Christenings

 

If you are considering christening either for yourself or your child, we would love to welcome you into the Christian faith and into membership of the church. Baptism is much more than a naming ceremony, it is a celebration of your journey with God.  At a christening service, your child will be baptised. Through christening, we are made Christ’s or Christ-ened. We belong to Him. We are also happy to christen older children and adults – though we encourage adults to take the opportunity to explore their own faith before they are christened.

When can we have a christening?

Your child can be christened either at a morning service or a separate occasion depending on the availability of the incumbent. 

What happens at a christening?

During the service each child will have the sign of the cross marked on their forehead with oil, and have the water of baptism poured on their head in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and at the end of the service they will be given a lighted candle (held by another member of the family!) and be invited to ‘shine like a light in the world, to the glory of God the Father’. All these actions combine to assure the person being christened that they belong to Christ, have a once and for all assurance of God’s forgiving love and have become part of the Christian community.

What are we promising at a christening?

Bringing your child to be christened requires some degree of commitment from the parents and godparents, and so they should have been christened themselves. During the service parents and godparents are asked:

• To say that they are willing to encourage the children, by teaching and by personal example, to pray and to go to Church.
• To declare their own belief in the Christian Faith.
• A child should have three godparents, two of the same gender as the child and one of the opposite gender. Parents can also act as godparents so each child can manage with only one other godparent. The godparents should be over 16 – in order to be fully aware of the responsibility which they are taking on.

How much does a christening cost?

Nothing. There is no fee for a Christening, but we do always invite baptism families and their guests to make a donation to the church!

Can I be christened as an adult?

Yes – it is never too late to think about being christened, though since you will be making the promises for yourself you will need to have a conversation with the incumbent about your beliefs and your desire to be baptised. You may well be invited to join an adult Nurture course to help you understand the Christian faith and you may also want to have your faith confirmed at a service of confirmation.

How do I arrange a christening?

Please telephone the Benefice Administrator:
Penny Forbes on 01962 733545 or email arlevalleychurches@gmail.com
for more information. Office hours Monday to Friday 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

The Church of England has an excellent website telling you everything you might need to know about Christenings, so please look up this link.