Kid Baptisms at Creekside

Baptism is an exciting step for anyone and many families look forward to their children being baptized. At Creekside, we take baptism very seriously and use it as an opportunity to help the individuals grow their faith. Thus, we have a Kids Explore Baptism class where we teach what baptism is and is not, go over how it works, and take time to help children learn how to share their testimony. On this page, we have some of our guiding questions before we approve a baptism and answer some of the frequently asked questions that you may have. 

Is my child ready to be baptized?

Has your child made a profession of faith?

Romans 10:9-10 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation."

The Bible tells us that in order for us to accept the gift of salvation, we must confess that we believe Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead so that we could be forgiven and saved from our sinful lives. However, it isn't just the words we say, but the belief in our heart and commitment to obey Jesus as Lord.  If your child has done that and you believe they are fully aware of what this decision means, baptism is typically a great next step of faith!

Can your child share the Gospel of Jesus?

Can your child share his/her testimony with Jesus as the hero?

At Creekside, we practice a believer's baptism. We believe that baptism is a step of obedience after someone confesses that a) they believe Jesus is Lord and that He was raised from the dead and b) want to follow Him all the days of their lives. At every baptism at Creekside, we ask the individual to share their testimony and that includes knowing how God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ works. If your child cannot tell the story of God, we would encourage you to practice that with them first.
At Creekside, we believe that it is important to know how to share the story of God AND to know how to share how Jesus has saved you. For kids being baptized, this is important step and a part of our Kids Explore Baptism class. We want each child to be able to share how God has personally saved them from the power of sin. Even for us, this is a work in progress! This is a link to our testimony writing document.

Has your child seen a baptism?

Is your child comfortable going under water?

At Creekside, our recommendation for kids wanting to be baptized is that they actually witness a baptism first. Some kids are excited about the step, but don't even know that it involves water. Witnessing a baptism prior to being baptized helps them understand what they are actually asking for.
At Creekside, we practice baptism by submersion. We believe that this represents dying to sin, being buried in the likeness of Jesus, and being raised in a new life with Jesus. This means that we dunk kids under the water and discuss with them beforehand that this represents the image of Jesus dying for our sins, being buried, and resurrecting. If your child is scared of going underwater, being baptized in front of a large congregation might be even more scary. At Kids Explore Baptism, we will talk about this and how to safely baptize kids, but it works best if the child feels safe going under water.
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Register and attend the Kids Explore Baptism class

Our Kids Explore Baptism registration is a crucial step for kids being baptized. This registration collects all the information we need to know and will help you think a few things through (such as who is baptizing your child).

A parent/guardian needs to attend with the child.

At Creekside, any believer who has already been baptized can baptize an individual.

Help your child prepare his/her testimony

This is a link to our testimony writing document. It is expected that families would begin to fill this out before attending the baptism class. We will review it at the class. Additional meetings with Elisabeth can also be arranged between the class and filming.

Video recording

Public speaking can be scary, especially standing in water in front of a crowd of people. This is why we have kids record their testimonies that can then be viewed on the day of baptism without the public speaking component. We have the set up for this. You will select a date/time for the video when you register. Please have your child practice beforehand and look clean and presentable for the video!

Baptism

Details for the day of:
  • Getting Ready:
    • Please wear dark bottoms - shorts, leggings, swim trunks
    • Please bring towels and a change of clothes. You can change in the Green Room bathroom after being baptized.
  • Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the service and connect with Pastor James. The baptism shirts for the child and for the baptizer will be given then. (8:45am or 10:45am depending on which service you pick)
  • During communion, head to the Green Room (right side of stage). You can drop your stuff/shoes off there and change into your shirt, if you haven't done so already. Kids can be dropped off for programming, but for efficiency and timing, it is best for the child to attend the main church service with the parent.
  • After the video is shown, you will climb into the tub and Pastor James will ask you some questions, then you'll be baptized.
    • When answering questions, if you are short, you can stand on the shelf in the tub so that everyone can see you.
      • Are you trusting in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sins?
      • Are you committing to obey Jesus alone as the Lord of your life?
    • Plug your nose
    • Be submerged
      • Adult says, “I baptize you now in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”

*Siblings: We are often asked if siblings can view the baptisms. Parents are always welcome to a) keep the kids with them in the main service or b) come check them out part way through programming. Any child in Kindergarten through 5th grade will watch the service streamed on the large screen in the Kids Chapel. We use this opportunity to show all kids what baptism is; however, due to the number of kids on any given Sunday, we can only make sure they see it through the streaming. If parents desire in person viewing, they will need to facilitate that. 
Register for Kids Explore Baptism