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.

The Church of England has an excellent website telling you everything you might need to know about Christenings.

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?

Adult Baptism - You are never too old to take this step!

We all have different journeys in life, and if as an adult you have come to know Jesus, or had an experience of God that makes you want to know more, then getting baptised is an wonderful declaration of your faith. It’s a special day for not only the person being baptised but all those family, friends and church members who are there to be part of it.

We are here to welcome you and those being baptised as part of our church family. The Christian faith has at its heart the person of Jesus Christ, and the relationship of love and forgiveness God offers to all who believe in him. 

A baptism service is a special service where those being baptised will be prayed for and will make important promises, water is poured over the person being baptised to signify being made clean and often a sign of the cross is made, a candle is given to you in the service to help remind you to “Shine as a light in the world to the Glory of God”. 

The Church of England has a page dedicated to Adult Baptism which has some good information and a video testimony of someone’s own journey to baptism: Church of England Baptism

How do I arrange a christening?

CHILD Baptism Application Form

ADULT Baptism Application Form

Please complete and return the applicable form to the Benefice Administrator by email: arlevalleychurches@gmail.com