Baptisms, Weddings & Funerals

Baptisms

Want to to be baptised, or have your children baptised?  This normally takes place during the  Sunday morning service when we welcome you and your family who come to support you.  At Baptism you make a decision to start yourself or your child on a journey of faith. The church and the godparents support the family and the child in this decision. Our Minister will be delighted to discuss and answer any questions you might have before proceeding.

There is one baptism, which is recognized by all the mainstream Churches that baptize infants, including the Methodist Church and the Church of England.

Weddings

HMC is a place of worship formally registered for marriages by the registrar general. You will need to complete a notice of marriage. This is a legal requirement and can be done up to 12 months in advance of your ceremony date. Notices must be given at least 28 clear days in advance of your ceremony date. If not, a registrar will have to attend. Our Minister would be pleased to discuss and prepare arrangements to hold your marriage ceremony.

The Methodist Church is generally willing to marry people who have been divorced, while their previous spouse is still alive, as long as there are not major obvious reasons why it would be inappropriate to do so. People wanting to marry in church don’t have to be members of the church, but most ministers will ask them why they wish to marry in church. A church marriage is a solemn Christian ceremony, with prayers and Bible readings reflecting Christian understandings of what marriage is about. Whilst people wishing to marry in a Methodist church do not need to be church members, most ministers will look for a genuine desire on the part of a couple to take their marriage seriously along the lines set out in the service. Discussing what this means in practice will be part of the marriage preparation.

Funerals

 Most people will use the services of a local funeral director, who will provide advice and organise all the practical arrangements. If you would like a funeral to involve the church and a local minister it is a good idea to find out if they are available before booking the time and date of the service.

The person who has died may have left details of the sort of funeral that they hoped for. Our Minister and the Church members will want to support families in keeping to such arrangements as much as possible and in making the service a personal and appropriate occasion. it is becoming increasingly common to hold a Thanksgiving Service after a private committal as an alternative.

Taking funerals is an important part of the minister’s work and he will take time to visit families, offering comfort and support before and after the funeral itself. In some cases a member of our pastoral team may be available to offer additional support.