How old should a child be to get baptized
Discipleship Ministries | What Is the Appropriate Age for Baptism and…
What is the appropriate age for baptism?
Baptism is part of a lifelong process of salvation, so any age is an appropriate age for baptism. Families seeking baptism for an infant or child, or youth or adults seeking baptism should contact the pastor for consideration of and preparation for baptism. Baptism happens only once, so those baptized as children may "renew and reaffirm" their baptism in rituals of "confirmation" and "reaffirmation of the baptismal covenant."
An expansion on the answer:
According to United Methodist teaching, any age is appropriate for baptism since all persons stand in need of God's grace. Our official paper, By Water and the Spirit, puts it this way:
There is one baptism as there is one source of salvation — the gracious love of God. The baptizing of a person, whether as an infant or an adult, is a sign of God's saving grace.That grace — experienced by us as initiating, enabling, and empowering — is the same for all persons. All stand in need of it and none can be saved without it.
Parents who are preparing to welcome a child into their lives and family by birth or adoption should contact the church pastor to discuss their faith and the pathway to baptism. Youth or adults who have not been baptized and are sensing that they are drawn to a life of faith and sharing in the Christian community should likewise contact the pastor to discuss these concerns. Since all of us, of whatever age, are on a journey and are beginners, baptism is the ritual beginning of life in Christ and is entry into the church.
Infant baptism rests firmly on the understanding that God prepares the way of faith before we request or even know that we need help (prevenient grace). The sacrament is a powerful expression of the reality that all persons come before God as no more than helpless infants, unable to do anything to save ourselves, dependent upon the grace of our loving God.
United Methodists baptize both infants and children, and adults. Does this mean there is no difference? By Water and the Spirit responds this way:
The difference between the baptism of adults and that of infants is that the Christian faith is consciously being professed by an adult who is baptized. A baptized infant comes to profess her or his faith later in life, after having been nurtured and taught by parent(s) or other responsible adults and the community of faith.
Infant baptism and the baptism of adults are both appropriate, depending on the circumstances. By Water and the Spirit recognizes these distinctions:
Infant baptism is the prevailing practice in situations where children are born to believing parents and brought up in Christian homes and communities of faith. Adult baptism is the norm when the Church is in a missionary situation, reaching out to persons in a culture which is indifferent or hostile to the faith.While the baptism of infants is appropriate for Christian families, the increasingly minority status of the Church in contemporary society demands more attention to evangelizing, nurturing, and baptizing adult converts.
So, the question of what age to baptize is related to the circumstances of the individual. If a child is born to believing parents, then baptism is clearly indicated. If the family is not practicing the Christian life with the church, then it is not likely to ask for baptism. Or the family may ask for baptism out of some sense that they "should" do so, in which case the church and the pastor will want to explore the family's desire and work with the family to discern the appropriate path to follow.
In a culture that is increasingly unfamiliar with Christian experience and practice, the church needs to be ready to befriend, counsel, and encourage adults to become disciples and to be baptized. To find out more about this dimension of congregational life, click here.
We strongly urge you to become familiar with the official paper, By Water and the Spirit: A United Methodist Understanding of Baptism, available in The United Methodist Book of Resolutions. There is a study edition of the paper by Gayle C. Felton entitled By Water and the Spirit: Making Connections for Identity and Ministry.
What is the appropriate age for confirmation?
"Confirmation" is a moment of recognition of the work of God's grace in the life of a person previously baptized as well as a full embrace of being a disciple of Jesus in one own's right. In many United Methodist congregations, preparation for confirmation begins when youth enter their junior high school years (seventh or eight grade). A time of preparation may continue through junior high and into the high school years. Most United Methodist churches offer a formal process with a class or group leading to the ritual of confirmation for those who choose to receive it and are deemed ready to do so by their pastor (See Judicial Council Decision #1032.
) Because the timing of confirmation has often historically corresponded to an age when candidates begin to assume adult responsibilities in the wider culture, more congregations in a number of denominations are considering middle or late high school as a more appropriate time for confirmation. Contact your pastor or other church staff for more information about the preparation and timing for confirmation in your congregation.
An expansion on the answer:
In the early church, baptism, the laying on of hands, and Holy Communion were unified into a single ritual moment. Over time the three actions were separated from each other. In Christendom (from the fourth century to the modern period when the church occupied a central place in Western culture), baptism of infants was assumed. Laying on of hands as a confirming sign was left for later, partially because only the bishop could confirm and he might not be available until sometime later. Gradually, first communion happened at a different time.
In the current ritual in our hymnal and book of worship, these separated actions have been reunified in "Services of the Baptismal Covenant." Confirmation is both a strengthening sign enacted by the church and a profession of faith by the person. It is a response of faith to the gracious covenant into which God baptizes us.
Sometimes United Methodists use the word confirmation as reference to the class or preparatory time before the ritual of confirmation. This time or group experience should more accurately be called "confirmation preparation." What is the person preparing for? By Water and the Spirit describes it this way:
When persons who were baptized as infants are ready to profess their Christian faith, they participate in the service, which United Methodism now calls Confirmation. This occasion is not an entrance into Church membership, for this was accomplished through baptism. It is the first public affirmation of the grace of God in one's baptism and the acknowledgment of one's acceptance of that grace by faith.This moment includes all the elements of conversion — repentance of sin, surrender and death of self, trust in the saving grace of God, new life in Christ, and becoming an instrument of God's purpose in the world. The profession of Christian faith, to be celebrated in the midst of the worshiping congregation, should include the voicing of baptismal vows as a witness to faith and the opportunity to give testimony to personal Christian experience.
(Emphasis added.)
Two things should be noted here: One, confirmation is not becoming a member of the church. Baptism already celebrated that! Two, confirmation is a person's first public affirmation of the faith of the church as being his or her own faith. In other words, the confirmand is taking responsibility for living as a member of the body of Christ and for fulfilling God's purposes. By Water and the Spirit illuminates this further:
An infant who is baptized cannot make a personal profession of faith as a part of the sacrament.Therefore, as the young person is nurtured and matures so as to be able to respond to God's grace, conscious faith and intentional commitment are necessary. Such a person must come to claim the faith of the Church proclaimed in baptism as her or his own faith. Deliberate preparation for this event focuses on the young person's self-understanding and appropriation of Christian doctrines, spiritual disciplines, and life of discipleship. It is a special time for experiencing divine grace and for consciously embracing one's Christian vocation as a part of the priesthood of all believers.
(Emphasis added.)
So, confirmation preparation aims at leading youth and others to embrace their vocation — the calling of God to live and witness to the reign of God announced in Jesus Christ.
What if a youth or adult has not been baptized? Can he or she be part of the "confirmation preparation"? Yes, the unbaptized can share in the same experiences. By Water and the Spirit puts it this way:
Youth who were not baptized as infants share in the same period of preparation for profession of Christian faith.For them, it is nurture for baptism, for becoming members of the Church, and for confirmation.
Those who are baptized are also confirmed, remembering that our ritual reflects the ancient unity of baptism, confirmation (laying on of hands with prayer), and Eucharist. "The ritual of the baptismal covenant included in The United Methodist Hymnal makes clear that the first and primary confirming act of the Holy Spirit is in connection with and immediately follows baptism." (By Water and the Spirit)
So how does confirmation relate to the question of age? By Water and the Spirit uses the imagery of the roles persons of differing ages play in a family:
When a baptized person has professed her or his Christian faith and has been confirmed, that person enters more fully into the responsibilities and privileges of membership in the Church. Just as infants are members of their human families, but are unable to participate in all aspects of family life, so baptized infants are members of the Church — the family of faith — but are not yet capable of sharing everything involved in membership.For this reason, statistics of church membership are counts of professed/confirmed members rather than of all baptized members.
And so, congregations and families should consider the maturity of young people in light of the longer journey into adulthood as they plan for the ritual of confirmation. Are youth ready to signify their lifelong discipleship in the sixth grade? Or in the ninth grade? Or at twenty-one? Or thirty-five? Perhaps there is no single, perfect age for confirmation and profession of faith. Can any person ever fully grasp and commit to all that it means to follow Jesus? Perhaps the important thing is recognition on everyone's part that salvation and baptismal living is a lifelong process. If parents, church, pastor, and the confirmands live in expectancy that God's grace will always be inviting us to more faith, deeper discipleship, and newer experiences of our calling, then we will not be tempted to think of confirmation as some kind of "graduation" from church or Christian living.
Daniel Benedict is retired from the staff of Discipleship Ministries.
By Water and the Spirit: A United Methodist Understanding of Discipleship copyright © 1996 Discipleship Ministries. Used with permission.
When Should a Child Be Baptized? (Here's the Answer) ~ RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
When Should a Child Be Baptized? (Here's the Answer)
8:49 AM Dale Hudson
When should a child be baptized? Let's take a look at what the Bible says.
Should children be baptized when they are a baby? Every time someone in the Bible was baptized, it was when they were old enough to make the decision for themselves.
Acts 2:41 says that "those who accepted His message were baptized."
There is no Biblical basis for baptizing babies...so no...babies should not be baptized.
Children should be baptized after they have made a clear faith commitment. It is vital to have a clear process for sharing the Gospel with kids and then take the time to make sure they understand the decision they are making.
We have developed a class for this called Starting Line. It has been used to lead hundreds of kids to Christ and is now being used by churches across the country and around the world. You can read more about it here.
The age of accountability is not a specific age...it varies from child to child as God works in their life. I have found that for most children they begin to understand abstractly around the age of 7.5 to 8 years old. For some children, it might be earlier than this and for some they might be older than this.
Children should be baptized after they have a clear understanding of what baptism means. Kids should be able to articulate why they are being baptized. Many churches have a minimum age for baptism. For us, the minimum age for baptism is kindergarten and again, that is only if the child has made a clear decision and understands what they are doing. The vast majority of the time kids who are baptized in our church are 2nd grade and older. Each church must decide for themselves what the minimum age for baptism will be.
The important thing is to take the time to make sure kids understand what they are doing. Each child who is baptized at our church must first go through the Starting Line class and then a baptism class where baptism is clearly explained. Kids then write out why they are being baptized and read it at their baptism. You can read more about it here.
Kids should be baptized when their parents are in agreement. God has called parents to be the primary spiritual leader of their children. It is vital to partner with them when their children begin asking about baptism. Our job is to provide parents with the tools and resources they need to lead their children to Jesus and then see them follow Him in baptism. Parents should be involved each step of the way.
If a parent says their child is not ready to be baptized, then you should wait. On the flip side, if a parent says their child is ready to be baptized, but the child clearly doesn't understand what he or she is doing, it is an opportunity to come alongside the parent and help them see why the child should wait.
When you partner with parents in this, the great thing is you will see many parents come to Christ and follow Him in baptism with their child. We see this happen every month.
Children should be baptized when they move from "wanting to" to "needing to." There is a difference. A child who wants to be baptized because their friend got baptized or because it looks like fun, is not ready. A child should be baptized when he or she has a sense of Holy Spirit urgency that causes them to know they need to be baptized.
As parents and children's ministry leaders, our role is not to push kids to be baptized nor is it to hold them back. Our role is to simply walk alongside them and have the conversations. As we share with them what God's Word says, He will work in their lives in His time.
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how it goes, how much it costs, what is needed according to the rules of the church
Being baptized, a person is, as it were, born again and begins a spiritual life - this is how it is considered in Orthodoxy.
How to baptize a child in a church? Read in our material
Polina Romanova
journalist
Archimandrite Philip
Switchkar press secretary
and the Komi-Vyryansk diocese
after the baptism of the person, a new world and new opportunities are opened. He receives other rights, but at the same time bears responsibility for this. Now, through the Sacrament of Communion, he unites with God, his life does not end with physical death. He is eternal in the spiritual world. This is one of the main meanings of the Sacrament of Baptism.
What do you need to know about the baptism of the child
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9000
Age 9000 9000 in ideal You need to baptize a child in the first days of life.
It is possible, following the example of the infant Christ, to baptize him on the eighth day after his birth. True, then the Sacrament will pass without the mother of the newborn: she can enter the temple only after a cleansing prayer, and this happens forty days after childbirth. Infancy in Orthodoxy lasts up to seven years. It is believed that such kids are not yet able to be responsible for their actions, so they can take communion without confession.
- But they are not free from original sin - the inheritance of the act of Adam and Eve, - explains the press secretary of the Syktyvkar and Komi-Zyryansk diocese, Archimandrite Philip (Filippov) . - Before baptism, babies are deprived of many opportunities: they cannot receive communion, celebrate Angel Day, which they simply do not yet have, they cannot be prayed for in the Church - only at home. In any case, the choice of the timing of Baptism remains with the parents. It is for parents, and not for grandparents and other relatives, friends and sympathizers.
In favor of early baptism, the clergyman cites a well-known quotation from St. Gregory of Nyssa's essay with the telling title “Against Those Who Postpone Baptism”: “Protect yourself from impermanence and the uncertainty of life. Do not bargain with grace, so as not to lose the gift.
And since, from the point of view of Orthodoxy, it is better not to delay this, then a child can be baptized on any day of the week, regardless of the time of day, however, just like an adult. Better late than never - that's about baptism too.
Godmother and godmother
The godparents of a newly converted Christian actually become his second parents. Now the responsibility for the spiritual and moral life of their child before God lies with both biological and spiritual fathers-mothers.
Therefore, the choice of godparents should be taken seriously. They are better not to "appoint" frivolous people, even if they are childhood friends and just sociable guys. Also, you should not agree to a flattering offer to become a godfather or a godmother, if Sunday morning sleep is more expensive for you than the communion of a little ward and in general you are still far from the church. When becoming a godfather or godmother of a charming baby, one should not forget that very soon he will become a rebellious teenager, and it is you, in alliance with your parents, who will have to protect him from worldly temptations.
- Godparents are fully responsible for the godchild until he reaches the age of 18. Then, as a Christian, he is responsible for himself before God. Orthodox upbringing and education is the work of godparents, and it is good when this happens in alliance with biological parents. This concern includes home education, attendance at liturgies, and other spiritual duties, - Archimandrite Philip explains .
During the baptism itself, it is the godparents who aloud renounce Satan for the baby and unite with Christ and receive their child from the hands of the priest from the font. During the sacrament, the godparents often hold the child in their arms - unless, of course, he himself does not mind. If it was not possible to find both godparents at once, then the boy needs a godfather mentor, and the girl needs a godmother mentor. By the way, godfather and godmother cannot be husband and wife.
Interesting
Godmother for a child
If you are called to be a godmother, then the parents of your future godson or goddaughter trust you and respect you. What do you need to know in order to decide to become a godmother or refuse this offer?
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How to prepare for the baptism of the child
for the child’s baptism should be prepared not only morally, although this is, of course, the most important condition.
Baptismal "accessories" will be required, and in some churches you will have to attend special talks on the topic of baptism.
What do you need? First, the cross. It doesn't matter what it will be kept on around the neck: on a simple braid or a gold chain. Secondly, a baptismal shirt - you can buy it or sew it yourself. In fact, as Fr. Philip, this is not a mandatory attribute of baptism, it's just accepted in church tradition. A clean light undershirt or dress will be enough. Thirdly, candles. They can be purchased before the Sacrament is performed in the temple where it will take place. They will be needed to participate in the procession during the sacrament. Fourthly, the towel is not a small waffle, but a large bath towel.
It is also worth thinking about what to dress your baby in. It is better to refuse sliders. A sandbag or panties "without legs" are ideal: there are moments in the sacrament when the baby's legs should be bare.
How a child is baptized
Baptism can be chamber and collective.
Especially many people who are being baptized gather in the church on the feast of the Epiphany on January 19th. But for the relatives of the baby, this is one of the most important events in life, therefore, as a rule, the day of the baptism of the child is agreed in advance, and it takes place in a chamber - only for this little Christian.
Before the start of the Sacrament, the priest will explain to everyone their role and place in the church: godparents or parents with the culprit of the event in their arms, grandmothers, sister-brothers and other relatives.
Baptism begins with naming prayers, by which the baptized are given their Christian names. From this moment on, the baby acquires a heavenly patron and protector in the form of a Guardian Angel. If there is no name in the calendar that the baby was named at birth, he receives a new one - a church one. So, Elvira can become Emilia, Yana - Joanna, Adele - Aglaya.
Next comes the time of the exorcism of the devil.
The method of exile is the reading of the four prohibition prayers. In them, the evil one is forbidden to deal with a newly converted Christian. As a sign of this, the priest turns to those being baptized and blows crosswise three times in the face of each, pronouncing the corresponding words of the spell.
Now the sacrament participants turn their faces to the west - as a rule, this is the exit from the temple, and the priest begins to ask questions that should be answered loudly, clearly and preferably in unison. Batiushka asks three times twice about whether those who have come renounce Satan, to which, of course, they answer in the affirmative: “I renounce.”
In addition to the verbal renunciation of the evil one, the participants in the sacrament confirm this by action. After the priest's words: "Blow and spit on him," they do it literally. In insulting the demon, the Orthodox, as it were, categorically declares: I have nothing in common with you, Satan, I spit on you and will do this all my life.
Having renounced Satan, the Orthodox unites with Christ. To do this, everyone returns to their original position facing east: with their backs to the entrance, and facing the altar, and again answer the questions of the priest. Several times, with the help of questions, he clarifies the consciousness of the intentions of the parents and godparents of the child, who again respond with prepared formulations. If someone, after the categorical conversation, forgot them, the priest will tell you. Here comes the turn of the godparents. Some of them will have to read the main covenant of a Christian - the Symbol of the Orthodox Faith. And preferably by heart.
- A creed is a set of basic doctrinal truths or dogmas, which briefly states what we Christians believe. If none of those who came by heart knows the Creed, the priest himself can read it, and the rest will try to understand at least something. Ideally, every Christian should not only know it by heart, but also be able to comment on each line.
This is usually the first assignment in Christian self-education. It is easy to find the Symbol of Faith, it is in any Prayer Book or in a book that is simply necessary for everyone and which is called very familiarly: “The Law of God,” explains Archimandrite Philip.
After reading the Creed, the priest reminds the participants of the baptism how to properly make the sign of the cross and bow.
- During the sign of the cross, the fingers must be folded in a certain way, with a “pinch”: the thumb, index and middle fingers together, which means our faith in the Trinity, the ring and little fingers are pressed to the palm - as a sign that Christ was both God and Man . We overshadow ourselves with them like this: on the forehead, on the stomach, on the right shoulder and on the left, then a small bow. We, as it were, invoke the sanctification of God on all our thoughts, feelings and actions. And we are baptized from right to left in honor of the prudent thief, who was crucified on the right hand of Christ and did not swear at Him together with everyone, but simply quietly asked the Lord to remember him in the Kingdom of Heaven, - explains the priest.
Now comes the most important thing. Baptism is impossible without water, since Christ himself was baptized in the waters of the Jordan River. That is why on the Epiphany, despite any frosts, the Russians tend to the font and the hole. The priest blesses the water for the baptism of the child, either right during the sacrament, or, usually, in advance. Don't worry about the baby getting cold: the water for baby baptism is always warm. Before immersion, the priest will anoint the baby with oil, which symbolizes the Grace of God - the forehead, chest, ears, arms and legs. After this, the child is immersed in water three times. Some kids are scared, but someone, on the contrary, likes it. The reaction of the baby during baptism will be the subject of conversation and memories for years to come.
Ideally, a child should be baptized in the first days of life. Photo: Andrey KARA
Now the baby is rightfully considered Orthodox, and a cross is put on him.
It is no coincidence that the cross is called wearable, it is not worn over clothes, as an ornament, it should be literally on the body.
The sacrament of the baptism of a child can be called a double sacrament, because in its process one more is performed. Like baptism, it happens only once in a person's life. This is the sacrament of Confirmation.
- In this Sacrament, a person is given the grace-filled Gifts of the Holy Spirit to lead the Christian life, - comments Fr. Philip. - For the second time in their lives, they are anointed only when they are ordained as bishops, and earlier - when they enter the royal throne, hence the expression "anointed to the kingdom." As with oil, the priest will anoint the child's forehead, chest, lips, eyes, nose, ears, arms and legs.
After all this, it's time for a religious procession - a very small one - around the font where the baptism took place. This is where the candles prepared in advance are lit. Usually at this time, everyone is in high spirits, many willingly respond to the father's call to sing along with the choristers.
After that, the Holy Scriptures are read, and the priest prays for the godparents and their godson or goddaughter.
Immediately after Baptism and Chrismation, the priest carefully cuts off a small strand of hair with small scissors. This is the first grateful sacrifice of a newly converted Christian to the Creator.
The baby's baptism is almost over. It remains only to read the prayers of churching, and for boys this is done in the most holy place of the temple - the altar. Girls, like women, are not allowed there, so prayers are read to them in front of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
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Is it possible to baptize a child in Lent before Easter
deciding to baptize the child with a post, under Easter, that is, on a passionate week, we must remember the restrictions on the food and the strict mood of this period of church life
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Popular issues and popular issues and popular issues and popular issues and popular issues and popular issues and popular issues and popular issues.
Popular issues answers
How much does a child's baptism "cost"?
To name the “cost” of the sacrament, like any other attribute purchased in a church shop, is not entirely correct. This concept is replaced in the temple by the word "donation". Its size is determined in each church in its own way. The baptism of a child is a priceless gift from above, and it cannot be valued in principle. But in order to accomplish it, it is necessary to spend electricity, water, attract people to prepare the temple, invite singers. The donation made by a Christian is a sign of respect for the work of all these people and the needs of the temple.
Is there a difference in the baptism of a girl and a boy?
There is no difference between the Baptism of a boy and a girl, except for the final "chord" when the boy is brought to the altar and the girl is left outside.
How to choose a place for baptism?
Sometimes parents want to baptize their child in a specific church: in an old church in a distant village or a church near their home. Actually, there is no difference. The grace of God through the performance of the sacrament of baptism is so strong that in some cases it can be performed even at home. It is no coincidence that if a child is sick or weak at birth, a priest can perform the sacrament even in a hospital.
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How to baptize a child during the coronavirus: Father John Terauds
The priest told whether it is dangerous to postpone the child’s baptism due to coronavirus
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Capturing one of the main events in a person's life is not prohibited in the temple.
On the contrary, for the rest of your life you will have memories of the most important day in earthly life. But it’s better to take the priest’s blessing for this - just ask permission. By the way, the best position for shooting, as Fr. Philip, - in front of the priest and a little to the side, then you can choose the most successful angle for the main points.
Problems with filming may arise during a general baptism - inadvertently, you can violate the law "On the Protection of Personal Data".
Why lectures before baptism?
Parents who have gathered to baptize a baby are often perplexed: why attend special classes or catechumens before the sacrament, which have now become mandatory in many churches. Somewhere they limit themselves to a short conversation, somewhere they offer a series of lectures. All this is being done with the only good goal - to enlighten the Orthodox, their parents and godparents, to explain to them the meaning of the sacrament and the foundation of the faith they have chosen, to tell them about what awaits them in a new spiritual life.
The goal is awareness.
This is interesting
How to properly baptize Orthodox Christians
The sign of the cross of the Orthodox is different from the Catholic and Old Believers. Why it happened and how to be baptized correctly for an Orthodox Christian - read in this material
| More details Share in the comments: Comments for the site Cackl e when is the best time to baptize your baby, on what days, what is needed for thisYou have decided to baptize your child, but do not know where to start. How to do it? What is needed for this? Priest Sergiy Zvonarev, an employee of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, a cleric of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khoroshevo, will help to figure it out. Read also: The sacrament of Baptism: answers to questions from readers Is it possible to be baptized a second time? Baptism is the second birth. Now almost all parents, regardless of whether they live according to church canons or not, try to baptize their children. Father Sergius, what do you think about this? Priest Sergiy Zvonarev Of course, the desire to baptize a baby in any case is only welcome. However, parents would like to wish a more responsible attitude to the sacrament. Baptism is not a tribute to fashion or tradition, but the spiritual birth of a person for a mysterious life with God, which occurs only once. In the sacrament of Baptism, a person is given the grace of the Holy Spirit, which helps him grow spiritually, strengthen himself in love for God and neighbor. By accepting holy Baptism, a person becomes a full member of the Church and can participate in other sacraments. Faith is an essential condition for receiving the sacrament of Baptism. Of course, it is pointless to demand faith from an infant. Baptism of children occurs according to the faith of their parents, as well as godparents. At what age should a child be baptized?There are no strict requirements: baptize the child when you see fit. However, given the spiritual importance of this sacrament, one should not particularly delay either - usually children are baptized in the first year of life. Is it possible to baptize a child if his parents are not baptized, of a different faith or baptized in non-Orthodox (for example, Catholics, Armenians or Baptists)? It is possible and necessary. The religion of the parents in this case is not a determining factor. Are there any rules about baptizing more than one person at the same time? Can children and parents, brothers and sisters be baptized together? Nothing prevents several people from being baptized at the same time: in our time, 20-30 people are often baptized at the same time. It is possible to be baptized together with relatives. I think that it is a great spiritual joy when close people receive Holy Baptism together. Most couples who want to baptize their baby are not married in the Church. Can they baptize their child? Calling on Orthodox people to enter into a church marriage, the Church, at the same time, recognizes the marriage registered in the registry office as legal. If the child's parents are not married, this does not prevent him from being baptized. Father Sergiy, you know that, unfortunately, there are many single parent families and children born out of wedlock. What to do in such cases? The presence of only one of the parents in the family is not an obstacle to the baptism of the child, as well as other conditions of his birth.
Baptism can take place on any day The question of choosing a name is perhaps one of the most exciting. Despite the fact that, in principle, a child can be baptized with any name, it is customary in the Russian Orthodox Church to baptize children with the name of one of the saints, who is mentioned in the Saints (a list of saints' names). How to choose a church where a child will be baptized and can a child be baptized at home?The choice of the temple where the baptism will take place is more important for the parents than for the baby himself. If you are parishioners of a particular church, then it is better to baptize there. Baptisms at home, as a rule, are performed only under some special circumstances that prevent people from coming to the temple, for example, in the event of a serious illness of a child. On what days is baptism performed? Is it possible to baptize a child in fasting?Baptism can be performed absolutely on any day - Lenten, ordinary or festive. But each church has its own schedule, so when choosing a day for christening, you need to consult with the priest.
It is better to baptize children in the first year of life Who can be invited to become godparents? What responsibilities does this place on them?Orthodox Christians who are not married to each other, and who do not plan a further marriage, can become godparents, since godfathers are spiritually related to each other. The role of godparents is great. It is they who promise to raise the child in the faith. The participation of godparents in the spiritual upbringing of children should be real, not nominal. Today there are all possibilities for this. Priests are always ready to discuss issues of spiritual education of children, in church shops there is religious children's literature that tells about God, faith, the Church. In order to teach godchildren the basics of faith, godparents themselves must understand and be able to explain what and in whom they believe. A godfather can be either a distant or close relative of the person being baptized - an uncle or aunt, brother or sister, grandmother or grandfather, or simply a good friend of the child's parents. When choosing a godfather, of course, you need to be guided by how good a spiritual educator and adviser he can become for your child. What is needed for baptism? How should one prepare for it? In those churches where it is customary to hold catechumens (that is, teaching) conversations, godparents need to visit them in advance. For the baptism of an infant, you need to have a baptismal shirt, a pectoral cross, a towel, and a few candles. All this can be prepared in advance by yourself, or purchased at a church shop. According to tradition, godparents give the baby a cross and an icon of his heavenly patron. Before the baptism of a child, it is advisable for Orthodox Christians to confess and take communion, because on the day of baptism, for the first time, their baby will also take communion with them.     Welcome
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If the name given at birth is not in the Saints, then, as a rule, the consonant name of one of God's saints is given (for example, Karina - Catherine, Inga - Inna, Robert - Rodion), or the name of a saint whose memory falls on the date the birth of a child (for example, January 14 - Basil the Great, October 8 - St. Sergius of Radonezh, July 24 - Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga). With this name, a person is baptized, can participate in the sacraments. This name is written in commemoration notes. 
