Christening Church Donation

[Gracie300]

My husband and I are disagreeing about the donation amount to give to the church for our daughters christening tomorrow. Anyone care to share the amount they gave?

I would really like to know this too and of people would give more if they are having twins christened.

I gave 50 pounds

Do you go to the church regularly? If you give every week anyway, I would probably give a bit less (50). If this is a one-off then I would say more.

£50 is the amount the office suggest at my local church if people ask

£50?!

I'd chuck in a tenner max!

£50, probably the same for twins.

But the point of the Christening should be joining the church. Just pay what you can afford.

Oh god I was thinking £100! Husband thinks £50. We do go regularly.

Our church had a suggested amount of £100. We have a bit more as there were a LOT of extra people at the service and demolishing the tea and biscuits afterwards which the church provide and we didn’t want them out of pocket.

We gave £100.

Depends on how much you can afford. If you only want to chuck £10 at the vicar why bother with the christening in the first place.
I’m no Sunday worshipper but it doesn’t feel wrong to want the ceremony of a church christening but quibble over the cost.

DOES eel wrong !

Feel .... although ells are good too

We go every week. We weren't asked for any donation for either of our DC's baptisms.

£10 for a Christening . I know not you OP.

If you’re regular churchgoers and you believe in christening, as opposed to those who just do it out of form, I would say 100. But it all depends on your income and finances. I think it should be enough for you to feel the hit but not enough to make you struggle.

newmomof1 do you think the vicar and the church warden's time to open up the church and conduct a special service for you is worth so little?
OP I think £50 sounds fine. I'm surprised there isn't a set or suggested fee, I'm sure there is for weddings.

We also had to pay £50 for the organist.

Private or part of the standard service?

There will usually be a plate for guests to donate as well.

do you think the vicar and the church warden's time to open up the church and conduct a special service for you is worth so little

Ours were part of normal morning mass. No extra expense other than the cost of the baptism candle.

I did a quick google for registry office fees for a naming ceremony and they are £100-200, so actually your £50-100 sounds like a bargain. I think it is relevant whether the christening is part of their regular service or they are opening the church just for you and your guests, and also if there are other families having babies christened at the same time.

Fair enough dappled things that makes a difference but a tenner is still pretty tight.

We are regular attendees so weren't asked for a donation, although we did give £50. Non-attendees give between £50 -£100. Although it's a request not a demand for payment.

It’s not part of the normal mass (just after) and only our child getting baptised.

We did ask the priest if there was a suggested amount and he said ‘anything’!

£10 for the vicar to stay on after having conducted a full service strikes me as a bit tight. You're getting a venue and someone's time.
I'd say £50-100.

A tenner is too little - better not to bother at all than to be insulting!

It depends on what you can give, really, but if you are getting your child christened then the institution of the Church must be important to you so I would try and be as generous as possible. I would say £100 if you are regulars, £150 or £200 if you aren't, but only if you can afford it.

The church would rather you paid less and had your child christened than not have them christened at all, so don't worry about it too much.