New City Catechism, Week 44 (Question 44)

Q: What is baptism?

Children’s answer

A: Baptism is the washing with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Adult/older children’s answer

A: Baptism is the washing with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; it signifies and seals our adoption into Christ, our cleansing from sin, and our commitment to belong to the Lord and to his church.

Video explanation:

Song to assist with memorization:

Relevant Scripture to read:

Matthew 28:19

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. . . .

Children’s Activity (printable pdfs)

Younger Kids (pages 18 and 19)

There are no resources for older kids currently available for this lesson.

Special thanks to Del Rey Church for sharing their New City Catechism kid resources with us!

Devotional questions for individual/family/group reflection and discussion:

  1. What are some of the Old Testament roots of baptism?

  2. Why did Jesus get baptized, if he was without sin?

  3. What do you think is the best argument for infants to be baptized? What is the best argument against it?

  4. What are a few of the things you can think about the next time you witness a baptism?

For an additional “deeper” dive into this question and answer, check out this video from Dr. Michael Allen (which a few of the above questions are based on):