Baptism for babies and children takes place in a service often called a Christening. In this service parents thank God for his gift of life, make a decision to start their child on a journey of faith and godparents promise help and support. The church also promises to welcome the child and to pray for the family.
For your child, being baptised marks the start of a lifelong journey of faith as part of the local and worldwide Christian family.
Visit the Church of England to read other people's stories, about the duies of Godparents and of symbols which may be u
sed in the service - it even has a link to the service.
Why not follow @CofEChristening on Twitter - there are great ideas for godparents as well as parents.
Here you can light a virtual candle for a child you know. This is something we do each time and share on our social media profiles.
Why Thanksgiving
Some parents might want to celebrate the gift of a child in a different way without the commitment that baptism involves. During the Thanksgiving service parents and families give thanks for the birth or adoption of a child and everyone prays for family life. It can take place in church with the congregation, or with just family and friends gathered, or elsewhere such as home, or even in hospital.
A Thanksgiving Service is not a Baptism. There are no promises to make about the Christian faith. The child will be blessed and prayed for, and supporting friends will promise to support the parents in bringing up their baby.
Adult baptism
Whenever it happens, whether as a baby, child or adult, baptism is at the heart of an amazing journey of faith as a follower of Jesus Christ. You are never too old to take this step, and being baptized as an adult is a wonderful experience.
You may have been baptized at a christening when you were a child or in a different Christian tradition, and there are always special ways to renew the promises that were made then in a fresh way as you discover more about what it means to live them out in your life.
Please speak to a member of the ministry team if you would like to explore taking this step of faith.
Mainly taken from www.churchofengland.org