Five top tips for being a sponsor or a godparent

The spiritual growth of children is an important matter. And whether we belong to a church that offers services of thanksgiving for children or one that baptizes infants, if we’ve made a promise to God to help a child get to know God better, it’s vital that we take that promise seriously.

But, if you’re anything like me, it can be hard to work out how to encourage a child that you don’t see every day, or even every month, to look to Jesus.

So here are our top tips to help us all fulfill our roles as sponsors or godparents:

1. Pray for the child and their parents regularly, making a point of praying that the child will grow up to follow Jesus. Sticking a photo of them somewhere prominent in the living room can be a great memory-jogger.
2. Inspire the child with an age appropriate book or CD each year on the anniversary of their baptism / thanksgiving – things that will help them understand the Bible better. You can check out our godparent page for some great ideas.
3. Make time to take them places they’ll enjoy so you have time to talk with them about things that matter and be a clear role model. One of the best conversations about God I’ve ever had with my eldest godchild was by the jellyfish tank in London Zoo!
4. Encourage them to get stuck in to Sunday School / Kid’s Club / holiday club / drop-in centre / the Christian Union at school – whatever is appropriate for their age and stage. If their parents aren’t believers, go the extra mile and offer to give lifts too. And take an interest in what they’re learning … by chatting about crafts, Facebook-ing about the teaching or sending a text to reinforce a memory verse.
5. Equip ourselves. Let’s make sure we are getting stuck in to our Bibles too… We can only encourage others if we are growing ourselves.