Christenings
Congratulations! The arrival of a new baby is an exciting event, and we at St.Peter's will be delighted to be part of this happy time.
The Christening service is a step along the journey of faith. In the case of children who are too young to understand what is going on, it is the parents (and also godparents) who make promises to bring up the child in the Christian faith within the family of the church. In practice, this means praying with and for your child, teaching about Jesus, and encouraging him or her to attend church with you. The idea is that parents and children together will grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ, and learn to love and serve him better as the years go on.
The Christening Service contains a number of statements and promises made by the parents and godparents. This is not primarily a social occasion, but a step along a spiritual journey for the person being Christened. It is important for parents and godparents to understand the commitment they are making to bring up their child in the Christian faith.
The church is here to help! At St Peter's we have a number of ways - especially through our preparation programme.
It is usual to go to your local parish church to have your child christened. Of course, if you are a regular worshipper with us, then the service can take place at St Peter's.
To find out more please contact the church office:
Tel. 01562 887287
e-mail: churchoffice@stpeterspedmore.org
More information is available from the Church of England website. Please click the link below:
Discover all you need to know about choosing, planning and going to a Church of England christening. A parents’ guide to christenings.
Frequently asked questions about Christenings:
Which church should I choose?
Because a Christening involves an agreement between the parents (and godparents) and the church to bring up your baby in the church, it makes best sense for the service to take place in your local church where you can easily and regularly attend worship. What matters is the future, and in particular, the spiritual nurture of your child. So it is usually best to go along to your local church. Of course, if St Peter's is your spiritual 'home', the service can take place at Pedmore!
What about Godparents?
Godparents are there to help parents in the task of bringing up a child in the Christian faith within the fellowship of the church. Please note that they do not have any legal standing - if you want them to be a legal guardian, this must be specified in your will. A godparent is there to help in the spiritual nurture of their godchild - for example, reading Bible stories, praying with and for their godchild, and (if they live close enough) going to church together.
A godparent must have been baptised into the Christian faith - there is no way round that - and must be old enough to understand the commitment they are making, and be able to fulfil it.
What do godparents actually do?
Godparents make exactly the same commitment as the parents; they promise to bring up the child in the Christian faith within the family of the church. In other words, it is nothing to do with buying presents for birthdays, but about helping your child to understand how to follow Jesus Christ.
Don't they take responsibility of our child if anything happens to us?
No. If you want a godparent to be a legal guardian you must put that in your will.
How many godparents should my child have?
Three is usual, four should be considered a normal maximum, and two is fine. The minimum is one aside from the parents.
Does a godparent have to be Christened?
Yes. Every godparent must have been Christened, and there is no way round that. This is because a godparent's role is to help to bring up your child in the Christian faith within the family of the church. The godparent may have been Christened in the Church of England, the Methodist, Roman Catholic, Baptist or Pentecostal church. These are all fine. But they must have been Christened.
Must godparents be confirmed as well?
Confirmation is really the " second half" of the Christening service, even though it takes place many years afterwards! Although it is great if a godparent is confirmed, it is not absolutely necessary.