Life events
Please speak to a member of our clergy team if you want to know more about any of these life events. Know that you are welcome here and we are committed to working with you to create the right service for you.
Baptism and Confirmation
Baptism and Confirmation are sacred signs through which we affirm our desire to grow into the fullness of life to which God calls us.
Baptism is the first step into the Christian Church, and people can be baptised as infant or adults.
Confirmation is a subsequent service for teenagers and adults. It is an opportunity to grow in faith and confirm the promises that have been made on their behalf if they were baptised as children, or to develop a relationship with a particular church denomination, such as the Church of England.
Weddings
The Christian faith is about living a life in the fullness of love, and this is the foundation upon which your wedding will be celebrated. The Good Shepherd is a wonderful place to get married – an intimate church space with fabulous light and a unique location alongside the beach.
We can offer a marriage service to people who live within our parish boundaries or have a ‘qualifying connection’ to the church, which may be historical (for example, your parents were married here) or built up by regular attendance at our services for at least 6 consecutive months.
Celebrating LGBT+ Relationships
We are pleased to be able to offer the Church of England’s new commended prayers of thanksgiving and blessing for same sex couples in committed relationships. These can take place during one of our regular services. The Church of England is in discussion about the introduction of future ‘stand-alone’, services. We look forward to this possibility.
Funerals and Memorials
Our Christian faith tells us that ‘love is stronger than death’ and that there is more beyond this present time and earthly reality.
We hold on to this, amid the sorrow of grief, and stand with you as we shape a funeral or memorial service together. Services can be held in church, and our ministers also conduct services at local crematorium or funeral chapels. We can offer follow-up bereavement support if wanted.