Life Events
'In God we live and move and have our being.'
Those are the words of the apostle Paul in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 17:28). That is why there is no place or moment in life that is disconnected or islolated from God.
St Anne's is a Christian community embedded in this village and its surrounding communities that seeks to bring the light. love and comfort of Christ into the lives of all we come into contact with, whether that is in the context of birth or death or anything in-between.
Please use the links provided below to find out more about how we can help you in the context of some of those most profound moments in life.
Baptism
Baptisms (or Christenings) are a wonderful celebration of new life. In the case of infant or children's baptism we rejoice with our family members and friends in the fact that God has given us new life in the form of this beautiful baby/child. When we celebrate adult baptisms we celebrate in a new beginning - a conscious awareness that life's journey from here on will be open to God's guidance, wisdom and transforming power.
Wherever you are in your journey of faith - we love to welcome you to St Anne's and celebrate this in the context of baptism. Here you will find some information that will guide you through this process.
St Anne's has an open baptism policy, which means that the application process should be very simple and straightforward.
Once you have had a chance to look through these notes, please get in touch via the form below. Following this, Brenda, our baptism secretary will be in touch with you to discuss further details.
Weddings
Your wedding is one of the most important days in your life. There can hardly be anything better than getting married in a traditional church with choir and bells. St Anne's with its fine building, its history, music and peal of 8 bells provides all of this and is a very popular church for getting married.
Anglican churches are generally open to all, you do not need to be a local resident or a member of the congregation to get married in this parish church. There are, however a few legal formalities to getting married, but these are seldom an obstacle.
If you are planning to get married and thinking of having your service at St Anne's then we suggest that you should meet us at an early stage in your planning. We will be able to guide you through the process, and indeed help you to decide whether a church wedding is for you. We will be able to give you a copy of our "Wedding Notes" that not only tell you about the process but give numerous tips and advice right down to the names and phone numbers of who you might talk to about music and flowers.
Please use get in touch via the form below and someone will be in contact with you shortly.
You can also request our latest Wedding Information Booklet which gives you a detailed and comprehensive overview of all the ins and outs of getting married at St.Anne's.
Click here to get in touch about reading your Banns, if you are being married in another praish.
Funerals
The loss of a loved one is one of the most difficult experiences in life. As a Christian community here in Bagshot we would love to come around you and support you in any way we can as you prepare to say your final goodbyes.
At St Anne's we have an open funeral policy, which means that anybody can approach us with regards to conducting the funeral of a loved one. We lead services here at St Anne's, but are also very familiar with the local crematoria in Woking, Easthampsted Park, Aldershot, Guildford, Basingstoke and Hanworth.
With regards to burials, there is no graveyard at St Anne's and the village cemetery in Chapel Lane is now closed to new burials. However, the cemeteries in Windlesham and Lightwater are still open and enquiries for a burial plot can be made by contacting Windlesham Parish Council. We regularly conduct funeral services at both local cemeteries and would be more than willing to do this for you too.
Please do let us know if you would like to help you plan your loved one's funeral. You can contact us here:
Confirmation
Especially in the context of infant baptism, as is common in the Church of England, Confirmation is an opportunity to confirm the promises our parents have made on our behalf at our baptism service.
Like baptism, confirmation is not the end of a journey, but rather the beginning of a conscious, open minded and hearted walk through life which is sustained by prayer, the participation in a Christian community as well as an active seeking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit for one's life.
Confirmation is therefore a sacrament by which participation in the life of God’s people, inaugurated at baptism, is confirmed by the bishop by the laying on of hands, and in which those who have been baptised affirm for themselves the faith into which they have been baptised and their intention to live a life of responsible and committed discipleship. Through prayer and the laying on of hands by the confirming bishop, the Church also asks God to give them power through the Holy Spirit to enable them to live in this way.
For more information please have a look at the Church of England Confirmation website.
At St Anne's we regularly prepare both teenagers (min age 13) as well as adults for confirmation. This is normally done on an annual basis, but varies according to numbers. Our sessions are very informal and tend to focus a lot on the areas of interest expressed by the confirmands.
If you are interested in exploring issues of faith together with us in this context, please do contact us.
