Baptism information for Godparents
This is a copy of the leaflet that we give to all God parents
THE UPPER WAVENEY BENEFICE
Bressingham, Fersfield, North Lopham,
Roydon and South Lopham
www.upperwaveneybenefice.com
Information for Godparents
Hi, and congratulations for having been chosen to be a Godparent, it is a great honour, so you must be a special person to the parents; they must trust you and especially want their child 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 (or baptism, they mean the same thing).
It might be helpful to you by looking at what being a Godparent doesn’t mean! It doesn’t mean that in the unlikely event of an accident in which both parents die, you would have to take your God-child into your home as your own child; that would be the responsibility of the child’s Grandparents or specially appointed guardians. You would obviously want to keep a close eye on them and do all you could to help them if such an awful tragedy were to happen.
Being a Godparent is basically about helping to look after your Godchild’s spiritual needs. Just in case this freaks you out, don’t worry! This is primarily the parent’s responsibility and your job is to help in any way you can.
In the Christening Service you will be hearing language that you might not fully understand, I’m afraid the Church uses jargon just like any other organisation. What it basically means is that you’ll be promising to help your God-child to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus.
How do you do that? Well, the most important thing is to nurture a good and friendly relationship with your God-child, show them that you are interested in them; so that they get to know you as someone they can love and trust. Most Godparents give special presents to their Godchildren at Birthdays and at Christmas and that is great.
As the child gets older you may want to take them out for special days and even get them to stay with you, with the parent’s consent, of course! You should try to see them regularly or if that is impossible, maybe you could write, phone, email or text them, to keep in touch with them.
You see God is love, so if you love your God-child and they feel secure in your love, you’ll be teaching them 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 Christian bookshop-in the telephone directory-will have stocks) as well as beautifully produced Children’s Bibles. You could perhaps read some of these stories to your God-child. There are also some simple prayers which you could share with them- a few of which are at the end of this leaflet.
If you’re a member of your local church (it doesn’t matter what denomination it is) you might want to take your God-child to a service, if their parents are happy about that. If you are not a member of a church, you might be interested in finding out more about the Christian faith for yourself.
Most churches have some form of evenings, services or courses to help people explore Christianity. One of the best of these is the Alpha Course which is accepted by all denominations as an excellent course. You may wish to explore as much or as little of our faith as you wish, without any pressure or hard sell.
THE BAPTISM (CHRISTENING) SERVICE
This is your part in the service. The minister may ask all the Godparents and parents along with the child to stand with them and face the people in the church. The minister will ask these questions and expect you to respond, with some commitment as follows:
Presentation of the Candidates
The candidates may be presented to the congregation. Where appropriate, they may be presented by their godparents or sponsors.
The president addresses the whole congregation
Faith is the gift of God to his people. In baptism the Lord is adding to our number those whom he is calling. People of God, will you welcome these children and uphold them in their new life in Christ?
All: With the help of God, we will.
The president then says to the parents and godparents
Parents and godparents, the Church receives these children with joy. Today we are trusting God for their growth in faith. Will you pray for them, draw them by your example into the community of faith and walk with them in the way of Christ?
With the help of God, we will.
In baptism these children begin their journey in faith. You speak for them today. Will you care for them, and help them to take their place within the life and worship of Christ’s Church?
With the help of God, we will.
The Decision
The president addresses the candidates directly, or through their parents, godparents and sponsors
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 reject the devil and all rebellion against God?
I reject them.
Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?
I renounce them.
Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?
I repent of them.
Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?
I turn to Christ.
Do you submit to Christ as Lord?
I submit to Christ.
Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life?
I come to Christ.
You’ll probably have noticed that three of them are negative-about rejecting the devil, renouncing evil and repenting (saying and being sorry for the wrong things we have done) of our sins. What you’re basically saying here is that on your God-child’s behalf, you are promising to turn away from bad and nasty things like lying and gossiping about people behind their backs or throwing a wobbly because someone upsets you-the sort of things that spoil relationships as well the bigger things that are wrong in our lives. These might seem impossible things to promise, but be assured that God is a merciful and forgiving God who is eager and wanting to forgive us our sins just as the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son ( Luke 15: 11-end) he longs for us to turn to Him.
The other three promises are positive-about turning to Jesus, submitting to Jesus and coming to Jesus. This is because it is just about impossible for anybody to stop doing and saying things all the time-we all need help! This is where Jesus comes in. If you ask him to help you to live a good life in which you grow gradually closer to God, he will do so. I have met and known many good people but I have never met a saint!
You make these promises on behalf of your God-child. When they are old enough, they may wish to take on these promises for themselves, either through confirmation or some other Christian Commitment Service, but until then you’re responsible for keeping these promises for them.
You may be thinking, Wow, this sounds really serious and like a really big deal! Well, in a way it is, because it may change your life as well and in another way it is surprisingly easy because none of us could do this in our own strength, we can only do this with the help of God and it quite often happens without realising it.
Most importantly, enjoy your role as a Godparent, enjoy your God-child as they grow up and enjoy your developing relationship with them. Many Godparents end up being good friends with their God-children. Love makes the world go round and you’ll find that your growing love for your God-child and their growing love for you will be very rewarding and fulfilling.
SOME PRAYERS FOR YOU AND YOUR GOD-CHILD TO USE
The Lord’s Prayer (Modern Version)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (Traditional Version)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
...and what it means...
Abba, Father, praise!
May paradise come on earth,
So earth becomes just like heaven.
Please give us each day all we need to survive.
Forgive us for all our wrong thoughts, words and actions,
Just as we forgive everyone who hurts or wrongs us.
Steer us away from harm, and protect us from all evil.
For you are powerful and sensational and it’s paradise to be with you.
And this is true for all time. Amen (So, be it!).
God of all peace
God of all peace, be with us. God of all power, strengthen us. God of all goodness, keep us safe. Amen.
God be in my head
God be in my head, and in my understanding. God be in my eyes, and in my looking. God be in my mouth, and in my speaking. God be in my heart, and in my thinking. God be at my end, and at my departing. Amen.
Jesus, be close to me
Jesus, be close to me, Jesus, wrap your arms around me and hug me tight. Amen.
Jesus, bless those I love
Jesus, bless Mummy and Daddy and.... Keep them safe from harm and help me to show them how much I love them. Amen.
If you would like more of these leaflets or any information about Christianity or if you have any further questions about being a Godparent or anything else please contact me.
The Rev’d. Rob Mellowship
The Rectory, High Road, Bressingham, Diss,
Norfolk IP22 2AT
01379 688267
robmellowship@msn.com