Belonging: Baptism in the Family of God (Parent's Guide)

Belonging: Baptism in the Family of God (Parent's Guide)Every week, new parents walk into parish offices and ask to have their child baptized. Some of these parents are deeply engaged with their Faith, but often they are not. Perhaps theyre having their child baptized to make their family happy, or as a way to mark their childs birth and to throw a nice party, or maybe it is simply a part of their culture. The new Belonging Parents Guide provides these parents with a deep, holistic, beautiful presentation

Every week, new parents walk into parish offices and ask to have their child baptized. Some of these parents are deeply engaged with their Faith, but often they are not. Perhaps they’re having their child baptized to make their family happy, or as a way to mark their child’s birth and to throw a nice party, or maybe it is simply a part of their culture.

The new Belonging Parents Guide provides these parents with a deep, holistic, beautiful presentation of what a Catholic life will look like for their child and their family. It is more than simply a summary of what the rite itself will be like. It introduces these parents and their child to life as a Catholic. The Parents Guide paints a picture of how their child’s heart, soul, and life will be transformed by their baptism into the Catholic Church.

Those leading Baptism prep at your parish can use the Belonging Parents Guide as a thorough, detailed resource for your prep sessions. The guide engages their interest, by impressing the meaning of the sacrament on them. It also soothes any anxiety they may be feeling about the rite itself by clearly laying out what is expected of them during their child’s Baptism (when to stand and sit, what to say, and so forth). Included discussion questions draw them out during your prep session, to discover the role that the Faith plays in their lives, to help you connect with them and meet them where they are.

The Belonging Parents Guide is structured in four parts:

1.  The Meaning of Baptism - Here, parents will discover a clear and compelling answer to the most fundamental question they are asking, “Why am I having my child Baptized?”
2. The Rite of Baptism - In this section, parents are given the details of the Baptism rite (the symbols, the materials used, the parts of the rite) so they can approach the sacrament confidently.
3. The Role of Parents and Godparents - What are you promising as the parent of the child being baptized? What obligations are you taking on when you agree to be a child’s godparent? All these questions and more are addressed in this section.
4. Raising a Young Catholic - Where do you go from here? Now that your child has been baptized in the Catholic Church, and you have promised to raise them in the Faith, how do you go about that? This section provides practical advice and guidance on how to create a Catholic culture in your home.

The Belonging Parent’s Guide features:

• Gorgeous full-colour layout, which includes inspiring quotes from the saints, from Scripture, and from the Catechism.
• 131 pages of engaging content that will provide parents with value for years to come.
• Thought provoking questions and space to record their thoughts.