How to host a Godparent Sunday event – and how it supports faith journeys
Godparents matter to families
ONE OF THE BIGGEST FINDINGS of research undertaken on behalf of the Archbishops’ Council was that godparents really, really matter to families. So setting apart a Sunday to celebrate and pray for this special relationship is a great opportunity to share with families, to ask for God’s blessing on godparents and godchildren everywhere and to pray for one another.
What is Godparents’ Sunday?
Godparents’ Sunday is a response to the research which uncovered parents’ real experiences and expectations around the baptism of their child.
It aims to acknowledge and celebrate the godparent/godchild relationship, reminding godparents of the promises they made on the day of the baptism and supporting the faith journeys of everyone involved with prayer and fellowship.
The national Godparents’ Sunday date has traditionally been the first Sunday of July, but you can set yours for whatever date fits in best with your church calendar. The event has been repeated every year, though you can choose to host one just occasionally if you wish.
Invite all those who have been baptised in your church over the previous year, or longer. If you have a Messy Church, you might like to include a Godparents’ Sunday as an annual event to extend its reach even more widely.
How to join in
There are various ways you can run a Godparents’ Sunday event. Use the headings below to choose an option that works best in your context, or cherry pick ideas from all the suggestions if you wish.
Just pray
Simply praying for the godchild/godparent relationship during one of your usual services is an easy way to get involved. Pray for the godparents in the congregation and the promises they made for their godchildren. Pray for the children baptized in the church over the last one-two years. These are some more simple prayers you might like to use:
Version A – just for godparents with actions
Loving God, thank you for the joy of being a godparent. [Godparents can wave hands enthusiastically]
Help my godchild to reach out to others with love [hands stretched outwards]
And grow in faith every day. [hands folded as in prayer]
Amen.
Version B – for godparents and godchildren to say together
Loving God, thank you for the joy of godparents and godchildren.
Help us to reach out to other with love
And to grow in faith every day.
Amen.
There is a free prayer calendar given in the resources below – use it as a giveaway to encourage ongoing prayers at home.
Host a dedicated church service
Use the prayer resources above and the Godparents’ Sunday Resources Pack below to dedicate a family-friendly service for godparents and godchildren. The Resource Pack contains a suggested liturgy, hymns and other ideas. You might like to decorate the church differently, perhaps with balloons or extra flowers, to mark it as something special.
Host a picnic
July is national picnic month, so you could try a food-and-fun-filled Godparents’ Sunday by hosting a picnic. You might host it as the only event for Godparents’ Sunday, or as an additional event that follows a Godparents’ Sunday church service.
Weather permitting, picnics are a wonderful way to bring people of all ages together. Sharing food along with light-touch ways to encourage prayer and reflection can strengthen bonds, not just between godparents and godchildren, but also between families and their local church.
