Parent Resource for Children’s Baptism
Is your child ready for baptism?
At Resurrection Church, we encourage you, the parent, to have an ongoing conversation with your child about baptism. Such conversations will allow insight into how much they understand about the purpose of baptism and what it means for their lives and faith.
Baptism is a visible testimony to the world of the new birth that occurs when we are saved by God’s grace, through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism pictures our old self dead and buried with Christ and our new self raised to life with Christ (Romans 6:4-6). Baptism is an act of obedience where we, as believers, follow in Christ’s footsteps and outwardly proclaim the inward change He has made in our hearts.
There is no specific age in which baptism is considered appropriate. However, there is a difference in a credible profession of faith and a mature profession of faith, which leads to a person deciding to be baptized.
A younger child may be able to tell you, honestly and truly, that they believe Jesus is their Savior, that He was crucified, buried, and raised on the third day. They may tell you that they are now saved from sin. This is a credible profession of faith. They believe what they are saying to the best of their ability as a young child.
So, in considering the readiness of your child for water baptism, we encourage you to prayerfully consider the following questions:
Does the child grasp the full weight of needing a Savior?
Do they completely understand that baptism alone does not save them, but rather, it is a profession, or visible confession, of their need for salvation and their recognition of Jesus as the only source of that salvation?
Are they able to pursue a relationship with Jesus outside your teaching and guidance, or even that of the church? For example, do you see them showing a desire and interest in God’s Word and in prayer being a part of their daily activities?
Young children, although capable of understanding the Gospel, often think more concretely (black and white thinking). This is not only ok, it is developmentally natural. As a child grows, their thought process and ability to conceptualize “the unseen” matures. They are able to comprehend more-complex issues. Resurrection Church wants to ensure that, as your child is baptized, they are relying on their own authentic faith, rather than that of their parents.
Here are a few key points to help you in assessing if your child is thinking maturely about baptism:
Can your child verbalize, in their own words, why he or she wants to be baptized? For example, can they:
Recognize sin in their life and that they cannot “fix” this issue in their own power;
Acknowledge that only through Jesus can their sins be forgiven and only through Him are they clean in God’s sight;
Profess that Jesus Christ alone is the source of salvation by grace, through faith in His death and resurrection; and
Understand that Jesus, the Son, was sent by God, the Father, who is sovereign over all?
Does your child truly recognize (and express in their own words) that baptism, in and of itself, does not make them saved but rather, it is an outward profession of God’s gracious gift of faith within?
Does your child express interest in pursuing a relationship with Jesus and the Word, without your direct guidance?
If you are confident your child is able to express the above in their own words and might be ready for baptism or if you have questions and want further guidance, please feel free to contact Mandy Seymour at: mandy@rezfaith.com
We are excited to watch God move in the hearts of children as He draws them close and matures their hearts and faith, through true understanding of the Gospel.