Life Events

One of Church of the Heavenly Rest’s greatest honors and deepest delights is to officially welcome people of all ages into the family of God through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.

We celebrate this sacrament four times a year at our Sunday 10:30 am Eucharist service: The Feast Day of All Saints in November; The Baptism of our Lord in January; The Easter Eve Vigil in the spring; and Pentecost.

If you or a loved one wishes to be baptized here, please fill out a baptismal form to register; one of our clergy will then contact you to set up an initial conversation. To prepare for this special rite of passage, we hold two preparation classes, as well as a run-through with godparents – usually the day before the baptisms.

Confirmation is framed around the words let us join that are a part of the invitation to the baptismal covenant. In this way, the journey is not merely teaching about our tradition, our scripture, our liturgy, but considering what it means for us (all of us) to join and invite others to join in these aspects of our faith.

Led by staff and clergy, classes consider what it means to be faithful people in our current world. Confirmands join the community through service and the community joins Confirmands as conversation partners. We offer parallel classes for parents and caregivers, designed to equip families to support children in their post-confirmation life in faith. It is a communal journey of learning what it means to join together in worship.

Sign ups open in November for our January - May classes. The Confirmation service takes place in June at The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. Email our Director of CFM for more information, or sign up here.

Weddings held in our Sanctuary and our Chapel are beautiful and meaningful events celebrating the love of God as experienced in the love between two people.  The ceremony is based on the liturgies approved by the Episcopal Church; we also honor options for those participating who wish to choose their own readings, music and prayers.

After reading our Guide to Getting Married, you are invited to fill out the Couple’s Information Form; you will then be contacted by one of our clergy for an initial conversation. Our Sanctuary is a beautiful setting for larger weddings of up to 450 people; the Chapel, which holds 80 people, provides a more intimate setting.

Heavenly Rest offers the above services, which reflect our belief that God brings all things to their completion and to new life.  Please call the church at (212) 289-3400 to speak with one of our clergy. It is our desire to be with you in your grief – to offer support and solace as you make your plans to commend those who have died to the loving care of God.