Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich
Baptisms & Christenings
During a christening your child will be baptized with water. It’s the start of an amazing journey of faith for your child and a special day for all your friends and family. Follow the links to find answers to your questions and to explore all that a christening means, not just on the day but long afterwards.
Your child is precious to you and precious to God. You want the very best for them, and so does God. You want them to make right choices in life, for themselves and for others.
A christening is just the beginning of this and so much more.
Over the years to come, it’s a journey you’ll share together with your child by:
During a christening your child will be baptized with water. It’s the start of an amazing journey of faith for your child and a special day for all your friends and family. Follow the links to find answers to your questions and to explore all that a christening means, not just on the day but long afterwards.
Your child is precious to you and precious to God. You want the very best for them, and so does God. You want them to make right choices in life, for themselves and for others.
A christening is just the beginning of this and so much more.
Over the years to come, it’s a journey you’ll share together with your child by:
- Being there for your child to talk to about the bigger questions of life – questions about hope, faith and love.
- Praying for your child through the ups and downs of their faith journey.
- Showing them practically how to make those good choices in life.
- Helping them to learn more about their Christian faith, through their church and in other ways.
Weddings
Congratulations if you are just starting to think about a church wedding! We love to support people who wish to marry at St Matthew's which maybe your local church or the church that has connections with your family. A wedding is a celebration of your love and marriage is outgoing committment of love and support that you have for each other.
Today more than a quarter of all marriages in England between a man and a woman take place in the traditional setting of a Church of England church. You're welcome to marry in church whatever your beliefs, whether or not you are baptised and whether or not you go to church. Currently the Church of England is legally unable to provide a same sex marriage or blessing but can offer pastoral prayers of thanksgiving and love.
Congratulations if you are just starting to think about a church wedding! We love to support people who wish to marry at St Matthew's which maybe your local church or the church that has connections with your family. A wedding is a celebration of your love and marriage is outgoing committment of love and support that you have for each other.
Today more than a quarter of all marriages in England between a man and a woman take place in the traditional setting of a Church of England church. You're welcome to marry in church whatever your beliefs, whether or not you are baptised and whether or not you go to church. Currently the Church of England is legally unable to provide a same sex marriage or blessing but can offer pastoral prayers of thanksgiving and love.
Funerals
Funeral services in the Church of England follow a general format. This may be slightly adapted to fit in with the wishes of the family or deceased; ideas should be discussed with the priest.
GENERAL ORDER OF SERVICE Below is the outline of a standard Church of England funeral service:
The Welcome, also known as the Gathering: a few sentences of Scripture are read by the minister.
Introduction: the minister introduces the service. A hymn may then be sung.
Tribute: usually delivered by a member of the family or a friend, a tribute takes place if the sermon is to be separate.
Prayers: the minister leads a selection of prayers, ending with The Collect.
Readings: often delivered by a member of the family or a friend, there are usually two readings. One must be religious; the second may be a specially chosen piece of poetry or prose. The readings may be followed by a psalm.
The sermon: delivered by the minister. If there is not separate tribute earlier in the service, the sermon will have a personal theme.
Prayers: the minister leads a series of prayers, ending with The Lord's Prayer.
THE COMMITAL Burial: the family gather round the graveside and the priest will read the words of committal as the coffin is lowered into the ground. Handfuls of earth may then be scattered over the coffin.
Cremation: the committal may take place in a church before the hearse departs or in a crematorium chapel. The words are read as either the curtains close or as the coffin slowly moves away.
Funeral services in the Church of England follow a general format. This may be slightly adapted to fit in with the wishes of the family or deceased; ideas should be discussed with the priest.
GENERAL ORDER OF SERVICE Below is the outline of a standard Church of England funeral service:
The Welcome, also known as the Gathering: a few sentences of Scripture are read by the minister.
Introduction: the minister introduces the service. A hymn may then be sung.
Tribute: usually delivered by a member of the family or a friend, a tribute takes place if the sermon is to be separate.
Prayers: the minister leads a selection of prayers, ending with The Collect.
Readings: often delivered by a member of the family or a friend, there are usually two readings. One must be religious; the second may be a specially chosen piece of poetry or prose. The readings may be followed by a psalm.
The sermon: delivered by the minister. If there is not separate tribute earlier in the service, the sermon will have a personal theme.
Prayers: the minister leads a series of prayers, ending with The Lord's Prayer.
THE COMMITAL Burial: the family gather round the graveside and the priest will read the words of committal as the coffin is lowered into the ground. Handfuls of earth may then be scattered over the coffin.
Cremation: the committal may take place in a church before the hearse departs or in a crematorium chapel. The words are read as either the curtains close or as the coffin slowly moves away.