In the words of the “Commission” towards the end
of the baptism service I will refer to your child and say, “As
s/he grows up, s/he will need the help and encouragement of
the Christian community, so that s/he may learn to know God
in public worship and private prayer, follow Jesus Christ in
the life of faith, serve his / her neighbour after the example
of Christ, and in due course come to confirmation.”
As a Church Family we will do all that we can to fulfil our
part in this.
I then continue, “As his / her parents and godparents,
you have the prime responsibility for guiding and helping him
/ her in his / her early years.”
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This recognises the fact that you will be the most important
people in nurturing the faith of your child. One of the best
and most natural ways to do this is to read a Bible story
with your child at their story time before s/he goes to bed.
There
are some excellent children’s Bibles available, and I
give details of some of these at the end of these notes. You
can order these from any local bookshop. After reading the
passage it is good to say an informal prayer with your child.
You can think about the different things that have happened
during the day, and then pray for family members and friends,
and then ask for God’s blessing and peace as your child
goes to sleep.
You will also find some prayers on page 19 of the booklet, “Your baby’s
baptism in the Church of England,” but as it says, “The best prayers
are those which come from the heart.”
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