We are still allowed to hold Baptisms/Christenings and Weddings in our church buildings, however the maximum number of attendees is 30. We'd love to hear from you, even if you'd like to just have a chat!
Baptism/Christening
If you are interested in baptism for yourself or a child please speak to Vicar Becky, either on the phone or at a Sunday service. Baptisms of children are normally held on a Sunday during a morning service or at the later time of 12 noon. The service itself takes approximately 40 minutes.
Vicar Becky will ask for some information for the booking form and will arrange a home visit. There is also an option for a 'Thanksgiving Service for the Gift of a Child' which includes prayers and a special blessing to celebrate the birth of a new baby.
https://churchofenglandchristenings.org/
Thanksgiving Service for the Gift of a Child
You might decide now is not the right time for a christening, but you’d still like to say thank you to God for your child. You might also choose this service if you have adopted a child into your family and you’d like to celebrate their arrival. Vicar Becky is happy to talk to families for whom this might be an option.
Adult Christening/Baptism
Increasingly people haven't been christened when they were a child, but would like to make that faith commitment when they're older. This is more common than people often realise. Ideally you would be attending church services on a regular basis and we would then help you to understand a bit more about the Christian faith by inviting you to join a ‘one off’ preparation class. Please talk to Vicar Becky for more information.
What does it cost?
Please note we do not charge anything for christening/baptisms/Thanksgiving services, you and your guests may like to offer a donation to the Church which goes towards our expenses such as heat, light, insurance, copyright and admin costs to cover service costs.
Getting Married at St Nick's.
Whatever your circumstances, if you are interested in the possibility of being married at St Nick’s please get in touch.
You don't have to be baptised or worship regularly with us to be married at St Nick's, although you must be able to demonstrate a 'Qualifying Connection' such as you were christened at St Nick's or your parents were married at St Nick's or that you simply live within the parish boundaries. See 'A Church Near you' website for parish boundary info https://www.achurchnearyou.com/
St Nick's Church of course is adjacent to St Nick's Church Hall, so depending on Hall availability, you may be able to hire the Hall for your reception afterwards making logistics less complicated.
The Church itself is very light, visitors often comment that they hadn't realised just how light and spacious it feels inside the building. We have excellent sound and projection facilities in the Church, our acoustics are excellent and we are always pleased to welcome musicians and singers. We can also connect you to local BSL interpreters if you need interpreting assistance.
The Church of England has a useful website at www.yourchurchwedding.org with lots of detail about getting married in church. Certainly we will do all we can to ensure that your special day is personal, meaningful and joyful.
A marriage service will usually take around 50 minutes to an hour, depending on the number of hymns and readings. Your clergy officiant can guide you, at St Nick's we have a range of music on a Sunday morning anything from traditional hymns to modern contemporary worship songs and you may like to come along to a service to hear some new songs.
You will be invited to attend marriage preparation - depending on the number of couples getting married during the year this may be done in a group or offered on a one-to-one basis.
Many couples who were unsure of attending, find that our sessions enjoyable, informal and provide a precious opportunity in a time of busyness to spend some quality time with each other.
Parochial Fees for Weddings are set nationally by the Church of England's General Synod and are reviewed every year.
For 2020, the fee for a Marriage Service is £463.00. Publication of Banns: £31 and Certificate of Banns £14.
It will be necessary to have a Verger onsite which is £20.
You may wish to have an organist for which there is an additional charge of £75
If you get married between 1st October - 30th April please note there is an additional charge of £25 for heating.
Celebrating Special Anniversaries
We are also happy to help couples celebrate a special anniversary which might include a renewal of marriage vows and a blessing. This could be done in the main morning Sunday service or at another time in agreement with the Vicar. You may like to invite family and friends for a big celebration or have just one or two guests. The choice is yours!
There is no Parochial Fee for this service, however we might ask for local fees to be paid to those involved or a donation to the church depending on what is required.