Christening at Woolacombe, Mortehoe and Lee. 

Your child is precious to you and precious to God. You want the very best for them, and so does God. You want them to make right choices in life, for themselves and for others.

A christening is just the beginning of this and so much more.

Over the years to come, it’s a journey you’ll share together with your child by:

• Being there for your child to talk to about the bigger questions of life – questions about hope, faith and love.
• Praying for your child through the ups and downs of their faith journey.
• Showing them practically how to make those good choices in life.
• Helping them to learn more about their Christian faith, through their church and in other ways.

So, it’s a commitment to start as you mean to go on.

Whether you’re exploring the possibility of a christening or whether you’ve already decided, the Rector will be delighted to hear from you to talk about it.

You can 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 Rector 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.

Some questions people ask:

‘Is a Baptism different to a Christening?

There is no difference between a christening service and a baptism service.

Some churches will use the word ‘baptism’ and some the word ‘christening’. The moment when your child has water poured or wiped on their head is the actual baptism and is at the heart of the service.

Babies are baptized during a christening service just as couples are ‘married’ during a ‘wedding’ service.

‘Do parents have to be Christened?’

You can have your child baptized at a christening regardless of whether or not you, the parents, are baptized.

It is only the godparents who are required to be baptized, (so the only time a parent would have to be baptized is if they were also acting as a godparent).

‘What is a God-parent expected to do?’

Godparents are among the most important people at a christening, who make big promises to encourage their godchild to grow in faith and commit to helping them understand how to live their life in a Christian way.

Alongside your godchild’s parents, you will give your time to your godchild to talk to about the bigger questions of life – questions about hope, faith and love.

Model and encourage them to develop Christian values – being kind and compassionate towards others, being generous towards others in need with time or money and standing against things in the world that cause injustice and suffering.

Pray for your godchild through the ups and downs of their life and their faith journey.

Show them practically how to make good choices in life, for themselves and for others. This might mean talking to them about how to stay healthy, how to resist temptations that can harm us and other people, how to care for God’s amazing world and how to handle peer pressure as they grow older.

Help them to learn more about the Christian faith, through their church and in other ways. Going to church with them, talking about what the Bible shows us and helping them learn how to pray are all brilliant ways to support your godchild.

It’s a demanding role, but help is always at hand, through your church, online, and of course from God, who will bless all you do to help your godchild.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact the Vicar, Revd Susan Oldham