Child Baptism
Family Baptism Class
Baptism is a significant event in the life of a believer. It is a demonstration of being united with Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection. It is also a celebration of becoming a part of the community of believers. Baptism is something that should be understood and cherished. At First Assembly, we treat the baptism of children with special care and have created a class to help parents of first through fifth graders walk with their children through the baptism process. If you have a first through fifth grader who is expressing interest in baptism, please follow the steps below:
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Register for the Family Baptism Class.
This will be a three week class offered on Sunday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. in the main room of the Children’s Ministry Building at the First Assembly’s Main Campus. The purpose of the class is to equip parents to better discern their child's belief in and understanding of the gospel in order to determine their child's readiness for baptism. The next Family Baptism Class will be held on -
Complete the Family Baptism Class.
- Week 1 - Parent orientation. This session is for parents only and will be an explanation of the baptism process and an overview of the class content. Kid Keepers will be provided for those who RSVP.
- Week 2 - The gospel and salvation. This session is for the baptism candidate and their parent(s). We will teach through the gospel and what it means to love and trust Jesus.
- Week 3 - The meaning and motivation for baptism. This session is for the baptism candidate and parent(s). During this session we will teaching about the meaning of baptism as well as right and wrong motivations for being baptized. All three sessions are required. The baptism candidate and at least one parent needs to be in attendance. In addition to attending the class, there will be homework assignments in between each week that parents and kids will do together.
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Schedule a baptism interview the Children's Ministry Staff.
After attending all three sessions of the Family Baptism Class, parents will schedule a time for their child to sit down with our Children's Ministry Staff for a baptism interview. This is an opportunity for the child to share their story and for members of the staff to talk with the parents and the child in order to discern their readiness for baptism. The staff members will either recommend the child for baptism or encourage them to wait for a season. Parents will be asked to honor the recommendation of the Children's Ministry Staff. -
Schedule the baptism.
Upon recommendation for baptism, the church office will contact parents about scheduling their children's baptism. Please do not arrange for family and friends to travel in from out of town until the baptism is officially scheduled.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old must my child be to enroll in the Family Baptism Class?
The class is designed for first through fifth graders; therefore, it is recommended that all baptism candidates attending this class be within that age bracket.
Why do we have to go to a class for child baptism?
Every child who wants to be baptized at First Assembly goes through a baptism class. Baptism is for those who have committed to believe in, live for, and follow Jesus as His disciples. As such, we feel that it is important that disciples know the details of the faith. Further, it is important to be sure that a person understands what baptism is, what the gospel is and what the purpose of baptism is before they are baptized. It is especially important that special steps are taken when preparing children for baptism. Children simply are not as mature as adults, and ideas and terms that an adult might easily understand are difficult for children. The Children's Ministry wants to make sure that all efforts are made to ensure that a child understands the gospel and purpose of baptism before they are baptized.
Why would my child not be ready for baptism?
Your child is not ready for baptism if he or she is not a believer, cannot articulate the gospel, does not bear spiritual fruit, does not understand the purpose of baptism, or if he or she wants to be baptized out of incorrect motives.
Who will baptize my child?
Any believer in Christ can baptize your child, although the Children’s Pastor as well as other pastoral staff are available to baptize your child, if desired.
Can I baptize my child?
If you are a follower of Christ, you can baptize your child. In fact, baptizing your child can be a beautiful time of worship and a significance moment for both of you.
When should we invite family and friends to the service?
Family and friends can be invited after your child's baptism has been scheduled with the church office, which is the last step in the baptism process. Please do not have your friends and family make arrangements to travel from out of town until your family has gone through the class and the baptism interview and the date of your baptism is confirmed with the church office.
What if I cannot attend all of the sessions?
If you cannot attend all of the sessions, you should plan to attend the next baptism class instead of the current one. Your child will be baptized only after you and your child have attended all required sessions.
What if the parent disagrees with the Children's Ministry staff about the child's readiness for baptism?
It may happen from time to time that a child's parents disagree with the Children's Ministry staff about the child's readiness for baptism. When parents think their child is prepared for baptism while the Children's Ministry staff does not, a few things should be kept in mind. First, both the parents and the Children's Ministry likely have the same goal in mind: the spiritual well-being of the child. Secondly, it should be remembered that while parents and churches have the same goal, they do not have the same responsibilities. Parents are primarily responsible for teaching their child who God is and discipling them as followers of Jesus. Parents are the primary ministers to their children. The church on the other hand is primarily responsible for stewarding the ordinances (baptism and communion). For these reasons, if the Children's Ministry staff believes that a child is not ready for baptism, the child will not be baptized at the church, even if the parents believe that the child is ready.
Why are there so many "hoops" to jump through?
These "hoops" protect the child from any false assurance of salvation and steward well the ordinance of baptism. Part of the protection is due to the difference between biblical culture and modern American culture. In particular, why do we require such organization for baptism when the biblical pattern is merely "repent and be baptized," and rather immediately at that? Baptism for that context was counter-cultural and carried certain inherent (though not absolute) safeguards against false professions. In particular, the very real danger of persecutions would have carried much weight in making sure that one was serious about their profession. Contrast that to today in America which, though losing some of its Christendom universality, still offers very little if any persecution for Christianity. This lack of tangible risk makes misuse of the ordinance more possible and more common. Baptism now could be almost like "covering one's bases" just in case the profession is true. In the 1st century, you would probably not have a lot of people just haphazardly approaching the issue. Baptism was a risking of life for them...it was going "all-in" to use a gambling analogy.
Is there harm in a child getting baptized at a young age and then later realizing they weren't ready, namely that they weren't truly saved when they were baptized?
The issue of children being baptized before they are either truly saved or ready is often seen in the adult baptisms that take place at First Assembly. It is not uncommon to hear the testimony of, "I was saved when I was 8 but...," or "I was baptized as a young child, but...I didn't really understand the gospel nor have a relationship with Christ." Adults who were baptized as children, but who later realize they weren't ready face the tension and confusion of deciding whether or not they need to be rebaptized.
Ultimately the harm in a child being baptized before he or she is truly saved is that the baptism is a false testimony to the observers and to the one being baptized.
When a child gets baptized before being ready, there are three scenarios that can play out. In the first scenario, the child gets baptized before being ready and later comes to a true saving faith. After reaching true saving faith, this individual gets baptized for a second time. The harm in this scenario is that, first, a false testimony was given the first time, and also this person may face family members and friends who oppose them getting baptized later in life after they have actually become true believers. These well meaning friends and family members may oppose the legitimate baptism out of a desire to honor the original baptizing church, pastor or even the memory of a loved one who was able to attend the premature baptism yet is not able to attend the timely baptism.
While this is harmful, the greater harm comes when the second scenario plays out. The second scenario that can play out is that the child gets baptized prematurely and never comes to a true saving faith. The harm in this scenario is that in addition to providing a false testimony to those observing the baptism, it also provides the unbelieving child a false assurance of salvation. The child who was baptized as an unbeliever can easily assume that they did in fact have a saving relationship with God because the church approved of their baptism. It is unloving to assure someone of safety when they are in danger. As a Children's Ministry, we want to cut off roads to false assurance.
The third scenario is one in which, though the child may be truly saved, they still don't have a clear understanding of baptism, or are motivated by other reasons than a desire to publicly partake in Christ's death, burial and resurrection. In this scenario it is very likely that later in life the child will realize they didn't have a grasp on what they were doing or may not even remember their baptism. At that point of realization, a desire to be rebaptized often arises.