During the christening you or your child will be baptised.  It’s the first step of an amazing journey with God, parents, godparents, friends, family, and the church.  You don’t have to be baptised yourself to have your child baptised, and you don’t have to be a regular churchgoer. We welcome all who live in one of the parishes of the Berkeley Benefice or regularly attend one of our churches.

Getting baptised in the Berkeley Benefice
To book a baptism or thanksgiving, all you need to do is contact Rev Steve for an Application for Baptism form (01453 810294 or [email protected]).

Once you've completed and returned this form, you'll need to attend one of our regular Baptism & Thanksgiving preparation gatherings for parents, grandparents and godparents. These are held in St Mary's, Berkeley, are informal, and last about an hour. In 2025 these are being held on Sunday 19th January, Sunday 27th April and Sunday 21st September at 2.30pm. It is at these events where we book and confirm the date for your baptism.

For regular churchgoers we conduct baptisms in the service they usually attend. For those who don't regularly attend or are thinking about starting to join us in worship, we hold baptisms in one of our afternoon christening services, which are usually at 2.30pm on the third and fourth Sunday of each month.

What if I don't live in the Berkeley Benefice?
We firmly believe that, as baptism is the start of a journey of faith, it is best to take place in a church where you live. If, however, you feel that you have an established connection with one of our parishes, do contact the Priest in Charge. On occasion we may suggest that it is more appropriate for you approach your local church.

There is no limit on the age for Baptism (adults are baptised) and we are pleased to baptise children older than babies. We do not insist on your attending a service before the day but we strongly recommend that you attend one ordinary service beforehand. There is no fee for baptism, however, if you would like to make a donation to our ministry to the local communities, we would be grateful.

For more information or to apply for baptism, please contact the Priest in Charge, Rev'd Steve Godsell [email protected] or 01453 810294