What's the difference between a Church of England christening and a United Reform church baptism?

[Lotsalotsagiggles]

Can anyone help re the above? I was brought up church of England and in a lovely c of e school. My husbands family attend a local united reform church and there is pressure to get him baptised there...

Are the ethos the same? Just different modern ways of looking at it...?

In this context baptism/christening - they are interchangeable words.

Also the way they are executed in both churches will be similar. There will be a church leader at the front you, you will go up, you will make some declarations about what you believe. There will be some water put on your child's head.

The buildings will look different...a church can meet anywhere but with an Anglican christening you are probably going to get a traditional church.

Its also worth asking if the URC baptism will be part of their usual sunday morning service or if it will be a separate service just for you and your family.
The Anglican christening is much more likely to be a separate service.

If it was me, I would have your son baptised in a church that has family connections as that is much more meaningful especially if your husbands family regularly attend the church. They will be seeing it as something really family orientated and special (rather than viewing it as them putting pressure on you).

Thanks that's really useful

I get what you mean re the family connection and it is a family church. I feel less comfy with it being part of her service which I know it will be there, mostly as I'm a private person.

So on the invites for the URC I could still put christening?

CofE usually do it as part of an ordinary Sunday service these days, though private ceremonies are still readily available.

You don't need to send invitations for christenings as such (because the host is God, or by proxy the vicar). Just write/email/phinr saying the christening will be held at (wherever) (whenever) followed by cake in the church hall (or whatever) and you hope person you're writing/talking to will join you.

Our local CofE church doesn't do private baptisms. They are all done as part of the normal service.

My GC have been baptised in the URC.

The ceromony could be put at the beginning or the end of the service.

The ones that I have been to are very community/family focused.

As well as God Parents, the immediate family may be asked to go to the front for a blessing.

The music can be chosen and doesn't have to be traditional. It's more of a personal service. But it's been a while since I've been to an Anglican service, so they may be the same.

We had the 'do' in the church hall and it was an open invitation, but the turnout is only small, in our one.

As for you being a private person, do you understand what a Christening is? It isn't a private affair.

Vicar keeps using the word baptism...
Is there a difference?

As far as I know absolutely no difference, just a different word for the same thing. DB is a vicar and I have heard him use both words for the same service. But then I am no theologian.

He didn't christen/baptise our children as we wanted him to be a godparent, (and he was quite happy to have a day off!).

Vicar keeps using the word baptism...
Is there a difference?

The church term for the ceremony has always been Baptism. The colloquial term is Christening (ie make into a Christian) but that's never been what any church calls it officially (the Church of England official liturgy will also call it baptism even though people are understanding about a preference to use the word Christening)

They have the same meaning. Like "ceremony of matrimony" in the liturgy book is understood to mean "wedding"