What Is A Welcoming Ceremony?

A Welcoming Ceremony is a very special way of celebrating the birth of your child and welcoming the new arrival into the family and the wider community. It is also a beautiful way to welcome and celebrate an adoptive child into the family or to embrace stepchildren into a new family.

There are two types of Welcoming Ceremonies. One is called a Christening or Baptism, and the other is called a Naming Ceremony. The Baptism is religious, while the Naming Ceremony is not. I can also design a ceremony that combines both.

Married or unmarried couples, single parents and gay parents are all welcome! There is no pressure on anyone to explain their own spirituality or lifestyle. You may have your baby "blessed" at the location of your choice... in your home or other suitable venue like a hotel or reception facility. Some families even hold the ceremony at the beach, in a garden or park, or other beautiful outdoor location.

Every ceremony, whether religious or secular, is unique and offers the flexibility to meet the individual needs, traditions and wishes of the family. I would be truly honored to perform your child's welcoming ceremony and am happy to personalize the ceremony using your own selection of words, poems and readings, or passages and texts from other sources... let me help you create a special memory that you will always cherish!

Traditional Religious Ceremonies

A Baptism is the ceremony or sacrament of admitting a person into a specific religious denomination, while a Christening is defined as the act or ceremony of baptizing and giving a name to an infant. Both involve making promises to raise the child in that particular religion and is the public recognition of the presence of the spark of the Divine within the body and life of every child.

Secular (Non-Religious) Ceremonies

Every community in the world has its own way of marking the birth of a baby. Often, the traditional ceremony of christening or baptism doesn't suit a family who aren't churchgoers as they feel a service of initiation into a religious faith is inappropriate. A baby naming ceremony is the perfect way to welcome baby if you are not aligned with any particular religion or faith group.

A Beautiful Christening or Baptism

If you prefer a religious ceremony, I will place a drop of water on your child's forehead and recite the blessing, while you or the godparents are holding the baby. Your little sweet pea will feel more secure and comfortable with familar people.

I do not "dunk" the baby in a pool of water. It can can be upsetting and unnecessarily stressful for little ones.

A Beautiful Baby Naming Ceremony

While often very spiritual, my Naming Ceremonies are specifically not religious in content, but speak of love, family and the child. During the ceremony, parents state their love for and commitment to their child—just the way they are, and their hopes for the child's future welfare and happiness.

The choice of the given name is important and the naming ceremony serves to identify this new baby as someone who exists as a unique individual—with a name that has meaning. Often, the meaning of the name is explained as part of the welcoming ceremony.

I will then ask each family member if they would like to do the same and bless the child in their own way.

The word baptize is derived from the Greek word baptizo, which actually means "to immerse." Requirements for Baptism differ according to the denomination. Some require total immersion, while others practice the pouring (affusion) or sprinkling (aspersion) methods for the ceremony.

The Christening ceremony usually starts with a short greeting to welcome the participants and guests, followed by a prayer and/or short reading. The child is then blessed with water by the officiant. After this blessing, the parents recite their vows of commitment to support and care for the child, and the godparent(s) make their vow to do the same. Traditionally, the baptismal candle is then lit while the officiant recites a short benedection and/or prayer to conclude the ceremony.

The Christening Outfit

The baby's outfit is almost as big a part of the traditional christening as the bride's is on her wedding day. Although each religious denomination is different, the essentials of a Christening ceremony are broadly similar. The child generally needs a Christening Gown or Christening outfit, usually white in color and should have accompanying shoes and socks. Undershirts may have a symbolic cross embroidered upon them.

Possible additions to the ceremony are a bib and blanket, a satin or eyelet covered bible, boutonniere or bracelet blessed by the minister which can be kept in the child's keepsake box

There are many creative ways to make your ceremony unique and truly memorable. You can include poetry or prose readings and music, decorate the tables and area with flowers, candles or other significant items, or plant a living tree that will grow along with the child. Below are a few more ideas to make the ceremony special:

• Mark the occassion with a book of blank pages in which everyone present can write a special message for the child to read in later years.
• Present symbolic gifts as keepsakes.
• Give your reasons for the name chosen and your hopes for your child's future. Parents can have a section where they make vows to each other or include Memorial section, to remember a deceased family member or friend.
• Include older brothers and sisters, grandparents and other family members in the ceremony. Mention them by name, make a promise, give a gift, etc.

Welcoming Adoptive Children

Although adopting a child requires as deep a commitment and causes at least as much change as giving birth to a baby, it has not been usual for there to be any ceremony to mark or celebrate the event. If the adopted child is a baby, a simple baby naming ceremony may be appropriate, but if the child is older, perhaps even a teenager, a different kind of ceremony may be more appropriate—one with much more input from the child, where the taking of the family name is recognized as the start of a new family relationship by all involved.

Godparents

The idea of a godparent came about because converts to the early Christian church were usually adults whose parents were not Christians. The role of godparent was to provide a Christian mentor to help them in their journey as they embraced their new faith.

The Godparents are generally composed of both a female and male member, not necessarily from the same couple. However only one Godparent is actually necessary. One of the Godparents often needs to be a practicing member of the faith into which the child is being baptized. Godparents may be asked to perform ritual functions during the ceremony, such as holding the child, praying over the child and to make promises for the child's religious growth.

Over the years the role was refined to a supporting one in which other adults agreed to help the parents instruct and inform their new offspring in the respective faith. But this role has been eroded, and these days, for many families, the religious significance of a godparent is less apparent than the honorary status of godparents.

Welcoming Stepchildren

There are many different ways to welcome stepchildren into a new blended family. Older children have usually grown into their names, in which case the focus of the ceremony could be a special welcome of the child into the family and an expression of love and commitment, rather than a formal naming.

Guide' Parents/Supporting Adults

When a secular ceremony is performed, instead of godparents, parents sometimes choose relatives or friends to become 'guide parents', 'supporting adults', 'mentors' or 'special friends'. They can join in the ceremony by holding the child or saying a few words about how they will be there for the child as he or she grows up.