Life Events
At Cotham Parish Church, we are honoured to walk with you through life’s significant moments, offering prayerful support, careful preparation, and a warm welcome to all. Whatever your story, we are here to celebrate, affirm and accompany you with God’s love at every stage of life. Get in touch with us to discuss.
Weddings and Banns of Marriage
We’re delighted you are thinking of a church wedding. Marriage celebrates the gift of God’s love shared by two people, and we rejoice to celebrate this gift with you and ask God’s blessing on your life together. We will support you through each stage in preparing for your big day, and beyond.
We can offer a marriage service to people who live within our parish boundaries and those who have a ‘qualifying connection’ (for example, your parents were married here or you lived here in the past) You can also establish a ‘qualifying connection’ by regular attendance at our services for at least 6 months. The qualifying rules can be complicated, so we’d recommend that you contact us early on in your wedding planning to avoid any confusion.
We will meet with you initially to discuss the practical details, including a date for your wedding and the qualifying connection. Once a wedding date has been agreed a member of clergy will meet with you at least two or three times over the coming months to help craft your marriage service.
If your wedding is taking place in another Church of England Parish but you live in Cotham Parish we will be pleased to read your Banns of Marriage and support you with our prayers as you prepare for your wedding day.
Blessings
We rejoice that our congregations are richly diverse: we are straight, gay, non-binary, partnered, single, queer, and for many years have been clear that whatever your identity, you have a place here and are warmly welcome.
Our approach is rooted in God’s life: ‘God is love and those who live in love live in God and God lives in them’. This includes you.
If you are planning a Civil Marriage or Civil Partnership ceremony and would like to celebrate that commitment in church, we will be glad to welcome you. We deeply regret that in the Church of England it is not yet possible to hold marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples.
However, at Cotham we are delighted to offer prayers and blessings for people in same-sex relationships, and we celebrate the joy of love in all its many forms.
Baptisms
Baptism is a sacred sign through which we affirm our desire to grow into the unique person that God is calling us to be, and a thanksgiving for the gift of God’s love in our lives.
Whether you are choosing to be baptised yourself or you are making the decision on behalf of a child, know that you are welcome here. We would love to be part of your story. Baptism is the first step into the life of the Church, and people can be baptised as infants or adults.
Funerals
Our Christian faith tells us that ‘love is stronger than death’ and that there is more beyond this present time and earthly reality.
We know arranging a funeral or memorial service can be an overwhelming time. Our experience means that we are able to walk alongside you, and your family and friends, as we shape the service together. We want the day to be memorable and special, and will take time to be with you and offer pastoral care, support and help in celebrating the memories of your loved one within a dignified and beautiful service.
