Thanking God for your Children

We are so glad you have decided to ask for God’s blessing on your child. We are very pleased to help, and this leaflet explains what we can offer you.

A child is a wonderful gift from God and it’s right that we want to celebrate such a fantastic present. The Church of England offers two approaches - Thanksgiving and Baptism.

So what is the difference?

The main difference is in the extent and depth of Christian commitment that each form of service expresses.

Thanksgiving is a celebration to mark the birth of your child. We give thanks to God for your child’s new life, and commit both you and the child to God, asking for his help and blessing in the years to come.

Baptism is a service that involves making promises before God and the congregation to be a wholehearted disciple of Jesus Christ – and to show evidence of that commitment by being part of the church community.

This is a tough commitment to make in the 21st century, and is something to be thought through seriously.

How do I know which service is right for me?

If you want to thank God for the gift of your child, but do not want to make the solemn promises before God and other people that baptism involves, then the Thanksgiving service is for you.

Of course, your child can always be baptised later on as well, should you, or the child want this.

Baptism is for the children of parents, who are, or want to be practising Christians.

The Christian faith is a personal relationship with God though Christ. This relationship is open to us not on the basis of how good we are, but as a gift. We learn more about this on the Preparation Course.

What is important is that we have an opportunity to discuss these options with you so that together we can choose the right service.

Preparation Course

To help you choose the right service for you and your child, we ask parent(s) to attend a Preparation Course, held regularly throughout the year on Sunday evenings at 6.30pm.

Consisting of three parts, the first two parts explore what the Christian Faith is about and what it means to be a Christian today; and the third part explores both services in more detail.

In order to get the most benefit from this course, we ask that you arrange your own childcare for these sessions. If this is difficult, please do talk with us, so we can explore ways in which we can enable you to attend.

Course Dates for Autumn 2010 – Summer 2011 are as follows:

• Nov 14, 21, Dec 5
• Jan 9, 23, Feb 6
• March 6, 13, 20
• May 8, 15, 22
• July 3, 17, 24

After the course, you will be given an Application Form to fill in.

Once completed, please return it to either the Vicar or Curate at any 10.30am Sunday Service. We will then be in contact with you to discuss available dates and times.

We do encourage you to attend St Mary’s as often as you can, both before and after your child’s service.

We are a thriving, growing community that offers many opportunities for families to grow in friendship and faith.

When are the services held?

Our practice is to conduct the services on the first Sunday of the month at 1.00pm. These are held after our Sunday services, in order to accommodate your family and friends (otherwise space becomes rather limited!).

Because the Baptism service involves a welcome by the church family, it is important that you attend the 10.30am service the following week (i.e. the second Sunday of the month) so we can welcome you. (Your extended family and friends are not expected to be at this service!)

Questions that are often asked

How many families share a service?

Due to the large number of requests we receive, there will usually be up to 3 families sharing a service. Occasionally there may be more, subject to how many family/friends are in your party!

Can anyone be a Godparent?

Yes – as long as they have been baptised and are willing to make the promises asked of them. Parents can also be Godparents.

How many Godparents can we have?

The guidelines suggest three or more – we recommend no more than four, but the final decision rests with you.

We don’t live in the parish – can we have the service at St Mary’s Eaton Socon?

It is usual to have your child welcomed in the parish where you live or attend regularly so that your child can grow in that church family.

However, if there are particular reasons why you would like to have the service here (e.g. members of your family worship here regularly), it may be possible to arrange with the agreement of your own local minister.

Do I need to keep coming to church?

If you decide to have a Thanksgiving service, this does not imply any ongoing commitment to come to church. We would love to see you – and you might be surprised by what you find!

In contrast, the Baptism service expects that parents and godparents will help their children ‘take their place within the life and worship of the church’.

Does the service cost anything?

There is no charge for either service. However, because as a Church we are self-funding and rely on people’s generosity, we do encourage you to make a donation. Your donation will help to support the Church in its ongoing ministry.

Who do I contact?

In the first instance, please contact Revd David Miller on (01480) 471132 or via this website