, what vows you would like to declare, how you would like the church to be decorated and any other special requirements you may have. We will always do our utmost to meet your requirements and ensure you have the most memorable, special day as possible.
The scale & size of your wedding and the amount of people involved is entirely your choice and personal to each couple; There is no legal requirement to have a maid-of-honour, best man, or ushers, for example. However it is a legal requirement for your marriage to be witnessed by two individuals. They will be required sign the marriage schedule and serve as proof that the ceremony was performed legally and is therefore an essential, important role in your ceremony. Due to this it is advised you consider your choice of witnesses carefully, to ensure they fully understand the legal implications of their role.
During the ceremony you will exchange vows, which are words of commitment to a shared life made in front of your friends, family and God, that define & declare you as 'married'. During a Church wedding these words cannot be changed for legal reasons and so must be read in full as written, however it is possible to personalise these vows by including additions or separate readings throughout the ceremony. Yor vicar will be happy to advise you on how best to incorporate any special requirements you may have.
A few days prior to the ceremony you will be invited to take part in an informal rehearsal of the wedding ceremony. This provides you with unpressured time to go through the service allowing all involved a chance to familiarise themselves with their responsibilities, the space and their roles, what to expect on the big day, and the opportunity to ask any questions they may have. We suggest any significant member of the wedding party attend this rehearsal to ensure the ceremony proceeds as smoothly as possible.
We appreciate how important how special this occasion is to you, and so will always endeavour to do our best to accomodate any requirements you may have. This includes facilitating any photographers, videographers, musicians, or any other professional service you may want involved. However our primary purpose and concern is to ensure your wedding takes place honouring and following the intentions declared by God and follows all legal requirements. Therefore we suggest you make us aware of any additional professionals taking part in your ceremony with as much notice as possible, and include them in the planning of practilaties, to ensure complete satisfaction.
Marriage is one of the most important and serious decisions one can make in life, as it marks the sealing of your commitment to love & honour one another in front of the eyes of your loved ones and God. As such we are devoted to fully supporting anyone desiring St John's Church as their chosen wedding venue.
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. Ministers from St John’s Church are available to conduct funerals either in church, at a Crematorium or cemetery. We endeavour to meet all requests to conduct funerals where the deceased resided in the parish, or where a close relative of the deceased lives in the parish.
It is our privilege to accompany those who are experiencing a difficult time of loss and we seek to offer as much support as we can at this difficult time of need.
In most cases, a funeral director will offer those who live in the Parish a service in either St. John’s Church, at Mintlyn Crematorium or at the graveside. The funeral is then conducted by the clergy or a licensed reader. We also welcome those faced with organising a funeral to contact us directly, where upon we will offer advice and guidance on the proper process.
Sometimes a family wishes to hold a service in the church and then have the committal at the crematorium or cemetery. In such situations the funeral director will act as the liaison between yourselves and us, and will arrange a meeting between all relevant parties to discuss the details of the service. In each case we always endeavour to seek to meet the family’s requests as far as possible, and to offer comfort and help throughout the difficult process.
We are acutely aware of how difficult and overwhelming the sensitive process of organising a funeral can be, and can assure you we will always be available to provide all our guidance and support, both practical & emotional, through every step of the journey.