THANKSGIVING FOR THE GIFT OF A CHILD
What is a Thanksgiving Service?
Every child can have a Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child service, whether or not their parents are investigating baptism. It is an opportunity to thank God for the gift of children and for us as a church to pray for them. We can book in your child's thanksgiving service almost straight away, once you've come to Holy Trinity and met our Rector, Martin.
Why Might this Service be Right for Us?
The thanksgiving service is like a baptism service, but without water or promises on the parents' part. We offer this service if you would like to celebrate the birth of a child, but aren't a follower of Jesus (living with Him as your personal Lord and Saviour and walking alongside others in your local church) or are still investigating who Jesus is and why He came. This is because this type of service presents no assumptions or expectations regarding the faith or lifestyle of the family who take part, and requires no promises from them, while still ensuring you can thank God for and celebrate the gift of your child. Parents can even appoint 'supporting friends' who promise to help them in bringing up the child.
INFANT BAPTSIM
At Holy Trinity Theale, we seek to be obedient to Christ in all we do, so we take baptism very seriously. Infant baptism is suitable when a child's parents call themselves followers of Jesus Christ, submit to His rule over their own lives and want to raise their children within the church family, knowing Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour.
We prefer the term 'baptism' over 'christening' because it’s the term the Bible uses. 'Christening’ could also give the misleading impression that we are making children Christians in the act of baptism. Baptising a child doesn't make them a Christian; that is a decision every child will have to make for themselves once they are older. If you are thinking of having a child baptised, the first thing to do is to start coming to church.
Why come to Church?
Coming to church won't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage would turn you into a car! However, if you're thinking of having a child baptised, it's important to come to church for a number of reasons.
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Baptism is a commitment to Jesus and to your local church. Coming to church is a lifestyle change and it is important to start as you mean to go on.
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In baptism, you become part of the church family and promise to keep meeting with God's people. We want you to be certain that when you make this promise, you are prepared to keep it. It would also be bad practice to make you promise to come to church after your baptism, if that wasn’t your practice before it.
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It helps you to understand the baptism service and the promises you make. Coming to church will help you to make sense of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
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It helps you to get to know us. You will want to know whether ours is a church family that you would like to be part of.
- It helps us to get to know you. In the baptism service, the whole church family promises that they will welcome you and pray for you. That is hard for them to do if they have never met you!
Where and When?
Baptisms and thanksgivings are always at our main 10:30am service, on the first or third Sunday of the month. You can invite your friends and family, and there are Sunday Clubs for children once the baptism or thanksgiving is finished, so you can enjoy the rest of the service. We do ask that you commit to coming along to services to help you get a feel for things.
What Next?
Our standard practice for all those who would like their child to be baptised is to spend a few weeks with us looking at the central claims of Jesus Christ in a very informal way. We usually do this as a seven-week course called Christianity Explored. There will be a meal, a short video and then a chance to discuss what we’ve heard and ask questions. No question is too hostile or awkward and many find it to be a good way to examine the Christian faith in an honest way.
We ask you to do this because the Bible says that baptism is a sign that is given to Christian parents and their children. We do not want to make hypocrites of you by asking you to make promises from the front of church during the baptism service that you do not mean. Christianity Explored provides a chance to determine whether or not you believe the promises which are declared in the baptism service.
Once you’ve finished Christianity Explored and are happy that the baptism service represents your own convictions about Jesus, our Rector, Martin, will confirm the baptism date with you.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Parents’ Responsibility?
When children are baptised, their parents are asked to declare their belief and conviction in the Biblical truths of Christianity, and they promise to raise the child with a clear understanding of the Christian message. They should also encourage their child to become an active member of the church family.
What are Godparents for?
To be a godparent is a privilege, a responsibility and a challenge. Godparents make the same promises as the child's parents do. They declare their own belief and trust in God and in Jesus Christ and promise that, by prayer and example, they will lead their godchild into the same faith. As such we ask that all godparents can say their oaths during the baptism service with integrity. We don't want to make hypocrites of people, so a careful choice needs to be made.
The Church of England requires that all godparents are themselves baptised. It also stipulates that there needs to be at least two godparents of the same sex as your child, plus at least one of the opposite sex. There is no limit to the number of godparents your child can have, but it should be a minimum of three. A girl would usually have two godmothers and one godfather, and a boy would have one godmother and two godfathers.
If you have having a thanksgiving service, godparents are not required.
Does Everyone Need to do Christianity Explored?
For the reasons given above, it is our standard practice at Holy Trinity to ask you to do this.
What if We Aren't Regular Members at Church?
Again, because the child is to be baptised into the church family, their parents need to be regular, believing members before we arrange a baptism date. However, you don't have to be followers of Jesus to have a thanksgiving service for your child.
If you would like to enquire about baptism for your child, please click here.
If you would like to enquire about a thanksgiving serivce for your child, please click here (and ignore that the title says 'Baptism'!).
If you are an adult and would like to enquire about turning to Christ and getting baptised, please click here.