Baptism fr Children at Summit Drive Church
Baptism fr Children at Summit Drive Church Therefre g and make disciples f all natins, baptizing them in the name f the Father and f the Sn and f the Hly Spirit, and teaching them t bey everything I have cmmanded yu. And surely I am with yu always, t the very end f the age. Matthew 28:19 Dear Parents/Caregivers, I am excited that yu and yur child are thinking abut baptism. When we think abut baptism we are reminded f Jesus saving wrk n the crss and Gd s eternal plan fr redemptin. Baptism is a jyus ccasin because it is a public prfessin f an individual s faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism is als an act f bedience, as Jesus cmmanded his fllwers t baptize thers. At Summit Drive Church, we believe that parents shuld be the leaders in the spiritual develpment f their children, s this bklet has been prvided t help yu take advantage f this teaching pprtunity with yur child. It is ur desire t see parents taking an active rle in the preparatin and celebratin f their child s baptism. There are sectins f this bklet that are meant t be cmpleted with yur child. It will help yu t: 1) Teach yur child abut baptism, and 2) Determine if yur child is ready fr baptism, r if he/she shuld wait a bit lnger. Baptism shuld nt be entered int lightly and withut prper preparatin. Bth parent and child must understand what baptism is, why a persn is t be baptized, and when it is apprpriate t be baptized. After yu have cmpleted this bklet, if yu think that yur child is ready t be baptized, then smene frm the Children s Ministry staff will meet with yu and yur child t talk abut baptism and set up a date fr yur child s baptism. Jill Enns Directr f Children s Ministries 2
Baptism fr Children at Summit Drive Church Table f Cntents Parents Preparatin: Key Scriptures.. 4 The Gspel. 5 Cmmn Questins. 6 Parent Child Discussin: Questins 7 Wh, What, Why, Where 8 Child Questinnaire. 9 Child Testimny.. 10 Parent Assessment.. 11 3
Baptism fr Children at Summit Drive Church Parent Preparatin Key Scriptures Yu dn t have t be a Bible schlar t teach yur kids spiritual things! Here are the basics abut baptism. (Lk ver these befre yu sit dwn with yur Child.) Jesus tld us t baptize his disciples (fllwers) Then Jesus came t them and said, All authrity in heaven and n earth has been given t me. Therefre g and make disciples f all natins, baptizing them in the name f the Father and f the Sn and f the Hly Spirit, and teaching them t bey everything I have cmmanded yu Matthew 28:18-20 A symbl f entering int the death and resurrectin f Jesus Or dn t yu knw that all f us wh were baptized int Christ Jesus were baptized int his death? We were therefre buried with him thrugh baptism int death, in rder that, just as Christ was raised frm the dead thrugh the glry f the Father, we t may live a new life. Rmans 6:3-4 It s an utward sign f an inward cmmitment f faith But when they believed Philip as he prclaimed the gd news f the kingdm f Gd and the name f Jesus Christ, they were baptized, bth men and wmen. Simn himself believed and was baptized Acts 8:12-13 4
Baptism fr Children at Summit Drive Church Parent Preparatin The Gspel The Bible makes it clear that Baptism is fr thse wh are a fllwer f Jesus Christ. Yur gal is t make sure yur child understands the Christian gspel and has a persnal relatinship with Jesus Christ. Yur child shuld understand the meaning f sin and that he/she is a sinner, the significance f Christ s wrk n the crss as an atning sacrifice fr sin, and the need t respnd t Jesus by faith. Gd Creates the Wrld Gd created the wrld, including human beings, ut f lve. He created man and wman in his image, and said that everything was gd. The wrld was perfect, and Adam and Eve, the first man and wman, enjyed a clse persnal relatinship with Gd. Gd has made each f us special and unique. He wants t have a relatinship with each f us because we are his creatin, and he lves us. Scripture: Genesis 1-2 The Prblem f Sin There is a big prblem thugh: sin entered the wrld when Adam and Eve disbeyed Gd and ate the frbidden fruit in the Garden f Eden. The sin nature f the first humans became the sin nature f every human that fllwed, except fr Jesus. The Bible tells us that everyne sins. Sin is living in ppsitin t Gd and his ways. Sin separates us frm Gd, because Gd is hly. When we say Gd is hly we are als saying that there is n evil r sin in him. Because Gd is hly, we must be hly. Sin and Gd cannt mix. Thse wh sin will die and deserve the wrath f Gd. Scripture: Genesis 1-3; Rmans 3:23; Ephesians 2:1-3; Leviticus 11:44; James 1:3 Christ s Sacrifice fr Sin Gd lves us s much he sent himself, thrugh Jesus Christ, t suffer the punishment that his wn hliness demands fr ur sin. He paid the penalty fr ur sin by shedding his wn bld. On the crss, Gd placed his full wrath n his sn, Jesus. Gd placed ur sin n Christ s that he might place his righteusness n us. Jesus became an atning sacrifice fr ur sins, tk ur penalty, and satisfied Gd s hly requirement that n sin g unpunished. Scripture: Hebrews 9:22; Isaiah 53:5; 2 Crinthians 5:21; 1 Jhn 4:10 Respnding in Faith Our relatinship with Gd and ur eternal destiny depend n the crss and ur respnse t Jesus. Faith is Gd s wrk in us and the way we benefit frm what Jesus did fr us. We must repent f ur sins and turn t Jesus. Faith is trust in Christ alne fr the frgiveness f sins. We must respnd in faith, therwise we are still dead in ur sins. Scripture: Jhn 3:16; Ephesians 2:8; Rmans 10:9 5
Baptism fr Children at Summit Drive Church Parent Preparatin Cmmn Questins Q: Des a persn have t be baptized t be saved? A: N. Althugh there is n excuse nt t be baptized, nthing can be added t faith as the ne saving act. Faith in Christ alne saves us. Anything else is called wrks based righteusness and is nt the way t be saved. Q: What if I r my child was baptized as a baby? A: We wuld view that as a dedicatin, nt a believer s baptism. They are different. We wuld invite yu r yur child, if yu ve placed yur faith in Christ, t be baptized as a sign f yur faith. Q: Wh shuld be baptized? A: Everyne wh puts their faith in Christ! Anyne wh cnfesses with their muth and believes in their heart that Jesus is Lrd shuld be baptized. Q: What if I was baptized befre, but fell away? Shuld I be re-baptized? A: N. We dn t see anyne in the Bible being baptized mre than nce. Yu ll need t repent regularly fr the rest f yur life, but yu never have t be re-baptized. It is a ne-time event. *That s why we cautin parents with yung children under 8 years f age wh want t be baptized. Often if children are baptized when they are yung, they will want t be re-baptized later n. 6
Baptism fr Children at Summit Drive Church Parent Child Discussin Questins Parents, nw is the time fr yu t sit dwn and have a discussin with yur child t make sure yur child understands the gspel. We suggest that yu let yur child try and answer the questin first, but that yu tell them yur answer t. Take yur time, and d this tgether Gd Created the Wrld Why did Gd create the wrld? Was Gd happy with the wrld he had created? Why did gd create peple? What makes peple special/different frm everything else Gd created? Read tgether: Genesis 1:27-31 The Prblem f Sin What is sin and what happens t peple wh sin? What happened with Adam and Eve? What did they d? Has everyne sinned? What abut really nice peple? Can yu remember any sins yu ve dne? Read tgether: Rmans 3:23 Christ s Sacrifice fr Sin Wh is Jesus Christ? What made him different frm everyne else? Why did he die n the crss? Hw des Jesus death and resurrectin save us? Read tgether: 1 Jhn 4:10 Respnding in Faith What must a persn d t be saved? Hw d we get frgiveness frm Gd? D we just have t be really gd t make Gd happy? Why is it gd news that sins can be frgiven? Read tgether: Rmans 10:9 A nice way t summarize this discussin time, if yur child is ld enugh, wuld be t read Ephesians 2:1-9 tgether. 7
Baptism fr Children at Summit Drive Church Parent Child Discussin Wh, What, Why, Where Parents, this is meant t help yu explain what baptism is. Use the discussin questins belw & thers that cme t mind. Wh gets baptized? Let s read the Great Cmmissin (which is Jesus big assignment fr us) tgether and see wh is suppsed t get baptized Jesus said: Therefre g and make disciples f all natins, baptizing them in the name f the Father and f the Sn and f the Hly Spirit Matthew 28:19 What d yu think a disciple is? Wh is the them in that verse? Wh gets baptized? D yu think yu are a disciple? Hw cme? What is baptism? What happens? The wrd baptism means t put in the water. Read this stry abut smene getting baptized, and see what Baptism is: As they travelled alng the rad, they came t sme water and the eunuch said, Lk, here is water. What can stand in the way f my being baptized? And he gave rders t stp the charit. Then bth Philip and the eunuch went dwn int the water and Philip baptized him. Acts 8:36-38 What happens t a persn when they get baptized? Wh des it t them? Why d peple get baptized? Shuld I? Nw we knw that disciples are the nes wh get baptized and being baptized means smene else dunks yu in water but WHY? Let s read Rmans 6:3-5 t see why peple get baptized: Or dn t yu knw that all f us wh were baptized int Christ Jesus were baptized int his death? We were therefre buried with him thrugh baptism int death, in rder that, just as Christ was raised frm the dead thrugh the glry f the Father, we t may live a new life. S what des that mean? Wh are yu being like when yu get baptized? Where d peple get baptized? Let s read Acts 2:41 t see where peple get baptized: Thse wh accepted his message were baptized, and abut three thusand were added t their number that day. D peple get baptized in frnt f ther peple, r alne, s n ne can see? Why d yu think baptism is dne in frnt f lts f peple? 8
Baptism fr Children at Summit Drive Church Child Questinnaire Children, this is fr yu... Try it withut any help! 1. Being baptized is which f the fllwing: a) smething all kids d b) fr all kids whse parents g t church c) fr kids & adults wh have decided t fllw Jesus d) fr kids wh are really nice 2. Baptism is when yu: a) g t church and pray t Gd with thers b) get put under water because yu lve Jesus c) sing in a kid s chir d) turn 9 years ld 3. Jesus said that peple shuld get baptized: a) in rder fr Gd t lve yu mre b) because yu can t g t heaven if yu dn t c) even if yu re unsure abut it d) t shw thers that yu want t fllw Him frever 4. I am ready t get baptized if: a) I believe that Jesus died & came back t life b) I trust Jesus has washed away my sins c) I want everyne t knw that I am a Christian d) All f the abve 5. T be saved by Jesus means: a) Yu n lnger d bad things, like yu used t b) Yu make Gd happy by ging t church c) Jesus frgives and helps yu because f yur faith, nt because f what yu d d) Jesus frgives and helps yu because f yur faith and because yu started ding mre gd things 9
Baptism fr Children at Summit Drive Church Child Testimny Kids, write yur answers, with n help at first D yu want t be baptized? Yes / N (Circle yes r n) If yes, why d yu want t be baptized? What des it mean t be a Christian? When did yu becme a Christian? D yu believe that Jesus has saved yu frm yur sin? D yu prmise t fllw Jesus fr the rest f yur life? 10
Baptism fr Children at Summit Drive Church Parent Assessment Parents, we want t cautin yu here. It s very tempting t just assume yur child is ready t be baptized. We ll ultimately leave it t yur discretin, but here are a few things t cnsider befre yu say yes: (yu dn t have t write yur answers) Des yur child truly grasp the weight f his/her sin? Des he/she understand Jesus wrk t clear him/her f that sin? Have yu prayerfully cnsidered yur child s faith, and d yu feel like baptism is the next step f his/her faith? Or shuld he/she wait? Are yu cnvinced yur child is making this decisin because f his/her wn faith, nt because f pressure he/she feels frm yu r the church? Parents, thank-yu fr taking the time t walk thrugh this very imprtant tpic with yur child! If yur child is ready fr baptism: Cntact the Directr f Children s Ministries t set up a Baptism Meeting with smene n the Children s Staff and t set a date fr yur child s baptism. If yur child is ging t wait t be baptized: Dn t fret! Keep praying fr yur child s faith. Keep fstering that faith in yur hme until yur child is ready t make this decisin. Please cnsider keeping this ntebk as a way t lk back n this imprtant time in yur child s life! 11