MecKidz Baptism

Is my child ready for baptism? We get this question all the time. Baptism is a spiritual act, commanded by God, to publicly declare your faith in Jesus to your church community.

"Is my child ready for baptism?" 

We get this question all the time. Here's some things you need to know.  

First, what is baptism?

Baptism is a spiritual act, commanded by God, to publicly declare your faith in Jesus to your church community. 

So, baptism is…
…to be done one time, and one time only.
…a personal, not family, decision.
…a declaration of faith in Jesus as leader and savior. 

How do I know if my child is ready to be baptized?

First, are they old enough to make this decision?

Children's memory abilities don't fully mature until about age 7-8 so at Meck, we wait until they are 8 years old or older to baptize children. It's very important for children to be able to remember this spiritual milestone in their life. Also, children younger than 8 are very concrete and struggle with abstract thinking. Baptism respresents a symbol of what has happened spiritually to a person and that can be difficult to understand as a child.   

NOTE: If your child is younger than 7, baptism is not the right time for now. Skip to the end of this email and see all the fun things we have coming up in MecKidz. 

Second, is it a personal choice that they understand?

While no one fully understands everything related to faith, baptism is a personal declaration of faith in Jesus!

• Here is a "Let's Talk About Baptism" conversation guide to determine if your child has made the personal decision to follow Jesus. 
• We also have a 2-part video class we developed to explain how to become a follower of Jesus. The first video is for parents to watch, the second is for kids and parents to watch together. Each video is under 15 minutes in length. 

Third, have they prayed to God and told HIM of their decision to follow Him?

• In MecKidz, we call it the ABC prayer. You can find a guide for it here.
• You can also use the How to Become a Christian 2-part video.
  
  Put simply, have they...
• Asked God for forgiveness for sin?
• Told God they believe that Jesus is God’s son who died and rose again so that they could be forgiven?
• Chosen to follow Jesus as best as they can in this life?

If the answer is no, but they are ready to make it a yes, use the ABC prayer guide or the 2-part video class to lead your child to declare their faith to God.

If the answer to any of the three questions is no…your child is not ready for baptism.  

And that is okay!  

There is no “magic age” at which your child SHOULD be baptized. Following Jesus is not like graduating school. It is a life choice.

What's your job? Keep modeling, guiding, and training your child in their faith and pray daily that they decide to follow Jesus as leader and savior.

If your answer to all three questions is yes… … your child is ready to be baptized and you can sign them up for MecKidz Baptism Orinetation. 

If you are still not sure…

… take the MecKidz Baptism Orientation class! The class is designed for parents and children to take together and our goal is to help you figure out if your child is ready for baptism.

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