Often people want to feel some sense of God as they mark and celebrate key moments of life – such as birth and marriage – and when they want to reflect on the loss of a loved one.
If you’re a member of the clergy or a Licensed Lay Minister, policies and documents about conducting these services are available in the clergy guides section of the website.
Click on the sections below to find out more about each type of event.
In the Anglican Church it is common to baptise young children; this is sometimes known as Christening.
Baptism is a ‘sacrament’, a holy ritual to symbolise grace, in the Christian tradition that is traced back to Jesus himself being baptized in the river Jordan.
Speak to your parish priest or chaplain if you are considering baptism or would like to arrange a Christening for your child.
More detailed information about Christening and baptism is available on the Church of England website.
If you’re a member of the clergy or a Licensed Lay Minister, policies and documents about conducting these services are available in the clergy guides section of this website.
A wedding ceremony marks the start of a marriage.
You are welcome to marry in the Church of England whether or not you are christened and regardless of whether you go to church. It’s your church, and we welcome you!
For such a special day, you will want a special place. A church is so much more than a wedding venue. God will be there with you to bless you – on the day and always. It’s a spiritual, personal and beautiful ceremony, a place where people will pray for you, before, during and after the big day.
You’ll find everything you need to plan your church wedding, from the legal aspects of marriage to a ceremony planner, and many frequently asked questions on the Church of England wedding website.
If you’re a member of the clergy or a Licensed Lay Minister, policies and documents about conducting these services are available on the clergy guides
Photo taken at St John’s Notting Hill, photographer Aga Tomaszek
“So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us.”
Confirmation marks the point in the Christian journey where those who have been baptised make a firm commitment to live and work as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop, the Church asks God to fill each candidate with the power of the Holy Spirit to live the life of a disciple. As followers of Jesus Christ we have been called to live for Him Monday to Sunday, through everything we think, say and do by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Find out more about Confirmation on the Church of England website, or visit our Confident Disciples page for free resources.
If you’re a member of the clergy or a Licensed Lay Minister, policies and documents about conducting these services are available on the clergy guides section of this website.
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 large occasion in a packed church.
Everyone is entitled to either a burial service (funeral) or to have their ashes buried in their local parish churchyard by their local parish priest regardless of whether they attended church or not. Speak to your local vicar for more information, or, if you do not know who your local vicar is put your postcode into the search box on A Church Near You to find your local Church of England church.
If the churchyard has been closed, then the Local Authority will provide alternative places of burial and the minister can carry out the service there instead of the church or crematorium.
Visit the Church of England website for information on planning a funeral and the funeral service, and for a selection of comforting psalms and prayers.
