Christening comes from the Christian tradition of baptism. It symbolises the washing away of sin, as well as the joining of the baptised person into the world of Christianity. The Church of England emphasises that it is also a celebration, intended to give thanks to God for giving all of us life. But this only gives us what Christening means symbolically, and leaves the question of the practices that make it up?
To prepare for the ceremony, you need to talk to your vicar. This way you can arrange when the service will be carried out, and how. Things can vary from church to church, and sometimes you can have some say over the way the service is arranged. Often this is part of a Sunday service, with regular church goers in attendance, and other families taking part in the baptism too. But at other times, you might find you can arrange a private service, with just close friends and family in attendance, and just your child named on that day. You may also have a choice between The Book of Common Prayer and Modern Worship as the baptismal reading.
During the ceremony parents are asked to confirm their intentions to bring up the child as a Christian. You will rehearse the standard answers with the vicar beforehand, and may take part in instructional meetings with the vicar in the run-up too. Godparents will also give their commitment during the ceremony, and the vicar will wash the child's head with water, then make the sign of the cross. This symbolises the washing away of sin.
Following Christening ceremonies people tend to get together for a reception. During this godparents may also like to extend silver gifts, showing their commitment to the child, and symbolically protecting the child from evil.
Once you've made the decision to have your child Christened you'll find that the process of carrying out the service and celebration is quite easy. To ensure it runs as smoothly as possible it's best to arrange everything well in advance, and give choices such as godparents careful thought beforehand.
To prepare for the ceremony, you need to talk to your vicar. This way you can arrange when the service will be carried out, and how. Things can vary from church to church, and sometimes you can have some say over the way the service is arranged. Often this is part of a Sunday service, with regular church goers in attendance, and other families taking part in the baptism too. But at other times, you might find you can arrange a private service, with just close friends and family in attendance, and just your child named on that day. You may also have a choice between The Book of Common Prayer and Modern Worship as the baptismal reading.
During the ceremony parents are asked to confirm their intentions to bring up the child as a Christian. You will rehearse the standard answers with the vicar beforehand, and may take part in instructional meetings with the vicar in the run-up too. Godparents will also give their commitment during the ceremony, and the vicar will wash the child's head with water, then make the sign of the cross. This symbolises the washing away of sin.
Following Christening ceremonies people tend to get together for a reception. During this godparents may also like to extend silver gifts, showing their commitment to the child, and symbolically protecting the child from evil.
Once you've made the decision to have your child Christened you'll find that the process of carrying out the service and celebration is quite easy. To ensure it runs as smoothly as possible it's best to arrange everything well in advance, and give choices such as godparents careful thought beforehand.
