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Baptism is often called 'christening' although at St Mary's, Sileby, All
Saints', Cossington and All Saints', Seagrave we prefer the term
baptism. Getting a child baptised doesn't make them a Christian -
that is a decision your child will have to make for him or herself once
they are older. |
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, but 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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It's good practice! In the baptism service you will promise to bring your child to come to church and be part of the church family with them. It would be silly to make you promise to come to church after your child's baptism if you'd never come before it.
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It helps you understand the baptism service and the promises you make. Coming to church will help you make sense of what it means to be a Christian and what is involved.
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It helps you get to know us. Baptism is about bringing a child into the church family. You will want to know whether we're a church family that you want yourself and your child to be part of.
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It helps us to know you. In the baptism service the whole church family promises that they will welcome your child and pray for them. That is hard for them to do if they have never met you!
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The best service to come to, if you live in Sileby, is the 11.00 service. At this service we have the Cornerstones Groups for children aged 3 - 16 and a Crèche area for 0 - 3s. The crèche is manned so that you can leave your child with trained and responsible helpers whilst you enjoy the service. Our only condition is that you pick the child up at the end of the service!
The 9.30 service in Cossington and the 5.00 service in Seagrave aim to be as child-friendly as possible although the facilities are more limited.
We ask that you start coming along to services for a couple of months to help you get a feel for things.
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There are two baptism preparation sessions which are run by either Marian Smith and Richard Melody or Glen and Fiona Winkfield. You will meet all of these at the 11.00 service.
They will come to your home at a mutually convenient time, usually an evening
when children are asleep (hopefully!) Marian & Richard or Glen & Fiona will
go through the baptism service with you, helping you to explore what is involved
in it. Each session will last less than an hour.
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You then have an hour or so with Richard Hopkins or David Lower, our curate, again at your home, at a mutually convenient time.
Contact the Rector, Richard Hopkins, to discuss any of this further.
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We find that setting a baptism date can put you under undue pressure, when what we want is for you to have the time to think carefully about what baptism is, what is involved in the Christian faith and what it means to be a part of the church.
When you meet Richard or David, they will discuss with you whether you still want a baptism (some decide that it is not right for them and opt for a Thanksgiving Service instead) and will try to work out a date with you. All baptisms take place at a service which includes provision for children. Should you choose to have a Thanksgiving Service, you may also have a Baptism Service for your child at a later date.
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FAQs
What is the Parents’ Responsibility?
When children are baptised, their parents are asked to declare their own Christian faith and to raise the child to become an active member of the church.
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What is the Function of Godparents?
To be a Godparent is a privilege, a responsibility and a challenge. Godparents make the same promises as do the child's parents. 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.
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Who can be Godparents and How Many does my Child Need?
Any friend or relative who has agreed to take on this responsibility can be a Godparent provided that they themselves are Christians. All Godparents must themselves have been baptised and, ideally, should also have been confirmed into the Christian faith. There is no limit to the number of Godparents your child can have. It should be a minimum of three - two of the same gender as the child and one of the other. Thus a girl would usually have two Godmothers and one Godfather and a boy one Godmother and two Godfathers.
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