Children are a gift from God. Naturally, many parents want to celebrate their arrival with some form of service in church. Bassingbourn Parish Church is part of the Church of England which, like many churches, recognises two main services to celebrate the birth of a child:-

• Thanksgiving

• Baptism (sometimes called 'Christening')

Both take place during our Sunday services.

Thanksgiving
The service contains some specific prayers and words which ask for God to bless the children and give thanks for the new life that is in them. In addition, the parents are invited to publicly declare their thanks, and close friends to pledge their support for the parents in bringing up the children.

Baptism (also known as 'Christening')
Baptism is for those who want to state their desire to bring up their child as a Christian. It therefore involves words of commitment to Jesus Christ and to his Church. As well as the words of commitment, the child is named, water is poured over the child, and prayers are said.

When an infant is baptised the parents and godparents make promises on behalf of the baby, and they look forward to the day when their declarations become real for the child.

Baptism is the mark of being part of the Christian Church. The Church is a family of people who are committed to each other and who promise to support and encourage children who are brought for baptism.

To find out more contact us.