Baptism is one of those huge milestones in the christian life, one that is full of meaning, and a representation of our relationship with Jesus. But how do you know when you are ready to ‘take the plunge’? And better yet, how do you know if your kids are ready? Here are some things that may help when you are considering teaching kids about baptism.
Please feel free to download a FREE copy of a skit: “What is Baptism?” that will also help you when teaching kids about baptism.
Teaching Kids about Baptism:
What is baptism?
Baptism literally means to wash
It is something you do to show other people you love Jesus, you want to obey his commands, and you have asked him to forgive you.
It is a symbol of Jesus dying, being buried and raising from the grave.
Romans 6:1-14
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Why should you be baptized?
BRAND NEW RESOURCE!!!! Click image for more details!
Here are a few reasons to consider being baptized.
Jesus himself was baptized.
Matthew 3:16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Jesus tells us to be baptized
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
How do you know if you are ready to be baptized?
In the bible, when someone is baptized, they ‘repent’ first, or believe in Jesus first. The baptism is a way to show your friends and family that you trust Jesus and have asked him to forgive you and to be your savior.
Questions to ask:
#1 Have you asked Jesus to forgive you?
#2 Are you ready to tell/show your friends and family that Jesus is your savior?
Object lesson:
This will help you explain what symbols are, since baptism is a symbol.
A symbol is an item that represents something else.
Ask for some examples of popular symbols. If the following are not mentioned, ask if anyone can tell what these are symbols for. You could also put images up on the big screen.
American flag
Bald eagle
$
#
Each is a symbol that stands for something else. Ask for an explanation of each symbol.
Common symbols to help you explain:
Wedding ring I wear a ring to show that I am married. Just because I wear a ring does not mean I am married, and if I take off the ring I am still married. If I take my ring off and give it to someone else, it doesn’t mean they are automatically married. The ring is something that I wear to show everyone I am married, just like I was baptized to show everyone Jesus forgave me and I am following him.
A sports jersey: I can wear a jersey, but that does not make me a player. For me, it would just be wearing a sports shirt. For a player, a jersey is part of the u inform, to show what team he or she plays for. I am not a member of a professional tea, just because I wear a jersey. Likewise, Just because a professional athlete does not wear a jersey doesn’t mean they are no longer a part of the team. Someone is not automatically forgiven of sins and a member of “Team Jesus” just because they are baptized. You have to repent and ask Jesus to forgive you in order have eternal life on “Team Jesus”.
(This would be a good time to reference the skit that is free for you to download.)
Baptism is a symbol of being on Jesus ”team”. We do it to show everyone that we are on his team. Being forgiven and making him our savior gets us on his team, not the baptism. We can be forgiven and not baptized. We can get baptized but that does not make us forgiven. Baptism is something we do to show that we have been forgiven.
Things to remember:
Baptism is NOT
necessary to get to heaven
the way to get to heaven
how you are forgiven of your sins
Done with your lesson or conversation? Ask these questions to see if your kids are ready to be baptized.
Hopefully after this lesson/conversation your kids will be ready to be baptized. I’d love to know if this helped you in any way. In fact I would love to see photos when your kids are baptized!
Are you looking for a great resource to help you and your kids know if they are ready to be baptized? Check out “A Kid’s Guide to Baptism“. It’s a brand new workbook to help your kids learn about and prepare to be baptized. Check it out!
How have you talked to your kids about baptism? How do you know when they are ready? Post a comment and let me know!
Your child’s relationship with God must extend beyond Sunday morning. Parents have to take a leading role in the discipleship of their kids. Based on the Fruit of the Spirit, Got Fruit? is an effective tool to help parents disciple their children. If you are looking for help with your family devotion time, Got Fruit? is for you! Through this devotional you will be guided through discussions that build on each of the 9 fruits of the spirit. Each of the 9 devotionals include bible passages that highlight the highlighted fruit as well as a few related thoughts. Also included is a series of discussion questions that will help you guide your children in a conversation to bring truth and understanding. This short devotional is a perfect tool to guide you as you disciple your children into a deeper relationship and understanding with God.
Ron is happily married to his best friend, and dad to the best daughter you could imagine. As a teacher and children's pastor, he has over 20 years experience of teaching, leading, writing, creating and consulting. He has written for churches, contributed to several collaborative publications, and written a #1 Best Selling Devotional, Got Fruit? on Amazon. His blog is consistantly listed in the Top 40 Children's Ministry Blogs and Websites. Don't hesitate to ask if you think he could help you and your ministry in any way.
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