Is Your Child Ready to be Baptized?
What is Baptism?
Baptism is the way to go public with your personal decision to follow Jesus. There are three sides to this:
- An expression of faith | Baptism does not make you a follower of Jesus. It’s an expression of your faith and commitment to Him. Every example we see in the Bible shows a person first coming to believe in Jesus and then being baptized as an expression of that belief.
- An identification | Baptism is how followers of Jesus are identified. See Matthew 28:19 (NIV).
- A lifelong commitment | According to Scripture, Baptism is just the beginning in our commitment to follow Jesus.
Who should be Baptized?
Every person mature enough to make a personal decision to follow Jesus should be baptized. Passages such as Acts 2:41, 8:12, and 10:47-48 make it clear that baptism follows a person’s decision to trust in Jesus for salvation.
Is my child ready for this?
The answer to this question depends on your child. Baptism is for someone who has made a decision on their own to follow Jesus with his or her life. They realize that sin separates them from God and that only Jesus’ death on the cross can bridge the gap between them and God. If your child has come to that point in your spiritual journey, then they are ready to be baptized
How do I know that they are ready?
This is a great question! When it comes to baptizing children at The Ridge, we like to use the phrase, “Wait until they can articulate.” Your child is ready to take this great step when they can articulate when and why they made the decision to trust Jesus, as well as why they want to be baptized.
If your child expresses interest in Baptism, your first question to them will want to center around why they wish to.
- If your child explains that they made the decision to trust Jesus as their savior, be their “friend forever”, or be the leader of their lives and they want to go public with that decision, then they may be ready to take that step. Your child can sign up to be baptized at any of our Baptism services or Baptism Bash events.
- If your child answers because some friends are, or a relative wants them to, or they think they might be old enough, it is probably best to wait. You can use this time to lovingly help your child understand what it means to follow Jesus and what Baptism is.
What are some ways to talk about Baptism at home?
At The Ridge, we like to help kids understand Baptism as the way to go public with their decision to follow Jesus. There are several ways you can compare this to objects at home:
- One example is a football player. A Packers player became a Packer when he initially signed the contract. However, he puts on the jersey in the game so everyone knows what team he plays for. Making the decision to follow Jesus is like signing the contract, and being baptized is like putting on the jersey.
- Another example is a wedding ring. Married couples wear wedding rings to publicly say they are married. Baptism is the way for someone to publicly say they are committed to following Jesus.
How do I begin to talk to my child about following Jesus?
This is an AWESOME QUESTION. We have this Conversation Guide that is very helpful.
We would also invite you to come to one of our upcoming “Start Here” events. Start Here is short presentation for the family where they're equipped to have the conversation about starting a relationship with Jesus together. Start Here events typically happen at a campus a few weeks prior to a Baptism.
What should I do after my child’s baptism?
First of all, celebrate the big day! We’d encourage you to invite as many friends and families to be a part of this big moment!
Next, if they aren’t already, we’d encourage your child to join us at Ridge Kids. Your child will meet caring adult leaders and other kids who will help your child continue to take steps to follow Jesus.
Questions? Email us
Find out more about Child Dedication at The Ridge HERE.
