During a christening your child will be baptised with water. It’s the start of an amazing journey of faith for your child and a special day for all your friends and family.
Contacting the church
One of the first things you will need to do is be in touch with your local church. Whether you speak to an administrator, a friendly parent from the church, or the vicar, they will be glad to hear from you.
Whether you’re exploring the possibility of a christening or whether you’ve already decided, the vicar will be delighted to hear from you to talk about it.
You can always have your child christened in your local church, and it’s good to make a connection locally so your child’s church family is close by. When you call the church, you may be able to book a date straightaway or someone may call back. You’ll meet the vicar with your child to talk through the service and to help answer any questions you may have.
Or, if you have a strong family link to a different church, you can ask the vicar there about having a christening.
Choosing godparents
Choosing the right people as godparents for your child is a big decision. Here are some key things which might help you decide:
Godparents will be people who’ll be in touch with your family for many years to come. They may be relatives or friends of the family.
They’ll be people who you know you can trust and who’ll be there for your child to talk about the bigger questions in life; questions about faith, hope and love.
They should feel ready to make some big promises about faith for your child in church.
Every child should have at least three godparents, two of the same sex and at least one of the opposite sex to your child. Although there is no official maximum number of godparents, three or four is usual. If you’d like more than that, talk to your vicar about the practicalities and they’ll be pleased to advise.
Parents may be godparents for their own children, providing they have at least one other godparent.
Because of the very special role they have in supporting your child’s faith journey, godparents must be baptised themselves. Ideally they should be confirmed too.
If you’re thinking about asking someone who is under 18 to be a godparent, talk to your vicar first. There’s no minimum age for godparents, but they must be mature enough to understand the responsibilities they are taking on; your vicar can help you decide if this is the right choice for your child and the young godparent.
