Baptism is a very important event in the life of any new Christian. I know that we all go to great lengths to make sure the celebration is done just right. But what about the day or week after the baptism service? What’s your follow-up plan?
I’ve noticed that the week after a person’s baptism can be a trying time. Here are a few thoughts on why:
– Satan isn’t happy
– Their friends and family have a lot of tough questions
– They personally have a lot of doubts (Am I really saved? Am I worthy, etc.)
– An external trail (i.e. an argument at work or argument with a spouse) takes on a higher level of meaning because the baptism was so recent.
On Saturday, we baptized 57 people at our Beach Baptism on Long Island. For the last two days I’ve been following up with each person. Here’s my process:
– Since the baptism was on a Saturday, we prayed for all 57 people at the Sunday service. I asked our congregation to pray for them throughout the week too.
– As a staff we divide up the names of each person and pray for them throughout the week.
– I send each person an email copy of their baptism ‘group picture’ and an encouraging email from me. You can download a copy of the email I send to everyone by clicking here.
– We mail each person a copy of his or her baptism certificate.
– We follow up with them in about a month to make sure they are signed up for a small group.
This isn’t everything we do but it’s the highlights. The key point I want to make is that you need a follow-up process.
Even if you haven’t had a lot of baptisms lately, sit down and think through your process. Write it out; discuss it with your leaders; ask God to give you wisdom! I heard someone say one time that ‘if you are faithful with the few, you will be given even more.’
Nelson
P.S. Here’s a link to a few baptism resources we have on our church website. Click here and Click here.
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