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Baptism and Christening Thank-You Notes and Wording
Baptism and christening thank-you wording for godparents, guests, gifts, the priest or pastor, the luncheon host, a baby dedication and an adult baptism.
Edited by Michael KahnUpdated
Heartfelt
Dear Ines and Marcus, Thank you for standing beside us at the font on Sunday as Lila's godparents. When Father Kerrigan asked if you were ready to help us raise her in the faith, you both answered before he finished the question. The baptismal candle you held is on her bookshelf now, and we plan to light it with her every year on the anniversary. With love, Jenna and Owen
Dear Paulina, Thank you for being Nico's godmother, and for the framed verse you gave him on Sunday: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6, KJV). It hangs over his crib, and we are glad you will be helping us keep that promise. With love, Imogen and Patrick
Dear Aunt Marisol, Thank you for the small silver cross you gave Jolie for her baptism. You told us it came from the same shop in Lisbon where your mother bought yours, and we have written that story in her baby book beside the photo of you holding her. Love, Kate and Lionel
Dear Grandpa Ivan, Thank you for the children's Bible with Noah's ark on the cover and Olivia's name stamped in gold. The note you wrote inside the front cover is in your careful printing, and we will read it to her when she is old enough to understand it. With love, Keely and Max
Dear Grandma Kathleen, Thank you for letting Maeve wear the christening gown that you, Dad and I all wore. Mom pressed it the night before, the lace held up beautifully, and you can see in the photos where the hem was let down one more time. We will wash it, wrap it in the tissue you sent it in and keep it ready for the next baby. With love, Leah
Dear Pastor Lyle, Thank you for leading Ophelia's dedication at Cornerstone on Sunday. When you asked the congregation to stand and promise to help us raise her, and the whole room stood at once, I could not stop crying. The dedication certificate is framed in her nursery, next to the photo of you praying over her. With gratitude, Nia and Kwame
Dear Margaret, Thank you for being my sponsor this year. You sat beside me through every Thursday class at Holy Family, answered the questions I was too embarrassed to ask out loud (including which knee to genuflect on), and stood behind me at the Easter Vigil with your hand on my shoulder. I was baptized at forty-three, and I am glad it was your hand there. With love in Christ, Joaquin
Dear Mom and Dad, Thank you for flying in for Lark's baptism and for the candle you had made with her name and the date painted on it. Dad reading the prayer at the luncheon is the moment I keep replaying. We are lighting the candle again at her first birthday. All my love, Juliet
Warm
Dear Lorraine and Peter, Thank you for coming to Isla's christening at St. Michael's and staying for lunch afterward. She slept through the blessing and woke up in time for the cake, which felt about right. We were glad to look out from the front pew and see you there. With love, Nadine and Joel
Dear Uncle Nate, Thank you for the savings bond you gave Ilse at her baptism. It is in the folder with her birth certificate, and when she is older we will tell her that her uncle was planning for her future on the day she was baptized. With love, Lourdes and Ian
Dear Odile, Thank you for the card and the generous check for Jasper's christening. We were sorry you could not make the trip from Minneapolis, so we saved you a copy of the program and a slice of cake in the freezer. The money is going into his college account. Love, Penelope
Dear Aunt Irene, Thank you for hosting the luncheon after Luca's christening. You set out the ham, the potato salad and the white sheet cake with the dove on top, and you had coffee ready for the forty people who followed us back from St. Anne's. Mom and I did not wash a single dish. With love, Marisa
Dear Jules and Priya, Thank you for driving six hours from Asheville for Matteo's baptism. You arrived Saturday night, squeezed into our tiny guest room, and still walked him in circles at midnight when he would not settle. Having his cousins in the front row is something we will point out to him in the photos for years. Love, Kiara and Paolo
Dear Tuesday night small group, Thank you for coming forward with us at Paige's dedication. Seeing the six of you standing behind us at the front of the sanctuary made the promise feel shared. The handwritten blessings you tucked into the card are going in her memory box. With love, Isaac and Pilar
Dear friends at Riverside Church, Thank you for the cheering when I came up out of the water on Sunday. I have been coming to the 9 a.m. service for two years, and some of you are the same people who invited me to stay for coffee my first morning. The towel embroidered with my name and the date is going in my cedar chest. Gratefully, Keisha
Dear Pastor Neal, Thank you for baptizing me at the lake on Saturday, and for the three long talks in your office beforehand when I was still deciding. You never rushed me. My daughter filmed the whole thing from the dock, and I have watched it more times than I will admit. With thanks, Oren
Thank you to everyone who filled the pews at St. Brigid's on Sunday for our son's christening, to Father Nolan for a lovely service, and to his godparents for the promises they made. We are still eating the cake.
Casual
Hi Kenji, Thank you for flying in from Phoenix to be Milo's godfather. You held him through the whole rite without a single tear, his or yours, and the photo of you two by the altar is already printed. The pocket watch engraved with the date will stay in the safe until he is old enough to wind it. Thanks, brother, Jonas
Dear Uncle Pedro, Thank you for coming to my First Communion and for the rosary with the blue beads. I kept it in my pocket during Mass and held it when I went up. Mom says I can keep it on my nightstand. Love, Isabela
Formal
Dear Mrs. Osterman, Thank you for the engraved silver baptism cup for Paxton. His initials and the date look lovely on it, and it now sits on the shelf in his room beside my own christening cup from 1991. Warm regards, Laila
Dear Father Mulcahy, Thank you for baptizing Kieran on Sunday. At the preparation class you explained each part of the rite, so when you poured the water and anointed him with chrism, we knew what we were watching. You also kept the ceremony calm and unhurried when he began to fuss, and both sets of grandparents noticed. With gratitude, Ingrid and Pablo
Dear Pastor Okafor, Thank you for baptizing Natalie at the 10:30 service. Letting her big brother hold the bowl of water was a kind touch, and he has told everyone at preschool about it. We were also grateful for the visit to our home beforehand to go over the vows with us. Sincerely, Josh and Mallory
Short & sweet
Thank you for being our son's godparents. We were glad it was the two of you at the font on Sunday.
Thank you for celebrating our son's baptism with us, and for the little wooden ark. It is already his favorite toy.
Thank you for the christening blanket. She wore it home from church and has slept in it every night since.
Thank you for driving in for the baptism today. Getting you in the family photo by the font made our day.
A baptism thank-you note should name what the person did or gave (standing as godparent, coming to the service, the silver cross or children’s Bible) and add one detail from the day. Three or four sentences is enough. Send notes for gifts, hosting and the officiant within two or three weeks of the ceremony, and a short text or word in person covers guests who came without a gift.
Use your family’s own word for the day. Some families say christening, some say baptism, and many evangelical churches hold a baby dedication instead. The wording here works for any of them; swap in the term your church uses.
Thanking godparents
Asking someone to be a godparent and thanking them afterward are two separate notes. The thank-you comes after the ceremony and is about what they did: the vows they spoke, the candle they held, the trip they made to be there. Name one moment from the service, mention any gift, and if you like, add a line about the part you hope they will play as your child grows. If the godparents are close friends or siblings, the tone can be as warm or as casual as your relationship.
Thanking the priest, pastor or minister for a baptism
A note to the officiant should be about your family’s experience, not the sacrament in general. Thank them for the preparation class or home visit, the way they explained each part of the rite, how they handled a crying baby, or a kind touch like letting an older sibling help. A formal tone suits most clergy, signed by both parents. Many families also give a donation to the church or an envelope for the officiant with the note; if you are unsure what is customary at your church, the parish or church office can tell you. Our pastor thank-you wording has notes for other occasions, from sermons to Pastor Appreciation Month.
Thank-you notes for baptism gifts
Religious gifts often come with a story: the cross from the shop where the giver bought their own, the Bible with a note written inside, the silver cup with the date engraved. Mention the story or the inscription and where the gift is now (the shelf in the nursery, the baby book, the safe). For money or a savings bond, say what it will go toward without naming the amount.
A christening gown passed down through the family deserves its own note to whoever kept it, naming who wore it before and how you will care for it until the next baby. For guests who sent a gift but could not attend, thank them for it and send something from the day, like a program or a photo. For gifts from grandparents, our grandparents thank-you wording has more ideas.
Guests, family who traveled and the luncheon host
Guests who came to the service and the meal afterward can be thanked in person on the day or with a short card. Family who traveled any distance deserve a written note naming the trip and what it meant to have them in the pews. The person who hosted or cooked the luncheon fed everyone, so name the food, the setup and the cleanup they spared you. For other new-baby thank-yous, see our new baby gift thank-you wording.
Baby dedication thank-yous
In a baby dedication, parents and often the congregation promise to raise the child in the faith, and there is no water. Thank the pastor for leading it, and thank any small group, family or friends who came forward with you. Naming the moment the congregation stood or prayed over your child keeps the note specific. The certificate, a framed photo or a handwritten blessing make good details to mention.
Thank-yous after an adult baptism
When you are the one baptized, the thanks goes to the people who walked with you: a sponsor who sat through classes beside you, a pastor who answered your questions before you decided, a congregation that welcomed you. Write in first person and say what you were thinking or feeling on the day, briefly. A single post or note to the whole congregation works, followed by a personal card to your sponsor or mentor.
First Communion thank-yous
A First Communion note can be written by the child, with help. Keep them short and in the child’s words: who came, the rosary or medal they got, and what they did with it. A parent can add a line at the bottom for gifts of money. If a prayer or blessing appears in any of your notes, our thank-you prayers page has wording for thanking God for a child.
When to send baptism thank-you notes
Aim for two or three weeks after the ceremony. With a newborn at home, a little later is fine, and you can tuck a photo from the day into the card. If you quote scripture, use one translation, quote it exactly and name the translation and reference.
Common questions
What do you write in a baptism thank-you note?
Thank the person for the specific thing they did or gave, such as attending, standing as godparent, or the cross or Bible they chose, and add one detail from the day. Use your family's word for the ceremony, whether that is baptism, christening or dedication. Three or four sentences is enough.
How do you thank godparents after a baptism?
Write to them after the ceremony, separately from any note asking them to serve. Name a moment from the service, like the vows or the candle, and any gift they gave. You can also add a line about the role they hope the godparents will play as the child grows.
Do you need to send thank-you notes for a christening?
Yes, for gifts, for anyone who hosted or helped, and for the officiant. Guests who came without a gift can be thanked in person or with a short text, though a card is a kind touch for family who traveled.
How do you thank a priest or pastor for a baptism?
Thank them for something they did for your family in particular, such as the preparation meeting, the way they explained the rite, or how they handled a fussy baby. Many families also give a donation to the church or an envelope for the officiant. If you are not sure what is customary, ask the parish or church office.
Is there a difference between baptism and christening thank-you wording?
The wording is the same. Christening is the word many Catholic, Anglican and Episcopal families use for an infant baptism, while others say baptism. Use whichever word your family and church use, and keep it consistent through the note.
How soon should baptism thank-you notes be sent?
Within two or three weeks of the ceremony is a good aim. With a new baby at home, a note sent a little later is still welcome, especially if it includes a photo from the day.
Can I include a Bible verse in a baptism thank-you?
Yes, if your family is comfortable with it. Choose a short verse, quote it exactly from one translation, and name that translation and the reference. A verse fits well in a note to godparents or to the officiant.