Bringing up Baptism

[JM]

We have had many new people attending our church during lockdown and many professions of faith so now it's time to bring up baptism. The small group studies are not really geared for new believers or foundations of the faith but I think it's time to bring up the subject. How would you bring it up?

 

[The Righterzpen]

I would suppose that depends on whether one is a covenant theology proponent or a reformed baptist?

Now this may seem like a simplistic answer; but I'm of the opinion that if one just presents Scripture and if a listener feels convicted to be baptized than address the issue.

That's basically how I dealt with it when I was in the military. The church I was attending said "If you believe this gospel; then Scripture says you should be baptized." Then they went on to explain what believer's baptism meant to a person who was old enough to understand the gospel.

I honestly don't remember if they even attempted to tackle the issue of infant baptism? But it didn't matter at that time because it didn't apply to me anyways. (I didn't have any kids.) I just felt like: "OK, I do believe this and so I guess the next step is that I be baptized." So I told one of the leaders of the group I was in that I wanted to be baptized. (It was a ministry to military personnel.) and I was baptized. It wasn't "made into a huge deal". They just explained baptism and asked me what I believed and I was baptized at an evening service. In most basic terms to me; it just seemed like the next thing that I should do. So.... that's what I did.

But in the end; everyone's circumstance is.... "different".

When it came to my son; (some 30 years later) I had to explain to him why it was appropriate for him to do this. (Be baptized.) He's developmentally disabled though; and the issue of baptism really had less to do with him personally; (he wanted to be baptized) and more to do with the church we were attending at the time. (They wouldn't baptize him unless he "formally" joined that church.) That isn't what baptism is really about though (joining a denomination) and he was baptized in a hotel swimming pool at a local Christian music festival we attended every year (before stupid Covid).

Which again; (just like my own baptism) seemed like the right thing to do at the time.) It had more to do with obeying the Scripture than it had anything to do with a denominational "prescription" for baptism.

Which thus I've concluded: really boils down to a matter of personal conviction. All a well meaning church can do, is to explain the meaning of baptism.

 

[Tolworth John]

The small group studies are not really geared for new believers or foundations of the faith

If you are in the situation of many new Christians, then shouldn't the minister start thinking about a foundation course for those new believers.
Are there any nature believers who could take such a course?

Do all believers have to attend the same mid week Bible class?

 

[JM]

I would suppose that depends on whether one is a covenant theology proponent or a reformed baptist?

Now this may seem like a simplistic answer; but I'm of the opinion that if one just presents Scripture and if a listener feels convicted to be baptized than address the issue.

That's basically how I dealt with it when I was in the military. The church I was attending said "If you believe this gospel; then Scripture says you should be baptized." Then they went on to explain what believer's baptism meant to a person who was old enough to understand the gospel.

I honestly don't remember if they even attempted to tackle the issue of infant baptism? But it didn't matter at that time because it didn't apply to me anyways. (I didn't have any kids.) I just felt like: "OK, I do believe this and so I guess the next step is that I be baptized." So I told one of the leaders of the group I was in that I wanted to be baptized. (It was a ministry to military personnel.) and I was baptized. It wasn't "made into a huge deal". They just explained baptism and asked me what I believed and I was baptized at an evening service. In most basic terms to me; it just seemed like the next thing that I should do. So.... that's what I did.

But in the end; everyone's circumstance is.... "different".

When it came to my son; (some 30 years later) I had to explain to him why it was appropriate for him to do this. (Be baptized.) He's developmentally disabled though; and the issue of baptism really had less to do with him personally; (he wanted to be baptized) and more to do with the church we were attending at the time. (They wouldn't baptize him unless he "formally" joined that church.) That isn't what baptism is really about though (joining a denomination) and he was baptized in a hotel swimming pool at a local Christian music festival we attended every year (before stupid Covid).

Which again; (just like my own baptism) seemed like the right thing to do at the time.) It had more to do with obeying the Scripture than it had anything to do with a denominational "prescription" for baptism.

Which thus I've concluded: really boils down to a matter of personal conviction. All a well meaning church can do, is to explain the meaning of baptism.

We are Baptists.

 

[JM]

If you are in the situation of many new Christians, then shouldn't the minister start thinking about a foundation course for those new believers.
Are there any nature believers who could take such a course?

Do all believers have to attend the same mid week Bible class?

We are attending church under the strictest lockdowns in the world so we had to break up into groups of 10 which means the Pastor is stretched extremely thin.

 

[Tolworth John]

We are attending church under the strictest lockdowns in the world so we had to break up into groups of 10 which means the Pastor is stretched extremely thin.

And you have No men or women who are able to teach!

The biblical pattern of church leadership is of a pastor as first among equals of a group of leaders, whether called elders, deacons or anything else.
I suggest you seek to educate and help your pastor.

 

[The Righterzpen]

We are attending church under the strictest lockdowns in the world so we had to break up into groups of 10 which means the Pastor is stretched extremely thin.

I know some people in Canada and yes, you guys have quite some "external social pressure" to deal with at this time.

In the end though, God knows your circumstances and if the leadership is doing the best they can to obey Scripture in a difficult political climate; God has "ordained" that also. He knows about this pandemic and that the Canadian government has gotten a bit "whacked out" about it.

Lots of people in many parts of the world (through out history) have wanted to be baptized and had difficulty logistically figuring out how to accomplish that task. God doesn't hold the sin of others against you.