Godparents

 

HELP, I’VE BEEN ASKED TO BE A GODPARENT!

 

On being a Godparent

If you’ve been asked to be a Godparent, many congratulations! It is a real privilege and also a very important duty which we hope you will enjoy undertaking not only on the day of the Baptism but in the years to come.

As a Godparent, you have a very special role. Your task is to help your Godchild to come to know God, to encouraging them in their spiritual life and to support them in their membership of the local church. It’s a role that will develop over time, as your Godchild grows up and develops their own faith.

As a Godparent you will be expected to be attend the child’s baptism, where you will make promises to help to bring them up in the Christian faith. As these promises are very serious and are made publicly and in God’s presence, being a Godparent is a good opportunity to think about your own faith.

Godparents must have been baptized themselves, and it’s best if you are also confirmed. Baptism or confirmation preparation can help you with your own questions about the Christian faith. It will also help you to support your godchild in developing their own faith. If you have any questions at all, why not speak to the Vicar of St Barnabas, your own parish priest or another Christian you know.

What will happen?

At St Barnabas Baptisms normally take place during a Sunday morning service. This means that your Godchild can be welcomed into the Church which by their baptism they are joining.

When it comes to the part of the service which is the baptism itself, the priest will ask you and the child’s parents to bring the child to the front of the church and then to move to the entrance of the Church to gather around the font.

Before the baptism, the priest will ask you to declare that you intend to do your best as a Godparent. The priest asks you to say that you’re ‘prepared to walk with your Godchild ‘in the way of Christ’ and will ‘help them take their place within the life and worship of Christ’s Church’. These are very important promises and you are encouraged to think about them seriously beforehand. We would be glad to help you to do this.

As a Godparent we will give you a special card to remind you of your Godchild’s baptism and the promises you have made. It is helpful to keep it somewhere you’ll see it every day, so you remember your Godchild each day and ask God to bless them daily as they grow up. Perhaps keep an up-to-date photograph alongside the card?

 

A prayer for Godparents to use: Lord God, I pray that you will guide and support me in being a Godparent. Give me your wisdom and your love. Help me to know you for myself and so to walk with my precious Godchild [child’s name] along your way. Amen.