Faith Path: Salvation & Baptism
Recommended Ages: age will vary
The decision to receive Christ is the most important decision your child will ever make. Celebrate your child's faith decision and learn how to help them through the next steps in their faith journey.
Celebrate Your Child’s Faith Decision
There is nothing more exciting for a parent than guiding a child to faith. Once your child has accepted Christ as his or her personal Lord and Savior it is time to help them tell others about that decision through baptism. If you are not sure if your child has made this decision yet, review the Faith Path: Lead Child to Christ materials.
BAPTISM
Baptism is a public announcement of belief and a visible picture of an inward transformation. All who experience God’s saving grace and respond through faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins should be baptized in obedience to Jesus’ commands as recorded in the New Testament and modeled in the early church. Explain to your child that being baptized does not make him or her a Christian. There is nothing magical about the water. What makes someone a Christian is the decision to ask Jesus Christ to forgive his or her sins and take control of his or her life. Your child might be nervous about getting baptized. Assure your child that he or she will just be dipped under the water for a couple of seconds and that this is an exciting time.
LORD'S SUPPER
The Lord’s Supper is a special time when those who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior remember that He died for their sins. We remember this by eating bread which represents Jesus’ body and by drinking juice which symbolizes Jesus’ blood. Celebrate your child’s first participation in communion & discuss the meaning.
Symbols & Celebrations
Consider giving your child something to signify the decision he or she has made. This can be a cross, a wooden stake with date to drive into the backyard, a new Bible, a Bible study, or a handwritten note in the front of a blank journal. As children get older they sometimes question their earlier faith decision. Help your child feel secure by providing a firm foundation. Use the Spiritual Birthdays card (DOWNLOAD HERE) for ideas on how to celebrate your child’s spiritual birthday. Take time to talk about what he or she is learning. Allow your child to ask questions and talk through new areas of spiritual growth. Pray for the upcoming year in his or her journey. This will also give you great insight into where some extra help or attention is needed and how you can pray more specifically for your child
Help Your Child Begin to Walk with Jesus
Show your child what a Christian life looks like. Teach your child how to pray and coach him or her on how to read the Bible. Salvation and baptism are only the beginning of a wonderful journey with God. Now that you have helped your child take these exciting first steps, you have the opportunity and responsibility to disciple him or her into a fully developing follower of Christ.
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recommended books
My Faith Box
By Lydia Randall
A new resource for parents to guide their child’s faith journey and capture spiritual growth keepsakes. My Faith Box includes a My Faith Box and My Faith Book. Ideal to help you create an age-specific plan on each birthday and capture memories from special milestones; while giving you resources and ideas for how to be intentional in helping your child know, love and follow Jesus.
Baptism: Bible Study for Kids
By Richard E. Todd
Ideal as an aide to parents, Sunday school teachers, and children's ministry directors, this book teaches children a number of lessons concerning baptism. Why do we get baptized? How someone is baptized, and who may baptize them? How can we use baptism as an opportunity to share our faith with others? But most importantly, this wordbook presents children with the question of whether or not they are in fact ready to be baptized.
Designed especially for kids in grades 2-5, activities include a crossword puzzle, word search, coloring page, quiz, and "Certificate of Spiritual Birth." These activities, paired with engaging illustrations and simple explanations, will help your children truly understand the gift of baptism.
* This book is part of The Children’s Wordbook series, by Richard Todd, and is most beneficial when used alongside the wordbooks, which cover salvation, baptism, communion, giving, and church. They are great resources for parents and teachers who want to teach children of these fundamental Christian doctrines.
Communion: Bible Study for Kids
By Richard E. Todd
Perfect for use in Sunday school, Bible clubs, midweek programs, and even at home with a parent, this wordbook study on communion introduces children to the Lord’s Supper and its meaning. The book illustrates the history of communion, how it is done, and why. It also explains when a child may go to communion: when their spiritual maturity has reached a point when the experience of communion can be fully appreciated. Activities include a maze, hidden bread and cup activity, coloring page, and secret message.
This wordbook, designed especially for kids in grades 2–5, complements the rest of the Children’s Wordbook series. They are great resources for parents and teachers who want to teach children the Christian doctrines of salvation, baptism, communion, giving, and the Church.
About Faith path
We believe God designed the family to be the primary disciple-making relationship. In other words, God gave parents the privilege of nurturing faith in the next generation. That’s why the Faith Path was created. It's a step-by-step plan to help you be intentional as you prepare for key faith milestones and foster spiritual disciplines in your child’s faith journey. From parent dedication to leading your child to Christ to launching your young adult, the Faith Path resources are designed to assist you in discipling your children.