You are welcome to download any baptism material
Booklet for parents of male child
|
The Benefice of Dickleburgh and The Pulhams Rector: Revd. Janice Scott, 01379 676256 Hi, Godparent! |
||
| Congratulations! James and Pauline have
chosen you to be godparent to Tamsin, so you must be a special person. James
and Pauline clearly like you and trust you, and especially want Tamsin to be
closely associated with you. This little leaflet is to tell you something about what it means to be a godparent, and what you will have to do at the christening (baptism - means the same thing). Perhaps we should start by looking at what being a godparent doesn't mean! It doesn't mean that in the unlikely event of an accident in which James and Pauline both died, you would have to take Tamsin into your home as your own child. That would be the job of grandparents or specially appointed guardians, not your job, although no doubt you would want to keep a close eye on Tamsin and do all you could to help your godchild in such an awful situation. Being a godparent is basically about helping to look after Tamsin's spiritual needs. In case that freaks you out, don't worry! James and Pauline are the main people to look after Tamsin in every way including Tamsin's spiritual needs, so your job is to help in any way you can. You'll be hearing some pretty medieval language in the christening service, but what it basically means is that you'll be promising to help Tamsin make a personal relationship with God, through Jesus. How do you do that? Well, the most important thing is to make your own relationship with Tamsin, so that Tamsin gets to know you as someone she loves and trusts. Most godparents send a present which is a little bit special on their godchild's birthdays and at Christmas, and that's great. But it would be even greater if you could perhaps take Tamsin out for a special day once or twice a year. Maybe you could have Tamsin to stay with you, or if that's impossible, perhaps you could make sure you see Tamsin fairly regularly and play with her or read to her. And if that's impossible, well, maybe you could write to Tamsin or text or phone, just to keep in touch with her. You see, God is love, so if you love Tamsin and she feels secure in your love, you'll be teaching her about God without even realising you're doing so. Of course, if you wish, you could do more. There are lots of lovely children's books of Bible stories available (your local S.P.C.K. bookshop - in the telephone directory - will have stacks) as well as beautifully produced children's Bibles. You could perhaps read some of these stories to Tamsin. There are also simple prayers which you could share with Tamsin - a couple are at the end of this leaflet. If you're a church attender yourself, you might want to bring Tamsin to church with you from time to time if James and Pauline are happy about that. If you're not a church attender, you might be interested in finding out more for yourself about the Christian faith and this God of love and his son, Jesus. Most churches now have occasional evenings to help people explore Christianity, or could point you in the right direction where you could explore as much or as little as you wish, without any pressure or hard sell. The Baptism ServiceThis is your part in the christening service. The minister will ask all the godparents and James and Pauline to stand at the front with Tamsin and face the people in church. The minister will ask these questions, and expect you to respond as follows: RESPONSES OF PARENTS AND GODPARENTS Please respond to the questions with the words in dark type Parents and godparents, the Church receives Tamsin with joy. Today we are trusting God for her growth in faith. Will you pray for her, draw her by your example into the community of faith and walk with her in the way of Christ? With the help of God, we will. In baptism Tamsin begins her journey in faith. You speak for her today. Will you care for her, and help her to take her place within the life and worship of Christ's Church? With the help of God, we will. A large candle may be lit. In baptism, God calls us out of darkness into his marvellous light. To follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him. Therefore I ask: Do you turn to Christ? I turn to Christ. Do you repent of your sins? I repent of them. Do you renounce evil? I renounce evil. What you're basically saying here is that on Tamsin's behalf, you promise to turn away from bad and nasty things like lying or gossiping about people behind their back or throwing a wobbly because someone upsets you - you know the sort of thing that spoils relationships. Since it's just about impossible for normal human beings to stop themselves doing or thinking nasty things all the time, we all need help! This is where Jesus comes in. If you ask him to help you live a good life in which you grow gradually closer to God, he will do so. You make these promises not on your own behalf, but on behalf of Tamsin. When she's old enough - say 10 or 11 - she might want to take on the promises for herself, but until then, you're responsible for keeping these promises for her. Wow! Sounds like a real big deal. Well, in a way it is, because it might change the direction of your life. But in another way it's surprisingly easy, because Jesus will help you through, maybe without you even realising it. Above all, enjoy your role as godparent. Enjoy Tamsin as she grows up, and enjoy your developing relationship with her. Love makes the world go round and you'll find that your growing love for Tamsin and her growing love for you will be immensely rewarding. Some prayers for you and Tamsin to use The Lord's Prayer….Our Father in heaven, …and what it means… Abba, Father, praise! God of all peaceGod of all peace, God be in my headGod be in my head, Jesus, be close to meJesus, be close to me, Jesus, bless those I loveJesus, bless Mummy and Daddy and … |
|
The Benefice of Dickleburgh and The Pulhams Rector: Revd. Janice Scott, 01379 676256 Hi, Godparent! |
||
| Congratulations! James and Pauline have chosen you to
be godparent to George, so you must be a special person. James and Pauline
clearly like you and trust you, and especially want George to be closely
associated with you. This little leaflet is to tell you something about what it means to be a godparent, and what you will have to do at the christening (baptism - means the same thing). Perhaps we should start by looking at what being a godparent doesn't mean! It doesn't mean that in the unlikely event of an accident in which James and Pauline both died, you would have to take George into your home as your own child. That would be the job of grandparents or specially appointed guardians, not your job, although no doubt you would want to keep a close eye on George and do all you could to help your godchild in such an awful situation. Being a godparent is basically about helping to look after George's spiritual needs. In case that freaks you out, don't worry! James and Pauline are the main people to look after George in every way including George's spiritual needs, so your job is to help in any way you can. You'll be hearing some pretty medieval language in the christening service, but what it basically means is that you'll be promising to help George make a personal relationship with God, through Jesus. How do you do that? Well, the most important thing is to make your own relationship with George, so that George gets to know you as someone he loves and trusts. Most godparents send a present which is a little bit special on their godchild's birthdays and at Christmas, and that's great. But it would be even greater if you could perhaps take George out for a special day once or twice a year. Maybe you could have George to stay with you, or if that's impossible, perhaps you could make sure you see George fairly regularly and play with him or read to him. And if that's impossible, well, maybe you could write to George or text or phone, just to keep in touch with him. You see, God is love, so if you love George and he feels secure in your love, you'll be teaching him about God without even realising you're doing so. Of course, if you wish, you could do more. There are lots of lovely children's books of Bible stories available (your local S.P.C.K. bookshop - in the telephone directory - will have stacks) as well as beautifully produced children's Bibles. You could perhaps read some of these stories to George. There are also simple prayers which you could share with George - a couple are at the end of this leaflet. If you're a church attender yourself, you might want to bring George to church with you from time to time if James and Pauline are happy about that. If you're not a church attender, you might be interested in finding out more for yourself about the Christian faith and this God of love and his son, Jesus. Most churches now have occasional evenings to help people explore Christianity, or could point you in the right direction where you could explore as much or as little as you wish, without any pressure or hard sell. The Baptism ServiceThis is your part in the christening service. The minister will ask all the godparents and James and Pauline to stand at the front with George and face the people in church. The minister will ask these questions, and expect you to respond as follows: RESPONSES OF PARENTS AND GODPARENTS Please respond to the questions with the words in dark type Parents and godparents, the Church receives George with joy. Today we are trusting God for his growth in faith. Will you pray for him, draw him by your example into the community of faith and walk with him in the way of Christ? With the help of God, we will. In baptism George begins his journey in faith. You speak for him today. Will you care for him, and help him to take his place within the life and worship of Christ's Church? With the help of God, we will. A large candle may be lit. In baptism, God calls us out of darkness into his marvellous light. To follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him. Therefore I ask: Do you turn to Christ? I turn to Christ. Do you repent of your sins? I repent of them. Do you renounce evil? I renounce evil. What you're basically saying here is that on George's behalf, you promise to turn away from bad and nasty things like lying or gossiping about people behind their back or throwing a wobbly because someone upsets you - you know the sort of thing that spoils relationships. Since it's just about impossible for normal human beings to stop themselves doing or thinking nasty things all the time, we all need help! This is where Jesus comes in. If you ask him to help you live a good life in which you grow gradually closer to God, he will do so. You make these promises not on your own behalf, but on behalf of George. When he's old enough - say 10 or 11 - he might want to take on the promises for himself, but until then, you're responsible for keeping these promises for him. Wow! Sounds like a real big deal. Well, in a way it is, because it might change the direction of your life. But in another way it's surprisingly easy, because Jesus will help you through, maybe without you even realising it. Above all, enjoy your role as godparent. Enjoy George as he grows up, and enjoy your developing relationship with him. Love makes the world go round and you'll find that your growing love for George and his growing love for you will be immensely rewarding. Some prayers for you and George to use The Lord's Prayer….Our Father in heaven, …and what it means… Abba, Father, praise! God of all peaceGod of all peace, God be in my headGod be in my head, Jesus, be close to meJesus, be close to me, Jesus, bless those I loveJesus, bless Mummy and Daddy and … |