Baptisms
Baptisms
Being baptised in the Upper Soar Benefice
First steps on an amazing journey
We are delighted that you are thinking about arranging a Christening. It’s a very special thing and so we want your day to be special for you. “We are children of the same Heavenly Father, we welcome you!”
Who can have a Christening in the Upper Soar Benefice?
Anyone who has not already been baptised, adults as well as children, who feels ready to take this important step in the Christian life can be baptised. To have a christening in the Upper Soar Benefice you either need to live in our parish or have a connection to the church. If you’re not sure whether you do, get in touch and we’ll help you.
What happens at a Christening?
At a christening your child will be baptised with water. This is the heart of your child’s christening, although there are several special moments in the service:
The vicar will pray for your child and for all those who will support them in their path of faith.
You and the godparents will make some important promises for your child in the service. You will promise to pray regularly for your child and to bring them up knowing that God loves them and learning about Jesus.
Holy oil will be used to make the sign of the cross on your child’s forehead. This is like an invisible badge, there forever, to show that child belongs to God.
Water, which is blessed in the church’s font, will be poured over your child’s head by the vicar. This is the moment of baptism.
Everyone promises to continue supporting your child from this moment.
A candle will be given to you as a reminder of Jesus the Light of the World, who goes with you and is with you always.
The role of godparents
In the service, the godparents make promises to share the amazing journey of the Christian faith, to pray for your child and to show them ways to grow in faith and love. It is important, therefore, that the people you chose as godparents are Christians themselves and are happy to do those things. It is normal to have three godparents, although there is a bit of flexibility with this. (See below for an outline of Godparent Roles and Responsibilities).
Because of the special role they have in supporting your child's faith journey, godparents must be christened themselves. Other important people can also have a role as 'supporting friends'.
When do Christenings take place?
In the Upper Soar Benefice Christenings usually take place after the Sunday Service at 12.45 although other dates and times are possible if there is a really good reason. The service is fairly relaxed and lasts about 45 minutes.
If you and most of your guests are used to going to church regularly then you might prefer to have the Christening within our main service at 10.30am. This lasts about an hour and a quarter and includes a celebration of Holy Communion.
Who should be there?
Parents and godparents all need to be present, as does the person being baptised. In addition, it's nice to invite family and friends to join you on this special day; children are welcome and don't worry about them making a bit of noise or struggling to sit still!
If the child's parents are no longer together, it is possible for just one to be present although, unless there are exceptional circumstances, consent is needed from both parents. If you are concerned about this, please don't worry. It is helpful if you can talk to us honestly and openly about the situation (there will be no judgement) and we will do our best to help you make the necessary arrangements.
What happens next?
If you'd like to go ahead and arrange a christening, get in touch with Sister Liz, the Rector, and she will happily meet with you to make the arrangements, to talk a bit more about what it all means, and to help you plan your special day.
If you don't feel ready for baptism but would like to do something in church for your child, it is also possible to have a thanksgiving. Get in touch to find out more about this.
It is also a good idea to come to church! Our main service is at 10.30am each Sunday in one of the Benefice Churches. Please don't worry about not knowing what to do, or about whether your child might make some noise. You will be made very welcome.
Please contact Sr Liz for a booking form and to discuss dates - uppersoar2019@gmail.com.
Outlining the roles and responsibilities of Godparents in Baptism
Why do we need Godparents?
If you are thinking of having a child baptised in church, you will need to find suitable godparents. People are often chosen as godparents because they are friends or relatives, without realising what godparents are for. The reason for having godparents is because baptising a child involves making commitments on behalf of the child.
The baptism service is for those who want to publicly state their desire to bring up their child as a Christian. It therefore involves statements of faith and promises of commitment to Jesus and the Church.
As well as the words of commitment, the child is baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit by pouring water from the font over the child’s head.
Prayers are also said for the child, for the parents and the godparents asking for God’s help to enable them to fulfil their promises and commitments to the child.
The godparents should therefore be people who are committed to the Christian faith, who can support the family in their Christian upbringing of the child.
It is a legal requirement that all godparents must be themselves baptised and ideally they should also have been confirmed, or at least regular churchgoers.
What does being a godparent involve?
If a friend or relative asks you to become a godparent you will probably feel very honoured. It’s natural to want to agree to the request. But first it is best to ask yourself about the promises you will be required to make as part of the service.
At the baptism service you will be required to make the following answers to these important questions, along with the parents:
Do you turn away from sin? I do.
Do you reject evil? I do.
Do you turn to Christ as Saviour? I do.
Do you trust him as Lord? I do.
These questions are about making a conscious choice on behalf of the child, to help them begin their Christian journey. To start them off in life facing the right direction towards Christ and to turn away from anything that hurts Jesus in thought or word or action. It is about wanting Jesus to be your godchild’s guide in the journey of life. Knowing that we often get things wrong, we can, when we acknowledge our mistake turn again to Jesus and ask and receive his forgiveness asking him to help us start again and praying for the Holy Spirit to work within us, to change and transform the rough edges.
In the service you will also be asked the following questions:
Will you pray for them, and help them to follow Christ?
These questions are a reminder that as their god/parents you have the prime responsibility for guiding and helping them in their early years. That your task is to help them to learn more about Jesus, to follow his example and to help them take their place within the worshipping community of the Church. This means that you must already have begun the journey yourself. It doesn’t matter where you are on the journey, just that you have taken the first steps and are willing to continue to take more steps on your own journey of faith.
You will also be asked to affirm, together with those being baptised your common faith in Jesus Christ.
Do you believe and trust in God the Father, source of all being and life, the one for whom we exist?
Do you believe and trust in God the Son, who took our human nature, died for us and rose again?
Do you believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the people of God and makes Christ known in the world?
Everyone who becomes a godparent makes promises like these at the baptism service, but not everyone is made aware of this in advance. Becoming a godparent is something which people should only do, if they can make these promises with integrity.
What do I do next?
Being a godparent is an opportunity to play an important part in supporting a child’s upbringing as a Christian. If you are thinking about whether or not to become a godparent we recommend that you take some time to consider carefully this information.
You may want to talk things over further with the person who has asked you to be a godparent. Alternatively contact the Minister taking the service.
What preparation is needed?
The Minister taking the service will arrange to meet with the parents and where possible the godparents to make sure that they are aware of the commitment that they are undertaking. There will also be an explanation of the service so that it will be familiar on the day.
The godparents are to be people who will faithfully fulfil their responsibilities both by their care for the children committed to their charge and by the example of their own godly living.
If a chosen godparent is not baptized, it is possible for them to be baptized after appropriate teaching, in which case, they should speak to one of the churchwardens.
The Church of England Christenings Website is excellent and will hopefully answer any other questions you may have. It also gives excellent resources for help with prayer as you take this next step on your faith journey.