Baptism
and Thanksgiving for the Birth of a Child
The
Church of England offers two different Services to parents
at the birth of a child. They are the service of Thanksgiving
for the Birth of a Child and the service of Baptism
(commonly called ‘Christening’).
Please contact
us if you would like to arrange on of these
services.
Thanksgiving for the Birth of a Child
The
Service of Thanksgiving is a special occasion to thank
God for your child and to pray for him or her.During
the service there can be a hymn (on Sundays), a Bible
reading and a short talk. The most important part of the
service is when the minister receives the baby in his
arms, just as Jesus did. He then does several things:
Before God and before the congregation he names the child.
He says a prayer of thanks to God for the child and for
their safe birth.
He prays for protection of the child.
He prays for the child’s parents and for their home.
He asks for God to bless the child.
This service need not take place on a Sunday. The difference
that people usually notice is that there is no water,
because, of course, it is not a service of Baptism. On
the other hand, there is no obligation on the parents
to attend church or be members of it. A
certificate of Thanksgiving is given to say that the service
has taken place. The child is then free later on to make
up its own mind whether to get baptised or not.
Baptism
The
service of Baptism is one in which the parents and the
godparents stand up in church on a Sunday and make clear
statements about their Christian faith. They must say
that they ‘turn to Christ’, that they ‘repent
of their sins’, and that they ‘renounce evil’.
They must also say that they believe and trust in God
the Father who made the world, in Jesus Christ who redeemed
mankind, and in His Holy Spirit who helps the people of
God.
It
is therefore a service in which parents declare that they
have a strong commitment to follow Jesus and live each
day by His teachings, praying often to Him and trusting
Him for everything. They are promising to teach their
children to do the same and to be an example in this to
them. They are taking on a duty to bring their child to
church and to be part of the church. These declarations
should not be made without serious thought beforehand.
Parents who wish to have their children baptised must
either be members of the church family or signify their
commitment by meeting with the Rector for a preparation
session ideally with the proposed godparents. It is also
desirable that they regularly attend church. There is
no fee for a service of baptism, but there is for the
Certificate of Baptism.
