Preteens & Baptism

About a month ago we had a beach baptism with tons of youth and kids getting baptized.  It was cool being a part of such an important decision in kids’ lives!  For years, I’ve done a baptism class for preteens but had to create my own home grown program to explain baptism.

What are you doing to help preteens really get the meaning of baptism?  It’s a question we all have an ask.

At a preteen leaders conference earlier this year, I met Chris, a preteen leader who created some baptism books for preteens.  I think what he has created is fabulous and recommend the books.  I got a chance to throw out some questions to him.  Here is our “interview” below.

Me:  Tell us a little about yourself and why you wrote the books.

Chris: My name is Chris Gabbard and I am the preteen minister at Compass Christian Church in Colleyville, TX.  The purpose of thebaptismbook.com is to bring age-appropriate, relevant material to children, families, and churches. We currently have written baptism books for preteens, and have tow other books in the making.

Me:  Why did you write the books?

Chris: These books were written to provide a resource for preteens to learn more about accepting Christ and getting baptized and to assist a preteen in the often asked question: “I got baptized, what do I do now?”  I decided to write these books because there was nothing available on the topic of baptism & post-baptism for my preteens, and I knew if this was the case for my ministry, it is most likely the same for churches across the nation.

Me:  Tell us about the books.

Chris: The first book, Taking the Plunge! is a 30-page full color book. The goal of this book is to help preteens understand who Jesus is and why it is important to accept him as Lord and Savior. Inside the book, they will learn where sin began, why they need a Savior, how to accept Christ into their heart and take the necessary steps towards baptism…and more!  Preteens will have the opportunity to write down answers and thoughts to questions that will lead them in making this important decision.  There are age-appropriate interactive learning aspects throughout the book with intriguing stories and fun activities and facts included.

The second book, I Took the Plunge! Now What? is a 36-page full color book.  This follow-up book after a preteen makes a decision for Christ helps prepare a them for a life of being a disciple – a follower of Jesus. Preteens will learn effective tools to incorporate into their daily walk with Christ and ways to stay focused on what God’s will for their life.  Throughout the book there are interactive questions and stories that will challenge them to stretch their faith and step out of comfort zones to love, serve, and share Christ with others.  This book helps to answer the “What do I do now?” question.

Me: Share with us some success stories.

Chris:  We have been blessed with so many success stories from these books.  We have gotten emails from churches who have said these books are exactly what they needed.  Preteens are drawn into the illustrations and say they really enjoy reading this book.  Churches and individuals from all over the nation have said these books have done wonders for their ministries.  Here is just one response we have gotten from the content of these books:

“We met with students that were recently baptized and their parents and gave each family a copy to use as a follow-up tool.  They were thrilled with the book!  I especially love the personal stories and the fill-in the blank questions.  It will be an excellent tool for our 4th-6th graders as they continue on their faith journey.   Thanks for such an amazing resource!”

Andrea Goslee
Director of River Kids / Rivers Crossing Community Church (Cincinnati, OH)