Planning a Wedding
Congratulations!
A wedding is a very special day in anyone’s life and we love to work with couples to make their day memorable, holy, joyful and personal. If you are considering marrying in our benefice (St John’s Hartley Wintney, St Mary’s Winchfield and All Saints’ Dogmersfield), please contact the Church Office at the earliest opportunity – and come along to worship with us on a Sunday morning where you can meet our clergy and congregations who will be thrilled to welcome you. We hope you feel very welcome here – it’s YOUR church! We also encourage you to look at the Church of England’s wedding website here – it’s got lots of resources and help in planning your wedding.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Benefice Office at St John’s via the link below. If you’re thinking about getting married in one of our churches, why not have a look at some of the rules and common questions about getting married in a church…
Planning a Baptism
First steps on an amazing journey
The arrival of a child in a family, by birth or adoption, is usually a time of great celebration. Many parents seek Christening for their child. During a Christening (Baptism), your child will be baptised and will be adopted into God’s family, the church. In the service we will pray for the child and for the parents and Godparents that they will bring the child up to know and to love God through Jesus. Baptism is so special that it can only be done once in a lifetime.
So that parents can make a positive decision to baptise their child, fully understanding the commitment to God and the Church involved, we ask all families to:
* meet with one of our clergy to discuss your hopes for the Christening – this can normally be conducted in your home.
* attend one of our church services for a minimum of six weeks.
* attend a Baptism preparation evening with other families.
During the baptism preparation evening, we explain the church’s teaching on Baptism, and talk about the practical arrangements for Baptism here. At the end of the evening, if you want to, you can book a date for the Baptism. A child can be baptised in our benefice if you live here or if there is a strong connection with this Benefice, but this will need to be agreed by clergy. All our baptisms are conducted as part of our regular Sunday services.
Some families decide that Baptism is not right for them and for their child but nonetheless want to celebrate the arrival of a child in their family and ask for God’s blessing on them. In that case, we are pleased to offer a service of Thanksgiving for the Gift of the Child which also happens as part of our regular Sunday services. We cover this possibility in our preparation meetings.
To arrange for a meeting with one of our clergy, please email the Benefice Office via the link below. Also below… for lots of helpful information about Baptism, visit the Church of England’s Christenings website .
Planning a Funeral
With you every step of the way
We’ll always be here to help you through one of life’s most difficult times. A Church of England funeral is available to everyone, giving support before, during and after the service, for as long as it’s needed. You can request a funeral for your loved one in one of our church buildings, or our clergy can conduct a service for you at the cemetery or crematorium.
The funeral director will usually liaise with us in making the practical arrangements for the service itself and our clergy will meet with the family to plan the content of the service in terms of music, readings, hymns, tributes, etc. Each funeral is as unique as the person who has died, but Christian funerals have the common theme of hope running through them. If the service is at church, our organist will be pleased to play. At St John’s, it may also be possible for you to book one of our halls for a reception afterwards.
St John’s does not have a churchyard of its own but burials can be arranged in the nearby parish council cemetery through your funeral director. St Mary’s and All Saints’ have churchyards where burials and interment of ashes can be conducted. Clergy are happy to meet with you to help you to plan your own funeral, so that your family can be sure they are following your wishes. Please contact us if you’d like to discuss this.
There is lots of helpful information and resources about planning a funeral on the Church of England’s funeral website via the link below.