Baptizing your child can be a wonderful experience. This ancient ritual centers around cleansing a child of his or her original sin and welcoming the little one into the church. Of course, plenty of parents have questions about how to get this process started. If you are thinking of having your child baptized in the coming months, now is the perfect time to find answers. Look over these suggestions and get a better feel for how baptism works and what you need to do.
Godparents
Before you begin the official process of booking a baptism, you may want to take care of the more enjoyable aspects of the process. Selecting who will be the godparents to your child can be a fun and interesting journey. Sit with your significant other and have an open conversation about who you think would make a good candidate. Your partner will likely also have a few ideas for who will work best. Before setting anything in stone, determine together which people will actually fill these roles in a way you appreciate.
While most churches do not put restrictions on who you can select, there are still some organizations that are behind on the times. For example, a majority of churches are not going to care if you select a godfather and godmother who are in no way connected. Still, certain religious factions may prohibit you from picking anyone other than a married couple to act as godparents. Reach out to your church and learn the exact requirements, as this will help guide you through the early stages of planning.
Church Coordination
After getting a feel for who you’d like to be the godparents, it is time to start working out the details with the church. Again, a number of factors are going to depend largely on the organization you belong to. Some churches prefer to take care of all baptisms on the same weekend. This means you will not have much control over the exact date and will likely need to share the spotlight with a few other families during the services. Of course, other churches are less rigid in how these events are planned and don’t put limitations on dates.
Unlike a wedding, which needs to be booked far in advance due to the nature of the gathering, a baptism can typically be booked with shorter notice. For the most part, you can schedule this roughly two months before the date of your choice. In some cases, the priest responsible for the ceremony may ask you to bring the godparents in so that everyone can meet and go over the general responsibilities involved with the affair.
After-Party
Once you’ve selected the date of the baptism, you can start planning for the events held immediately after. Usually, the family of the child will host a small gathering to thank the family members and friends who came out in support. Since baptisms are typically held earlier in the day, your best bet is to plan for a late lunch or early dinner. Depending on your budget and the size of the crowd, you can either think about inviting everyone back to your place for food or make reservations at a local restaurant.
The decision to bring your child into the light of the Lord can be an exciting one. To make sure this experience is more joyful than it is stressful, it is best to take care of all the preliminary work as early as possible. Find fitting godparents approved of by your partner and your church, select a date and consider what refreshments should be served to guests at the after-party. Soon, you will be ready to help your little one along the big journey ahead.
Add Your Comment