How to Decide if your Kid is ready to take the plunge-Let’s talk Baptism.

As many of you know our annual worship service at the river is at the end of August. This is a time when people of all ages step out in faith and choose to be baptized.  In RiverKids we talk to your kids about baptism.  We explain to them about the upcoming service at Fort Ouiatenon, what baptism means, and why we as Christ followers do it. It is important that you chat with them too.  Let’s be honest, if you think about it from a kids perspective, it is kind of weird. You get in the water with your clothes on, then someone, that you don’t really know all that well, dunks you in the water and brings you up and everyone claps. For some kids this can seem scary. For others it sounds like a pool party!

How do you as parents figure out if your child is really ready to choose baptism, and how you do encourage your timid child without pressuring them to make a decision they are not really ready to make?

Great questions! Anyone have the answers? Really, anyone?

These are things we are wrestling with at our house, currently.  Here are some resources I’ve found helpful, I thought I would share with you.  As you discuss this with your children,  pray with them and for them. Be patient and trust God’s perfect plan and impeccable timing.  If you and your child decide they are ready to get baptized, talk to me (Megan Mills) or any other staff member at Riverside.

Check out these helpful resources:

1. Here is a super helpful resource, on our very own website! On it you can find links to what our denomination has to say about baptism.

2. This is a short easy explanation of baptism, that uses the analogy of a wedding ring to explain baptism. It is a great starting point.

3. And Finally Here are two great videos. The first one, we showed downstairs, it’s adorable, and again, a great springboard for discussion.

This last video is worth watching for any kid who has decided that they want to be baptized, it talks about some practical things to be prepared. After the intro the first few minutes describe what it means to follow Jesus, (also great) but if you skip to 3:55 you can find some information you might not think to talk to your kids about. Of course, there are some differences in the way we actually do baptism, but might help your child know what to expect, when they make this important decision.