By inviting family members or friends to be godparents you are giving them a real honour. It suggests that they are special to you and your family and that they will be a special person for your child. It is certainly a compliment and it is also a responsibility.

Godparents will have a particular part to play in your child’s growing up. How much will depend on a lot of things - whether they live nearby, how closely they keep in touch with your family. The main thing is to try to keep in touch so that your child knows that their godparent is a special person for them. They may send not only a birthday present, but also a present on the anniversary of the baptism each year.

As your child grows older, perhaps their godparents could invite him or her to stay, go on outings, or just spend time together.

When children become teenagers, godparents can be very important indeed. If a good friendship has been built up in the early years, godparents can be trusted adults who are not part of the family and so are not involved in the tensions that are part of family life. Godparents come into their own at this stage as wise and helpful friends and guides.

Godparents can play an important role in your child’s growing up and the person s/he becomes.

When I first come to visit you in your home I will ask you for the names and addresses of the people you have chosen to be godparents for your children so that we can send them a letter and leaflet about being godparents, and invite them to the baptism preparation sessions. We will also send them a copy of the baptism service so they will know what vows they will be taking on behalf of your child.

At the end of the baptism service I will present your godparents with their godparents’ cards. These cards highlight what their role as godparents involves. They state:

“ My Christian responsibility as a godparent means that I should:

1. Pray regularly for him / her.

2. Set him / her an example of Christian
    living.

3. Help him / her to grow in the faith of
   God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in which
   he / she was baptized.

4. Give every encouragement to him / her to
   follow Christ and to fight against evil.

5. Help him / her to look forward to his /
    her confirmation.”

Rather than tucking these cards away in a drawer, it is a good idea to display them on a dressing table or even stick them to the fridge with a fridge magnet so that they can be seen on a regular basis.

If the people you have chosen to be godparents feel they can’t take the promises in the baptism service, then they can be sponsors instead. This means that they will not have to take the vows required of godparents.

The general rule is to have three godparents, two of the same sex as your child. However, you can have just two, or you can ask up to four.

You can read more about godparents on pages 8 & 9 of the booklet “Your baby’s baptism in the Church of England.