Comments on: What Is Your Church’s Policy About Baptizing Children?

By: Rachel Farnham

Rachel Farnham — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:56:01 +0000

We live in a very small town with two options for churches…Lutheran and Methodist. We feel very strongly that it is important for our kids to be extremely active in the church, therefore, we do choose to go to one of these churches rather than travel 30-miles to another. Plus, our church is GREAT, truly a family. However, we obviously do not agree with the way some things are done…baptism being one. I wonder how other parents have resisted the “pressure” to baptize their children as infants in a mainline protestant church. Any suggestions on this and on how to gracefully respond to those that think my (quite young) children are not “saved” because they were not baptized as babies?

Thank you SO much!

By: Children’s Ministry Think Tank « Dad in the Middle

Children’s Ministry Think Tank « Dad in the Middle — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:16:54 +0000

[...] The topic for the most recent discussion is the baptism of children. The question posed is: “What is your church’s policy about baptizing kids? Is there any age absolutely too young? If you had to pick a “typical” or “ideal” age what would you say? What happens when a kid comes back for re-baptism as a teen?” [...]

By: Cmdir

Cmdir — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:04:24 +0000

Our pastor talks with the child and parents when the child requests baptism. He makes sure the child understands what is happening and why. We do not have an age limit.

By doing this, we have never had a teen come for re baptism.

By: Julie King

Julie King — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:13:03 +0000

In our church, we dedicate infants, recognizing the parents’ role in raising their children to know Jesus, but also recognizing the extended families’ roles and the role of the whole church community to help these children know Jesus. We walk the babies around the church during worship, encouraging people to get to know their names and faces and pray for them. We usually share the scripture of when Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple, or the scripture from Genesis 1 of how we are made in the image of God and called very good.

Once children are old enough to decide for themselves if they want to be disciples of Jesus, we encourage them to go through a weekend Pastor’s Class retreat. That age is typically around 5th or 6th grade, but it varies. We would be very hesitant about baptizing anyone younger than about 4th grade, and even then, it would be an exceptional situation. At this retreat, we teach about what a life of discipleship looks like: prayer, worship, service, Bible reading and study, etc.–all in response to the gift of new life given through our Master, Jesus. We also teach some of the history of the church that they are joining–the church universal and our church (Christian Church-Disciples of Christ). We practice believers’ baptism, but we also stress that faith is something that is never quite “done.” Once a child goes through the retreat, they are encouraged to meet regularly with an adult mentor (one of our Elders or another deeply faithful person in the church). This gives them someone to help them figure out what it means to live as a disciple of Jesus. If they decide to be baptized, they will come forward during worship and state their belief that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and I proclaim him Lord and Savior of the world.” (This statement, which is our only test for membership, comes from our Stone-Campbell heritage.) Then we will actually baptize the next week (that’s just a logistics thing–it takes a long time to fill the baptistry!) While it’s hard to describe exactly what happens in the waters of baptism, we know that God works in the lives of these new believers in very special ways in baptism. We teach “Old You (before Jesus), Dead You (death to the old life of sin and self in the water of baptism), New You (new life in Jesus), and ultimately Dead You (culminating in life everlasting).” There are hand motions that go with it…

We do not ever re-baptize, as we see baptism as something God does, and God doesn’t mess it up. We do however encourage folks to rededicate themselves to that basic statement I shared above (which is actually a very profound statement) at any time–either publicly by coming forward during worship or privately. This would be true for people who were “dunked” as believers as well as those who were “sprinkled” as babies, although a public profession of faith (or confirmation of faith) is required for membership in the church.

Because baby dedications are very special events in the life of our church, and because we celebrate the gift of babies and children and the sacred responsibility of parenthood, we don’t have folks who request that their babies be baptized. We see both events as important in the lives of children and adults.

By: Felicia Mollohan

Felicia Mollohan — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:25:33 +0000

In our church, we conduct parent dedications. This is where we, as a congregation, pray for the parents in raising their child(ren) in the admonition of the Lord.

By: Baby Dedication: What Does Your Church Do?

Baby Dedication: What Does Your Church Do? — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 04:52:31 +0000

[...] responded as follows to a similar question in a recent comment exchange on Think Tank #2. In my church baby dedication is not taught as being salvific or sacramental in the biblical [...]

By: Balemba solomon

Balemba solomon — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:03:03 +0000

we do not baptise children less than 11years but from above.Where you have to acknowledge JESUS AS YOUR PERSONAL LORD AND Saviour

By: Blog Patrol (May 19, 2009) « Wayne’s Random Thoughts

Blog Patrol (May 19, 2009) « Wayne’s Random Thoughts — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:13:21 +0000

[...] Children’s Ministry Think Tank: What Is Your Church’s Policy About Baptizing Children? [...]

By: Glen Woods

Glen Woods — Sun, 17 May 2009 02:39:41 +0000

In my church baby dedication is not taught as being salvific or sacramental in the biblical sense. For example, we would not try to compare it to the OT mandate to circumcise children in Hebrew culture. Instead, it is really a commitment on the part of parents to raise the child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is also a corporate commitment on the part of the church community to provide a supportive environment for the parents and child. Yes, we pray and ask God to protect and guide the child. But we do so with the understanding that it is through us that this must happen. We own the responsibility as unto the Lord.

By: Tony Kummer

Tony Kummer — Sat, 16 May 2009 22:23:29 +0000

We think of baby dedication as a special prayer time for the whole congregation, so we keep it simple but don’t make it a “salvation” event in anyone’s mind. Public prayer for children and parents is always fitting in church.