BAPTISM and your child
We are so excited that you are considering baptism for your child! We know that every child can have a personal relationship with Jesus (Matthew 19:14) One step towards developing a passionate relationship with God is the decision to be water baptized.
We advise parents to wait until their child is asking to be water baptized. This is usually a good indication that they are ready to be baptized and that it will be a spiritual milestone in their life. While younger children under the age of 6 can have a relationship with Jesus, they will not necessarily remember or understand the significance of the event, so we encourage parents to wait for baptism until they are a little older.
As you discern if your child is ready to be water baptized, here are some questions to ask your child. The following answers show that your child understands what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus and be water baptized.
1. When did you decide to follow Jesus and accept Him in your heart?
● Your child should have a specific memory of when he or she understood what Jesus did, and accepted His free gift of salvation. This may have taken place at church, at home, or even at a time when they were alone.
2. What does it mean to be water baptized?
● It means I’m following Jesus; It’s a picture of what Jesus has done on the cross.
3. Why do you want to be water baptized?
● Because Jesus was and he tells us to also; because I’m a friend of Jesus and I want to follow Him.
Is my child ready to be baptized?
Your child is ready:
● If you feel your child understands what it means to be water baptized, then we’d love for you to read through the water baptism devotional with them.
Your child is not ready:
● If you don’t feel your child understands what it means to be water baptized, I would encourage you to wait. There is no need to rush this step. At the Dwelling church, we will continue to have opportunities for your child to take this step when they are ready. During this time, let your child observe water baptism and talk to them about what it means. We’d love for you to read through the water baptism devotional with your child and spur them on in their personal relationship with Jesus.
Water Baptism Devotional:
Whether you feel as if your child is ready for the step of water baptism or not, walking them through this devotion is pivotal in their understanding of why we get baptized in the first place. I cannot think of a better person to teach your child why we get baptized than you, you are the number #1 spiritual influence in the life of your child!
When I think about baptism, I have to think about order. In life, there is an order to everything we do from the way we put away dishes to the way we pack our suitcase for a trip. In those instances, the order in which you do it does not necessarily matter. When it comes to putting on your socks and shoes the order does matter. What would happen if you put your shoes and then your socks on? You would probably look funny! To do it in the right order you would first put on your socks and then your shoes. When it comes to our walk with God there is an order in the way we do things. Let's take a moment and look at the first thing we need to do to ensure we are following the order that God has set out for us. Then we will dive a little deeper into why we get baptized.
Accepting Jesus into our hearts
Before any other step in the process of becoming a disciple of Jesus we first need to accept Jesus into our hearts.
Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
No matter who we are or what we have done we have all fallen short of God's glory. We have all sinned, what is sin? Sin is an archery term, it means to miss the mark. Missing the mark could mean many things. For instance, your mom or dad asks you to clean your room but you never end up not doing it. That is missing the mark, that is sinning. What happens when we sin is that it separates us from God. Sin unresolved ultimately leaves us eternally separated from Him and there is nothing we can do to fix it. However, there is something God has done to fix it and that is sending His one and only son.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
By accepting Jesus into our hearts, we are not only reunited with God we are also given eternal life. If you haven't accepted Jesus into your heart that is your first step.
Parents here is a prayer you can pray along with your child to help them take their this step:
“Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Lord, for saving me and for answering my prayer amen”
Now that you have said yes to Jesus, being baptized in water is your next step in following Him. Let’s take a moment to talk about why we get baptized.
Why we get baptized
It is what He has called us to do.
So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end. -Matthew 28:19-20 NIRV
When we get water baptized we are living in obedience to the thing He has called us to do.
2. Following His example
A follower of Jesus does not just learn about Jesus, but follows Jesus and does the things He did. The reason we should get baptized in water is because Jesus did and He told us to also. Take time right now to read about Jesus’ baptism in your Bible in Matthew 3:13-17.
3. It's an outward picture.
3 All of us were baptized into Christ Jesus. Don’t you know that we were baptized into his death? 4 By being baptized, we were buried with Christ into his death. Christ has been raised from the dead by the Father’s glory. And like Christ we also can live a new life. Romans 6:3-4
Baptism is a picture of what Jesus ultimately did in his death, burial, and resurrection. When we go under the water it symbolizes His burial, when we come up out it symbolizes His resurrection and because of what He did we can walk in the newness of life.
If you are confident in your child's complete understanding of water baptism please complete the registration process. We cannot wait to celebrate this incredible next step in your child’s walk with Christ.