Baptism & Confirmation 2026

Baptism and Confirmation for Adults

If you are exploring faith, returning after a long time away, or simply curious about the next step, you are warmly welcome at St Mary’s.

Baptism is the beginning of the Christian life: a turning towards Christ, being welcomed into the Church, and receiving God’s promise of grace.

Confirmation is a strengthening of that baptismal life: you renew the promises (or make them for the first time) and the bishop prays for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

You do not need to “have it all sorted” to begin. You only need an honest desire to explore. This page explains the next steps.

Who is this for?

This pathway is for adults who:

  • have never been baptised and want to explore Christianity

  • were baptised as a child but want to take ownership of faith as an adult

  • are baptised but not confirmed and feel ready for the next step

  • are not sure yet, but want a safe place to ask questions

  • What happens next?

  1. Application form

    Fill in the short form below so we can contact you and learn a little about what you are hoping for.

  2. Preparation course

    You will be invited to a friendly, no-pressure course. We cover the essentials of Christian faith, prayer, worship, and what baptism and confirmation actually mean in real life. There is space for questions, doubts, and conversation.

  3. A decision, at your pace

    At the end of the course, you do not have to go ahead. Some people choose baptism or confirmation, some choose to wait, and some simply take what they have learned as part of their journey. We will help you discern what is right for you.

Prayers for Discernment:

Deep Listening

God of silence and God of all sound,
help me to listen.
Help me to do the deep listening to the sounds of my soul,
waiting to hear your soft voice calling me deeper into you.
Give me attentive ears
that begin to separate the noise from the sounds that are you;
you who have been speaking to me
and through me my whole life,
for so long that you can seem like background noise.
Today help me hear you anew.

- Author Unknown

Help Me To Discern

Today, O God of all days,
give me an experience of your heart.
Draw me deep into your very being,
into the core of your love for me, others, and the world.
Give me a glimpse of others the way you see others:
loving them, forgiving them,
and delighting in the way they give glory to God
through their very existence.
Help me to discern out of that open place of deep affection
so that I too might be a useful vessel of your love in the world.

- Author Unknown