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Thank you for your interest in the service I am offering. I have enclosed my brochure which gives you the background and scope of my work and ministry. In this letter I hope I will be able to answer some of the questions you may have about baptisms and naming and blessing ceremonies in particular. It may be that you have experienced some difficulty in arranging a baptism or special service for your child or it may be that you would prefer the more personal setting of your home or another venue for the service. What I offer gives you complete choice about the venue and the content of the ceremony. WHAT I PROVIDE. Either a traditional baptism service using the holy oils, the sprinkling of water for the baptism and the giving of a candle to the one baptised. The service follows the usual form. The Godparents receive a special card and the one baptised a certificate of the baptism, which is also properly registered in the register which I will bring to show you. I bring a cross and candlesticks, a silver font and all the necessary items. I normally wear my full vestments which are pictured on page two of my brochure. Or, if you would prefer, you may have some other form of ceremony which may be an adapted version of the above, although still incorporating all the essential elements or an alternative ceremony altogether to mark the birth and life of your child, like a blessing or dedication service. This can be religious or secular whichever is your preference. What matters is that your choice is of paramount importance. Every detail can be altered or adapted, whether it be the words of the service or what I wear or whatever. THE ARRANGEMENTS If you are interested in arranging a service then I would send out to you a letter giving you all the details, or I may have enclosed one already. Once the booking is confirmed, I send you a copy of the suggested service for you to consider. It may be that you are happy with it as it is, or you may wish to make changes which is fine. I have a number of alternatives which I could send if you are not happy with the first. On the day I bring copies of the service for the close family, which include all the names of those taking part on an attractive and personalised front cover, as well as response words for all the guests. THE COSTS The sacrament of baptism is free and no one is ever prevented from receiving baptism because of costs. It is helpful though because I receive no stipend, and because I offer a mobile ministry unlike many local ministers, if people can make a contribution towards my ministry and people normally ask what this should be in order to take their share in ensuring I can be available to offer the approach to ministry I do. After gaining an idea over the phone of what sort of service you have in mind and where, I prepare a letter for you which normally has two or three options of how I could go about the preparation. The simplest option because it involves less time and travelling, is for all the arrangements to be made by phone and letter and for me to attend for the service itself. The alternative options include either you making a preparatory visit to me, or me making a preparatory visit to you, as well as the service. The contribution towards my ministry which I ask for the simplest option in the South East ranges on average from about £248 to £368. I should stress that this is the average range, but some work out to be less and some more. The contribution depends on a range of factors including distance, time of year, day of week, the number of families involved and the number of children involved and where I have to be before and after the service. So each letter is individually worked out. I am happy for the contribution to be made by instalments, the full details of which are given in the letter. I am also flexible about these arrangements and always endeavor to help where I can if resources are low. However, let me reiterate again that the sacrament of baptism is free and I will always find a way of providing a service of baptism without any contribution whatsoever if this is what a family would like. For instance, this could happen if the family attend the Chapel of St Francis for the baptism. AFTER THE BAPTISM Many families are concerned that with schools providing fewer religious assemblies and spiritual experiences, their children are losing touch with their Christian heritage. For those families who are near enough to make it viable, I do offer a range of groups for children and families which are intended to help children and young people gain a basic understanding of their Christian faith, the Bible stories that underpin it, the prayers and worship which nourish it and the faithful men and women throughout the ages who have sought to live it. The groups can lead in time to your child's first Communion and Confirmation and becoming an adult member of Christ's Church. It may be that the experience of bringing your child to Baptism has also caused you to think about your own spiritual journey. You may have unanswered questions or your experiences of life may have prompted you to search again. You may wish to consider Confirmation or joining an Exploring Your Faith group. All the groups are free. The Parish of St Francis, for which I am responsible operates a Child Protection Policy and all Teachers are Police checked. Fuller details about all of this are available on the page in my Web dealing with the Parish. The fact that I have conducted the Baptism makes a lovely link if the family want their child to continue growing in the Christian Faith with someone who they know and can trust. There are also regular services of worship in the Chapel of St Francis that families are welcome to attend should they wish. For families that live too far away to be able to take advantage of the groups I offer, then I can provide information about what Christian groups are provided locally for your family and put you in touch with the relevant leaders. Having said all of this, there is no pressure to take up any of these offers. For families that live too far away to be able to take advantage of the groups I offer, then I can provide information about what Christian groups are provided locally for your family and put you in touch with the relevant leaders. GENERAL APPROACH It is of great importance to me that I offer a very personal and high quality service. I love people and regard it as a privilege to be able to share such an important part of their lives. I never try to persuade a person in any direction but fully respect and value the beliefs and values they hold. I have many letters of warm appreciation for my work which I am happy to show to you and many who have used my services in the past have contacted me again for other special occasions like a future baptism or naming and blessing or if there is a wedding or a funeral in the family, or if they need other help. My desire for the service is to create and provide a personal, sensitive and beautiful ceremony which will be remembered warmly among the family and friends. I take each service with warmth, skill, sincerity and care and to the very highest standards of delivery. I am only satisfied with my best. WHAT NOW? If you would like to have further details or would like me to send you a letter then please phone so that we can talk further, or you are more than welcome to arrange to come and visit me or for me to visit you.
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