In your life, you will face situations when you will need to come up with an impromptu speech. While in some cases, you will be able to bail out of public speaking, baptism of a child certainly isn’t one. Being a godfather or a godmother itself can give you some worries. Combine it with public speaking, and it can become really frightening. Still, with our little help, you can overcome the anxiety and find the right words for this wonderful occasion.
What Should Be Included in Your Baptism Speech
When you are delivering a christening speech, a general advice would be to say everything that comes from your heart. Though, you can always follow some universal tips below:
- thank the people who are present at the ceremony;
- say some good things about those who are close to your godchild, especially his or her parents;
- focus on your godchild by wishing him or her well in the future and talking about the positive moments in the present;
- use humor: it helps a lot, not just to make the speech more interesting for others, but to reduce your anxiety as well;
- end your speech with a toast to show your good intentions;
- do not read the speech from the paper, but rather use brief cue cards not to leave out anything significant;
- and, finally, keep your baptism speech short and concise.
1. A Thank-You Speech
You can build your speech around thanking everyone who has come to the christening, including the parents, grandparents, and friends. Make sure that you don’t forget anyone important. While it might be an impromptu speech, it’s always good to make a list of the people in advance.
Example:
Thank you all for coming here on this day. Thanks to the parents who gave birth to such a wonderful child, so that we can all cheer for little Annie today. I want to express special thanks to all who came a long way to share our joy. Thanks to the priest for this wonderful ceremony and warming our hearts with his inspiring words.
2. A Compliment to the Parents
By complimenting parents of your godchild, say how loving and caring they are, and how happy you are to know them. It would be great to support your words with anecdotes and to mention a few situations when you especially admired them. Mention other family members and compliment them too, to show what a big and amazing family your godchild is lucky to have.
Example:
We have come here together because of Annie and her wonderful parents who brought her into the world. Although Annie is too little yet, I’m sure she sees what a great family she has. Your love to her is strong, and the support that you are showing now will be appreciated by her always.
3. High Hopes for Your Godchild’s Future
Here, you should tell people how unique the baby is and what good features he/she already demonstrates: quick mind, curiosity, or optimism. Talk about the bright future that awaits him or her, based on your observations and hopes.
Example:
Annie, I want to say that we all are here because we love you so much. Although you are new in our family, you have already won our hearts with your beautiful smile and wonderful laugh, and your ingenuous curiosity for this world. We all cheer for you today and wish you nothing but joy in life and a long, exciting, and promising journey!
Of course, this is not all you can say at the christening ceremony. While you can take the examples above and use them, we encourage you to add something personal. If you are in doubt, just look at your godchild once again and let the words stream from your heart.
References
- Busfield, Steve. “A Man’s Guide to Marriage: The Speeches.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 13 July 2010.
- Fraser, Giles. “Here’s How to Give a Speech without Notes, Ed | Giles Fraser.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 24 Sept. 2014.
- Green, Leah. “How to Tell Jokes like a Pro.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 19 June 2014.
- Jones, Jonathan. “Spiritual Masterpieces Can Be Worshipped by All.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 27 Nov. 2008.
- Lancaster, Simon. “In Need of a Perfect Conference Speech, David Cameron? Here’s the Recipe | Simon Lancaster.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 05 Oct. 2015. STEINFELS, Peter. “A Baptism of Blood?” Opinionator A Baptism of Blood Comments. New York Times, 25 Mar. 2000.
- “What Makes a Great Speech?” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 25 Feb. 2011.