Can i be christened?

Question

i am 18years old and not christened. my boyfriend and his family are all christened and i wish to be too. How do i go about being christened? Do i have to do anything in particular first?

Please help me

Answer 1

When you're 18 we'll call it baptism. And of course you can be baptized! If you believe in God, Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Bible, any minister will be happy to baptize you. You may be asked by the minister to go through a period of study so that you know what's in the Bible and what that sect of Christianity believes. But no one's going to push you away because you're an adult. In fact, they'll be all the happier to have you. If your boyfriend goes to church, go with him and talk to the pastor after next Sunday's service. If he doesn't regularly go to church, then check out some of the different denominations in your area. I'm Orthodox and it would take you until next Easter to join our faith, but churches like the following won't take long at all:

http://www.covchurch.org/

http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b....

http://www.churchofgod.net/

Answer 2

Depending on the form of Christianity you have in mind, it may or may not be an option.  Most ceremonies are reserved for infants.

You don't necessarily have to do anything, call the church offices or talk to one of the clergy after a service and they could probably start you on the right path, or inform you of an equivalent ceremony for adults.

Hope that helps!

*cheers*

Answer 3

Children in some Protestant churches, such as the Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches, and in the Roman Catholic, Greek, and Russian Orthodox churches are christened in infancy.  At this point, christening is essentially a promise made to the child and to God that the parents make to bring up the child in the way he or she should grow, providing for his or her spiritual health and education.  Later, when the child reaches an age of accountability, after a series of classes, he or she is confirmed as a full-member of his or her local church as well as his or her denomination.  

Some faiths, most notably the Baptists, don't christen children, but only baptize (immerse as opposed to sprinkling) believers who supposedly have the emotional and intellectual maturity to decide for themselves questions of faith (usually around 10- to 12-years-old) as an outward sign of their belief in Jesus Christ's death on the Cross and his Resurrection.  

Similarly, all churches accept adult believers as members of their congregations usually after they have attended classes that ensure they understand what church members believe and what their duties are.  After attending classes or receiving counseling, they then are baptized.  This can take the form of either total immersion or sprinkling.

Deciding to follow Christ is a decision not to be taken lightly, so make sure that this is what you really want to do even if you break up with your boyfriend.  I'm sure his  pastor or priest would be happy to talk to you about starting this life-long process of being a follower of Jesus.

Yours in Christ,

Evelyn