Next Steps 

1.“What if I was baptized as an infant?”
i) Are there theological / doctrinal concerns with being baptized twice?
ii) Does this nullify what my parents did to me as infant?
Answer: Remember the four reasons you should be baptized? Have these been satisfied in the method of confession you used [i.e. infant baptism & then a confession of some sort]?
“Do I have to speak in front of everyone?”
Answer: If you are nervous about speaking, you could write out what you want to say or we could simply ask you the few baptismal questions from the last page of this booklet.
“Do I need to be re-baptized if I have backslidden?”
Answer: Remember the story of the “prodigal son” in Luke 15? Did the son need to go through the rites of passage to re-enter the family? All he had to do was ask forgiveness of the Father.
“How old should I be in order to be baptized? Can my children be baptized?”
Answer: The Bible does not clearly state an age. In the book of Acts there are passages that state that not only was a parent baptized, but “he and his whole household were baptized that day”. This obviously included children, but how old we do not know. So it is not a question of age, but of maturity, and understanding.
2.
The first words of advice we offer parents when they ask if their child is old enough are:
1. Do you understand and own the four reasons listed in section “B”?
2. If there is any doubt at all that your child may not be old enough then don’t! We certainly don’t want to ‘steal’ a very special moment by doing it too early in the child’s life – before the child has really owned the faith.
Here are some questions that will help us make a wise decision about your child:
Is your child old enough to understand “born again” (words Jesus used to describe Christianity, John 3:3)?
Does your child understand the four reasons to be baptized listed in section “B” (take your time moving through the verses together and making sure your child has some handle on each reason)?
Do you see in your child’s life evidence of their friendship with God?
Does your child understand the questions in section “F”. The Apostle’s Creed and Baptismal Questions?
Do you and (if applicable) your spouse feel comfortable that your child understands section “F”?