Baptism

Baptism is a powerful declaration of your faith in Jesus—a public step of obedience that reflects the inner work of salvation. At AnchorPoint, we believe baptism symbolises dying to our old life and being raised to new life in Christ. 

How do I know if my child is ready?

A child’s understanding of Jesus progresses as they grow. Sometimes it is difficult to know when a child is ready to be baptised. A child’s understanding of Jesus tends to develop in the following pattern:

1. Jesus is a special baby. They realise that He’s not like other babies.
2. Jesus is God’s Son.
3. Jesus is a good role model and we should follow his example.
4. Jesus died on the cross for me, and he is alive.

There is a huge difference between knowing the facts about Jesus and making the decision to trust and follow him. Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward decision or choice. If your child has not made that choice to be a friend with Jesus forever, this is still a wonderful time to talk about who Jesus is and what he does for us, but your child should not be baptised at this time.

Each child is unique and will articulate their understanding of what it means to follow Jesus differently. Some questions that can help you discern if it is time for your child to be baptised are:

1. Do they understand what sin is? They can’t understand that Jesus saves them, until they know that they are lost without him.
2. Have they made a conscious decision to follow Jesus, or asked him to be in control of their life?

People make the decision to follow Jesus at all different points in their lives. There is no absolute right or age-appropriate time to make this decision. Follow your child’s lead, and do not attempt to talk them into being baptised. We want them to understand that this is their decision— not the decision of their parents, caregivers or leaders. Enjoy this time as an opportunity to build into your child spiritually.

Explore your child’s understanding of baptism
As children explore who God is and what he means to them, they might begin asking questions about baptism. To more fully understand where they are coming from, it might help to follow up their questions with a question.

You might find that they are asking questions for many reasons including: their friend is being baptised so they also want to do it, they think it looks like fun, they heard if you get baptised you get presents, they are trying to understand what it means to be a Christ- follower or they have chosen to be friends with Jesus forever and are ready to make this commitment public through baptism.

Use the questions listed below (or ask questions of your own) to get the child to put his/her thoughts in their own words. Look up some of the Bible verses together. Ask the child to read the Bible verses or get their ideas on what they mean—in their own words. Using the Bible helps them to understand that this is not just your idea, but that it comes from God.

1. Admit you’ve sinned: Ask for forgiveness.
What is sin? Who sins? Romans 3:23 Do you ever sin? How does God feel about sin? Romans 6:23

2. Believe in Jesus and that he died for you.
Who is Jesus? John 1:1, 14 What did Jesus do for us? Romans 5:8 What must we do with Jesus? Acts 16:31, John 1:12, John 14:6

3. Choose to be a Christ-follower/friend with Jesus forever: Does all this make sense? You have a choice! Romans 10:9–13

Tips: use common, child-centered terms. Consider the words that you use. There are “adult” words and other words that are more kid-friendly. Check your vocabulary. Are your words easy to understand?

Here are some common terms and more child-centred terms;
sin: wrong things, when we think we know better than God, when we do things our way without asking God what His way looks like.
punishment: get in trouble; consequences
crucify: died on a cross
saviour: someone who agrees to be in trouble for you 

resurrection: didn’t stay dead 

ask Jesus into your heart: choose to be friends with Jesus forever and listen to him and trust him; a Christ-follower
leadership or Lord: follow what Jesus says; ask him for help to do the right thing