Normandy Vision UK Trust

A Christian Mission working in Normandy, France

Ministry to English-speakers

Ministry to English-speakers in Normandy

Normandy Vision, as part of its ministry of Christian service in Normandy, is able to offer the following services to the English-speaking community to help them in times of sadness or celebration.

Currently these services are available only in Basse-Normandie, in the départements of Calvados(14), Manche(50) and Orne(61).

Funerals

We can perform a funeral service in English, whether in a church or at a crematorium, according to English custom and Protestant beliefs and practice.

Please note: It may not be possible in all cases to get permission to hold such a service in a particular local Catholic church. This will depend on the permission and good-will of the local Mairie and of the priest responsable for that church.

Bereavement

We are available to talk to any who are going through a time of bereavement and loss, and who would like somebody to talk to, particularly about issues such as: what happens after death; God; and other similar questions.

Illness

We are available to visit people who are seriously or terminally ill in hospital or in their home, or to visit their families, where there are questions about life and death, the meaning of life, the reality of a spiritual dimension, God and so on.

Weddings

We can perform a service of blessing for or celebration of a marriage in a Christian context, following English custom and protestant belief and practice, in parallel to the legal ceremony performed by the State.

Please note: Where either the husband or wife have been previously divorced, or have already been living together, there may be reasons that would need to be discussed that might mean that we would not be able to perform a marriage service in this case.

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Dedication of Children

Please note: We do not perform Christenings, that is, the baptism of babies or young children. We believe that baptism is something a person should choose to do for themselves when they are old enough and competent enough to understand the Christian faith and respond to it.

A dedication service means saying “thank you” to God for the birth of a child. It means recognising that children are a gift from God and that we are responsible to him for how we look after them and bring them up. It means that as parents we are agreeing to bring the child up in a Christian environment of love and safety, and to provide equally for their spiritual well-being as for their physical, by ensuring that they know and understand the Christian faith, the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as found in the Bible.

Baptism

We can perform baptisms for people who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in response to understanding the gospel as revealed in the Bible. This is available for people who have personally understood and responded to the Christian faith and who want to make a public confession of their faith.

Please note: We believe that baptism as taught in the Bible is best represented by a person being totally immersed in water, but recognises that there may be situations and circumstances which necessitate an alternative mode of baptism, such as the pouring of water over the head of the person.