There is a special, but simple, service of thanksgiving, which is a lovely time when you can be with friends and family, ask for God’s blessing and pray for your baby. It’s different from a christening so read on to discover whether this is something to explore further.

Some parents might want to celebrate the gift of a child in a way that does not involve the commitment associated with christening.  During a thanksgiving service parents and families give thanks for the birth or adoption of a child and everyone prays for the family.

A thanksgiving service is not a christening.  It does not involve water and 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 child.

At St. James’ we can offer a service of thanksgiving at relatively short notice during our normal 10:45am service.  If you are considering a service of thanksgiving for your child, please do come along on a Sunday morning to meet with us and have an informal chat with the Vicar or you can enquire via email.

The Church of England website has useful information including the words of the service.  You can explore more here Thanksgiving Services