St Michael’s church, Budbrooke used to get four requests a year for baptisms, but now it gets them every ten days.

The emergence of new housing developments like Chase Meadow and Hatton Park are the cause of this change, according to the Rev Tony Hadley.

This dramatic increase in demand has forced the church to hold baptism services only four times a year.

This means that there might be several baptisms taking place during the same service.

Mr Hadley said: “The congregation would be attending a baptism almost every Sunday if we continued to let them take place every time one was requested.

“Rapidly changing population patterns and the rapidly changing lifestyles are some of the issues we are coming up against in the new developments.”

St Michael’s used to be in the heart of the community during the 14th century, before a plague wiped out most of the villagers living near the church.

Today the church serves a much wider area and its members are constantly thinking about ways to ‘reach out’ to the community.

A ‘fair trade’ shop called The Open Door was started in Slade Hill five years ago to give the church a base in the heart of Hampton Magna.

The primary producers, like coffee growers, who supply their goods to the shop are paid a just wage for their labour and are not exploited.

Mr Hadley said: “Although we would not be arrogant to think we can reach across the world, it is important to get a sense of how Christians live across the world and gain an understanding of international justice.”

The vicar is supported by lay reader Mary Lodge, who is training for the ordained ministry.

“As part of her training, she is visiting new parts of the parish in an effort to find people who want to know more about Christianity.

She said: “It is a case of getting to know family by family, rather than launching a big campaign.

“Through individual families we can create a new church group.”