LEAD THE WAY
Extra Sessions
BAPTISM

CONNECT

  • Connect through care, prayer and loving accountability for previous “I will …” statements

DISCOVER

Our hope and prayer is that as we join Jesus in making disciples, disciples will be made. These disciples will need to be baptized.

Mathew 28:18-19 (NIV)

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 2:38 (NIV)

Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Get Personal and Go Public

Through repentance and faith, we make our relationship with Jesus personal. Through baptism, we make our relationship with Jesus public. You get personal and you go public.

Baptism, then, is a public declaration of your personal faith in Jesus and the gift of God’s righteousness. It’s an outer expression of the inner conviction of your heart.

The Reality Dramatized

The two main symbols communicated through baptism are 1) the washing away of sin (as water washes away dirt) and 2) the dying to self and coming alive in Jesus Christ (as drowning in water kills you and resuscitation gives you new life).

Acts 22:16 (NIV)

And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.

Romans 6:3-4 (NIV)

3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

The Ceremony

Here are the questions typically asked at a baptism:

  1. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is your Savior, the one who forgives your sins?

  2. Do you renounce the work of Satan, the ways of the world and the desires of your flesh and will you follow Jesus as your Lord?

  3. Will you join God’s family in seeking Jesus passionately, living life biblically, loving each other sacrificially and sharing the Good News of Jesus boldly?

  4. Do you want to be baptized to publicly declare that you are now Jesus’ disciple?

Here’s an alternative question:

  • Do you profess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and commit to follow Him from this day forward?

Here are the words typically used at a baptism:

Upon your profession of faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord and in obedience to His command, I now baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (While immersing….) Dying to your old self and rising to your new life in Christ. Amen.

Suggestions for Baptism

  • Turn the baptism into an evangelistic event. Encourage the person being baptized to invite family members and friends. Make the baptism into a Matthew Party.

  • Ask the person being baptized to share their testimony of coming to Jesus.

  • Ask the person being baptized to pick out a Bible passage and share why it is significant to him or her.

  • Use lakes, rivers, pools and hot tubs.

  • Ask the person who led the person to Christ and is discipling them to do the baptism.

  • Gather around the person being baptized, lay hands on them and pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit and the impartation of the Spirit’s gifts.

  • Give the person a baptismal certificate. Depending on the question(s) you ask from above, you can use these certificates - Certificate (1) / Certificate (2).

  • Baptism is just the beginning. Make sure the person is involved in a discipling relationship. Use Follow The Way to disciple them.

LIVE / LEAD

  • What did you discover in this training session?

  • What is your “I will …” statement flowing from this training?