St John's is your church here in Farsley and never is that more true than for significant occasions in your life.

We are here to help you plan celebrations including baptisms and christenings, or your wedding. We can also help in difficult times when you are planning a funeral to mark the death of someone special.

Planning a baptism

Whether you are just exploring the possibility of having your child baptised at St John's, or whether you have already decided it is what you want, we will be delighted to hear from you to talk more about the service and hopefully start making plans for it to happen.

A baptism, or christening as it is often called, is the start of an amazing journey with God for a child, their parents, godparents, friends and family. It's often one of the most joyful celebrations we host at St John's and we are here to help you to take this important step.

It is a service which symbolises how precious your child is to you and how precious they are to God too, with parents and godparents promising to bring the child up to follow Jesus:

To qualify for a baptism at St John's you must live in the parish of Farsley and Rodley, or attend the church regularly (at least once a month for six months or weekly for six weeks). We suggest joining us for one of the following Sunday services:

• 9:30am ABC Church - a lively and informal service that's perfect for Adults with Babies and Children. It lasts around half an hour with bible readings and songs that the children will really enjoy.
• 10:30am Family Worship - worship for people of all ages, especially families, lasting an hour, which often includes a Sunday School.

Adults can also be baptised and we offer the option of a service where you are fully immersed in a large pool of water, symbolic of the way Jesus was baptised in the River Jordan.

Baptisms often taken place within our regular 10:30am Family Worship service or in a separate service around lunchtime on a Sunday. There is no charge for a baptism service but donations to St John's are always very welcome.

Find out more about organising a baptism on our website.

A Service of Confirmation

Confirmation is a special church service in which a person confirms the promises that were made when they were baptised. If you were baptised at a christening when you were a child, your parents and godparents made these promises on your behalf. As a young person or adult, you may be ready to affirm these promises for yourself and commit your life to following Jesus Christ.

Confirmation services are always led by the area's bishop. At St John's that is usually the Bishop of Kirkstall, the Rt Rev Arun Arora. He will arrange several services during the year and people will usually travel to a different church for that service to take place.

During the service the Bishop will lay his hands on the heads of those people bring confirmed and say "Confirm, O Lord, your servant with your Holy Spirit" to give you the strength and commitment to live God’s way for the rest of your life.

If you would like to be confirmed, find out more about confirmation on our wesbite.

Your church wedding

Congratulations! If you are engaged and starting to plan your big day, we would be delighted to help you plan your wedding at St John's here in Farsley.

There is something unique and special about getting married in church. It is more than just a beautiful venue for you to make your wedding vows. It also adds a spiritual dimension to your ceremony. The prayers, promises and the whole service of celebration become part of your marriage, on the day itself and beyond.

It is both a privilege and a duty for your vicar to join a man and a woman in marriage. You can marry in church regardless of your beliefs, whether or not you are christened and whether or not you have been a regular churchgoer.

Most church marriages will require banns to be published, including being read aloud in church, before the wedding can take place. This is where your intention to marry is announced in public and gives anyone with a legal objection to the ceremony time to declare it. You cannot be married without a Banns Certificate if you live outside the Parish of St. John's. We also need to see proof of your identity (usually a passport) before booking your wedding. 

There is a legal fee for marrying in church which is the same all over the country. This wedding fee includes the cost of the vicar, the church, calling your banns, the marriage certificate, heating, lighting and all administration. It also includes some optional costs for having a church organist play at your service and having a verger who will set up the church making sure it is clean, tidy and warm and can give out your service sheets.

Find out more about organising a wedding on our website, including how to book your date.

Planning a funeral

If someone you know and love has died, we would like to offer you our heartfelt condolences and let you know that we are here to do what we can to help you through one of life's most difficult times.

A funeral, led by a Church of England minister, is available to everyone either in church, in a churchyard, by a graveside, or at a crematorium. Our vicar would be available to help you every step of the way with support before, during and after the service, for as long as it’s needed.

Each person is unique – in personality and in life experience. Our funeral services allow you to give thanks for the unique person you knew and loved in a way that gives comfort and hope. We can help you personalise the service to include readings, poems, and music to make it just right for your loved one.

As Christians we believe that when we die, God promises that we will be with him in a place where death and pain are gone forever. Although we can’t see the person we love anymore, we believe that through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we will see that person again. It might be in a very different form, in a very different way, but that is the Christian hope, and that is the message we hope people take away from a funeral in church.

We are used to working with all the local funeral directors to make sure the service is exactly what you hope for. Just ask them to get in touch with us on your behalf. If you prefer you can call our Parish Office on 0113 256 6878 or email our vicar, Rev Nathanael Poole on [email protected] to begin making arrangements.