Garden Suburb venue is launching 18 August 2024! This means Kids Church will look a little different - some things are the same, others different. Find out all you need to know, what to bring and where to find the check-in stations.
But first, the Gospel
The gospel shapes everything we do as God’s people. Paul wrote: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel” (2 Tim 2:8). Jesus is our king who rules over us. He was raised from the dead after dying as a sacrifice for our sins. He has brought forgiveness of sins and peace with God.
But how does baptism fit with salvation?
Baptism means an experience involving water. The Greek word baptidzo literally means ‘to immerse or dunk’, but this doesn’t necessarily tie us down to baptism only by full immersion. The reason for this is that throughout the NT the word baptidzo is used symbolically. One example is that Jesus spoke about undergoing a ‘baptism’ at the cross when he died (Luke 12:50).
What is important is not the means of baptism (immersion or sprinkling) but what we are celebrating and communicating when we baptise people.
What are we celebrating and communicating when we baptise people?
First, we are wanting to communicate that the gospel is a gospel of grace. Baptism doesn’t save us itself, only Christ can do that. However, the ceremony is a powerful reminder of God’s work for us and in us.
If you like, baptism is like a wedding ring. It is given to me by my marriage partner to sign and seal me as belonging to one another. You take the ring off and you are still married, but when wearing the wedding ring it is an outward sign of an inward reality.
So what is the inward reality we are celebrating and communicating through baptism?
There are a number of spiritual realities that the New Testament ties to baptism.
Here are a few:
we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection (Rom 6:3-4),
we have received the Holy Spirit and join the church (1 Cor 12:13), &
we are saved from judgment (1 Pet 3:21)
All of these things are true of a believer without the presence of baptism but baptism is a wonderful celebration & sign of these spiritual realities.
Second, baptism expresses the response of a convert. It expresses his or her decision to identify with Christ and his people. 1 Peter 3:21 expresses this idea when it speaks of baptism as a pledge to God. When a person gets baptised they are saying something. They are making a pledge to God to trust him, identify with Christ and his people. In this sense, baptism is simply an external tangible expression of an inner attitude of faith in Christ.
This explains why the apostles could seem to make baptism a condition of forgiveness. So when Peter says ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins’ (Acts 2:38) we understand that he didn’t mean that the act of baptism is necessary to receive salvation.
So what does he mean? We take it that because baptism is so closely associated with a pledge of faith in God that it can be used interchangeably. We would say a person needs to repent and put their faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Peter says the same thing by saying ‘repent and be baptised’. Baptism was and is an external tangible expression of the inner attitude of faith toward God.
So there are two sides to baptism. One is an expression of our human response to God. The other is an expression of God’s grace to us - “I am now marked as one who is united to Christ and is a member of God’s community.”
Infant baptism
So what about baptising children?
The Bible is not explicit on whether baptism should be for adults only or whether it can be for babies or teenagers or anywhere in between. On the one hand, some of the passages about baptism connect it closely with repentance and belief, qualities that are more evident in adults. On the other hand, some emphasise only the work of God (e.g. Col 2:11-14).
In addition, the book of Acts describes several instances of whole households being baptised, which could very well have included children of all ages (Acts 10; Acts 16:15, 33; 18:8). This lack of explicit direction in the Bible gives us freedom to baptise both adults and kids, as long as we uphold gospel and biblical truths as we do so.
Thinking about infant baptism?
A good question to ask before considering infant baptism for your children is: will we be raising our children as little believers (who will, God-willingly confirm their faith) or little non-believers (who need to be converted)?
If your answer is to raise them as believers, then it is helpful to understand infant baptism as a relational pledge. Every parent has a relationship with their child and in baptism you make a pledge on behalf of your kid that they will follow Jesus just like you.
But is this legitimate?
First, God gives us authority over our kids. We make all sorts of decisions on behalf of our kids. For example, you decided where your children will go to primary school. Maybe once they hit high school they are involved in the decision making process but very rarely would this be the case for primary school. You made that decision for them because they are your children.
Second, God gives you this authority in order for you to raise them to know and love Jesus. God says. In Ephesians. 6:4 (see also Josh 24:15; Gen 17:12), Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. So in baptising our children, we as parents are making a choice about what our children are going to believe and bring them up accordingly.
When we are baptising our children we are committing to a few things:
A decision for your child that they are going to trust Jesus and grow up knowing Jesus as their Lord, just like Jesus is your Lord.
We are making a commitment to doing this. We teach them the gospel, how to pray to God as their Father, we teach them that the Bible is God’s Word, we instruct them on what it says, remind them that they are one of God’s children, and show them how to live this out in life.
We are committing to pray for our kids. We want to pray that our decision will become their decision. We pray that they will never know a time when they weren’t Christian, that they will grow up to take on your pledge for themselves and follow Jesus as a mature godly believer. Or if they leave Jesus, you pray that they will return.
What about infant dedication?
There are many legitimate reasons for us not to baptise our children. For example, many families who were converted out of a Catholic background (where baptism is clearly a work for salvation) choose not to baptise their kids as infants because they do not want their unconverted family to misunderstand what is going on. Others simply disagree theologically with infant baptism and would prefer to get their kids to wait till later in life to get baptised.
Some of these families will opt for 'dedication' instead. In dedication, parents make essentially the same commitments and promises for their children. The hope and prayers of parents who choose this path are that their children will be baptized when they themselves decide to follow Jesus and embrace their upbringing in the Lord.
Summary
At Hunter Bible Church we allow people to make decisions for themselves on this issue. Even within the staff team there are people who have chosen to baptise their kids and others who have waited for their kids to make a decision for themselves to follow Jesus before they get baptised. We consider this to be an issue of freedom as long as we err away from making baptism a necessary experience that secures or contributes to salvation.
Paul had been one of the leaders persecuting the church, but when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, all of that changed. Paul became a follower of Jesus and would spend the rest of his life on mission, telling others about the One he used to persecute. Jesus can truly save anyone.
Church is not a building or a program, it is the people God has saved by Jesus, gathered together for a purpose.
Wondering what tp do with the kids to keep helping them understand the significance of Easter? Mum Ali, mother of 3 at Garden Suburb am has found this great colouring book, read how she is planning to use it this week with her kids.
It might feel that there is a lot of opposition for churches in the 21st century, but this unit shows us this is normal. God’s church has been experiencing opposition from the very beginning.
Have you ever thought that your kids are not actually yours, but given to you by God for a time to nurture? And if this is true, then maybe I’m not the person who knows my child best….
New Congregations starting on Feb 11 2024 brings in NEW look Kids Church Programs at our City and Garden Suburb Campuses. Find out all you need to know, what to bring and where to find the check-in stations.
As the church began, Peter played a key role, following the example Jesus had set. Like Jesus, Peter preached the gospel, healed people, and confronted sin—all so that others might come to know Christ, too.
Before Jesus returned to be with the Father, He gave His followers the mission to continue what He had begun. But this is a mission they would not be able to complete in their own power. Jesus would send the Holy Spirit to change them and empower them to be His witnesses to the world.
Jesus’ resurrection was no secret. For 40 days, Jesus appeared to His disciples and hundreds of others so that they would know He is alive forevermore. Jesus wants everyone to know Him, trust Him, and live for Him.
“With all your family has going on, you may think you don’t have time for family discipleship. The truth is, with all your family has going on, you can’t afford not to be dedicated to family discipleship”'
The darkest day the world has ever seen became the brightest day one glorious Sunday morning. After Jesus was unjustly convicted of a crime, He was crucified and His body was placed in a tomb. But on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead, defeating sin and death and rising again as the conquering King.
Kids love learning through experience and getting hands-on. As Jesus ate His last meal with his disciples he gave them a tangible way to remember the significance of His death on the cross. Is this an appropriate sacrament for kids to partake in?
The time for Jesus’ rejection was at hand. After sharing a special meal with His disciples, Jesus was betrayed by one of His own and was arrested. Even as His death approached, Jesus continued to act as a perfect Priest, loving His followers and praying to the Father on their behalf.
As the final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry drew near and His rejection was at hand, He continued to warn all who would listen to turn from sin and trust in Him. Failing to believe in Jesus and to love God and live accordingly has consequences.
Even though Jesus performed amazing miracles, including raising someone from the dead, the religious leaders rejected Jesus and managed to turn the people against Him too. Their sinful hearts were hard. Even this rejection, however, was part of God’s plan to bring salvation to the world.
Jesus taught like no one else—as One who has authority. Everything Jesus taught about revealed what God’s kingdom is like, the kingdom that Jesus had come to establish in full.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus performed a number of amazing miracles. He calmed storms, healed sickness, fed multitudes, and more. Each miracle was done out of compassion for people, but also to prove that He is the Son of God.
May 7 - May 21 2023
What is this unit about?
As Jesus began His ministry of miracles and teachings, not everyone responded in the same way. Some rejected Jesus outright. Others were amazed by Jesus but didn’t understand Him. But some came to place their faith in Him and worship Him for who He is: the Son of God.
Why is this important for our kids?
At some point kids will need to decide how they respond to Jesus. Will they worship Him or reject Him as their saviour from sin?
Big Picture Question
How can we be saved?
We are only saved through faith in Jesus.
Key Passage/Memory Verse
Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Those who come to God must believe that he exists.
And they must believe that he rewards those who look to him.
Hebrews 11:6 NIrV
At-Home Resources
Click these links to access the digital content from the kids’ lessons,
along with family discussion questions and activities.
21.1: People Rejected Jesus (Luke 4)
21.2: People Were Amazed by Jesus (Luke 4)
21.3: Peter Worshiped Jesus (Luke 5)
21.4: We Are Saved by Faith in Jesus (Hebrews 11)
More Kids Discipling Resources
Sing-Along Videos, Book Reviews and more, click below.