Thanksgiving for the gift of a child

Many today want mark this special occasion, but feel uneasy about making promises or big commitments to God or regular church attendance. They often want to leave, and not impose such decisions on the child and allow it to make its own choice a little later in life.

The Service of Thanksgiving gives you the opportunity to do this without having to make promises to God about Christian commitment which you may not at this point feel able to make.

'Jesus once said: "Let the children come to me"... and he took them in his arms and blessed them'.

The Service of Thanksgiving reflects the sentiment behind the Bible passage above. During the service a welcome will be given to you and your family, prayers will be said and you will be a presented with a Gospel (part of the Bible) and a Certificate which marks this special event. Finally the service will conclude with a blessing for the child and its parents.

This service takes place within the regular morning service on the first Sunday of the month and will be an occasion to which you can invite your family and friends to attend and help you celebrate. The Service can also be used to give thanks for the adoption of a child, and to welcome them into your family. Choosing a Thanksgiving service is not ‘second best’ and your child can still go onto Baptism at a later stage.