thanksgiving for the gift of a child

For some families who are considering baptising a child, the promises that are asked of you in baptism may be a step too far. Baptism is a very serious business and in baptising your child, you are making promises to raise them in the Christian faith, to bring them to church and you are also making statements about what you believe.   For some people, they don't feel ready to make such statements and promises for themselves, but they still want to mark the birth of their child in a special way.   In such circumstances, the 'Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child' service can be a very helpful alternative.  You can read the text of the Thanksgiving service on the Church of England website and, if you wish, compare it to the Holy Baptism service on the same website.   Pip n Jim's are happy to offer Thanksgiving services to families either as a prelude to baptism (you may wish to go ahead with baptism at a later date when you feel more ready to make such statements and promises), or you can have a Thanksgiving as a stand-alone service.   A thanksgiving service says "thank you" to God for the gift of a child without making statements about the faith of the parent(s) or promises about bringing up your child within the church.