I have a question that I hope someone can answer. I was born into a Christian family (Protestant) and my dh family are Baptists. When (and if) we ever have children, I would like to have them Christened as a baby, my dh, does not. He was never Christened in his church as a baby.
Do Baptists not Christen their children at all? I've heard that it is done when the person is an adult, but I'm still confused.
Our church dedicates babies. Basically, you are saying that you are going to raise the child in the Christian beliefs until the child can make that decision for themselves. Is Christening like Baptism? Our church normally baptizes when the child or adult fells led to get baptized. I don't know too much about Christening... sorry.
I don't know if that helps any, but I hope it does.
okay, I think I'm beginning to understand. What is dedication then. Just promising to bring the child up knowing about God?
Are you just dedicating them to the church or to God?
Christening is baptising the baby in the house of God, in the eyes of God. Not to any specific church.
When you dedicate the baby, you do it at church in front of the congregation. The congregation is a part of the dedication too. Being it that you are a church family, there is a part in the dedication service that the church body promises to help you train the child in the ways of the Lord. The pastor will ask you some questions that you will answer, then will ask the congregation and they will answer.
Basically, you are doing your public stand for your child until your child decides to take a public stand for themselves. First they will accept the Lord and when they feel led to, they get baptized.
The entire thing boils down to what you and your DH see the purpose of Christing. Do you see it as assurance your child will go to heaven, or are you mostly seeing it as a Dedication to God or to joining a church membership?
Which church are you attending? Maybe you could talk to a leader of your church. This is defintly a good time to consider what things you are going to teach your child and which church(es) beliefs are most important to you and your husband. Most church leaders would be very glad to speak with you and your husband about this issue. I've never met a chruch leader of any denomination that wouldn't be glad to disscuss such important decisions. They do study for years to know about just this such thing.
DH and I have been talking about this for a while. We want to get DD dedicated to God the Father in church (we are Born Again Christians who are Independent Baptist), but do not want her Christened. In our last church a member had been christened at birth, but never baptized as an adult, so he was not allowed to join our church (Baptist) unless he got baptized as an adult, but he joined another church in town that did allow it as long as he was a Born Again Christian (a non-denominational church). There are some great books out there about this, like which denominations Christen (Catholic, Epistopalians etc) and which don't (new Weslyians, Baptists, Pentecostals, etc.) and why.
According to Scripture (John 3:16, Romans 10:9) each person must decide for himself or herself to become born again, then they make the decision for Baptism. Personally, if DH had wanted to get DD christened, I would not have made much of a fuss, but I wouldn't have looked at it as any different than just dedication. I would not have seen it as making any difference in her position before God or any change in the state of her soul.
John 3:3
In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.
Many people who don't christen, see it as baptism which according to Scripture appears to be something people only consent to. An infant can't consent to spiritual decisions.
Question for Christian Cysters 
