The day I was baptized was a cold day in December. It was five days before Christmas and nearly 17.75 years after my earthly entrance. My pastor helped me to keep the Fourth Commandment by honoring my father and mother’s wishes to have a “private” Baptism, with just close friends and family in attendance. My sponsors are my youth group leader and my friend’s mom. That day was all sorts of things, and I felt all sorts of feelings—but the biggest one was peace. Most people I sit with in the pew don’t remember their baptismal day, and my children won’t remember theirs either. Because I remember mine, I want each of you to remember and celebrate yours and your children’s.
Encouragement to Do Something
I missed doing something for my second-born’s first baptismal birthday. In the wondering of what I should do, gift, or plan, I was a procrastinator and didn’t notice that the date had passed me by. If I could go back in time, I would shake myself and say, “Just do something!” I want to value celebrating my children’s faith, and acknowledging the anniversary of the day they became a Christian seems like an obvious win. I think I needed to be told that it didn’t have to be “a whole thing” and that it doesn’t need to be the same every baptismal birthday.
I encourage you (and myself) to pray about how to celebrate this special day and then act upon celebrating it. In celebrating other’s baptismal births, it helps one to remember and celebrate one’s own.
Gifting Books
It’s a common question to come up in all the Lutheran Facebook groups I’m a member of: “What book should I purchase for a ___-year-old girl/boy for their baptismal birthday?” Books are a fantastic way to bring faith-promoting material into a home. They also make great gift items that can be used during a church service to keep hands and minds engaged or to deepen children’s walk with the Lord as they grow. Below are some ideas on what types of books to gift different ages
Infant to Toddler
Board books, board books, and more board books. If you can get your hands on sturdy Lift-a-Flap books, those are best. Lift-a-Flap books provide just enough surprise and motor skills to keep young ones entertained. My daughters always liked ones with animals or different textures to feel. My younger one will softly make each animal noise or try to lift the flaps herself.
Toddler to Kindergarten
This age loves to physically engage with books. Activity books that allow children space to be creative or books that encourage them to look and find specific things are big hits in my household. One of our current favorites is Whisper, Whisper: Learning About Church. My daughter loves to find in the pages different things that we have at our church. I’d also recommend coloring books, especially ones with no-mess markers!
Early Elementary
This is when budding readers start to emerge. Phonetic stories and longer picture books help kids this age develop a love of reading and a thirst for storytelling.
Late Elementary
Children this age want to engage with bigger ideas and their place in the world through self-reflective devotionals, journals, and stories. This is an age where I notice children start reading sci-fi or fantasy novels. Their brains are full of ideas!
Middle School
Middle school is tough. Reminding girls that their worth is not in their looks or in how popular they are. Boys need to remember that their emotions are real and that showing them doesn’t make them weak. There are many different types of books to do this. Other ideas to key in on are reinforcing a biblical worldview and helping them grasp what they believe and why they believe it.
High School
High schoolers tend to know their beliefs and find an identity in their involvement with their peers. Help them find books that show them that their identity is in Jesus, that they don’t have to have all the answers, and that the theology of vocation will help them transition into adulthood.
Beyond
Resources to help adults find their best way to daily walk with Christ make great gifts. From a Bible app subscription to a devotional that fits their musical interests, there are a plethora of books that can aid in their Christian life.
Gifting Decorations
Both my daughters have a wall of crosses and Bible verses in their rooms. These are gifts that each has been given, and we LOVE adding to it. When I give decorations for a Baptism or baptismal birthday, I first like to spend some time thinking about what my intention is. What do I want to remind the child of? What do I want them to learn? How do I want them to view this decoration?
Gifting Experiences
I think we often try to paint a specific type of celebration for a baptismal birthday. We might think it has to be some sort of “spiritual” or “faith-strengthening” item or experience. That if we can’t take them to the Museum of the Bible, the Washington National Cathedral, or a seminary, then that celebration of their baptismal experience is pointless. I would push back on this. At a baptismal birthday, you are celebrating that God claimed that child as His own, forgave them, and gifted them with the Holy Spirit. God made this child and gave them interests and passions. Gifting an experience that they desire is celebrating who God made them to be.
Here are a few ideas of what you could do for a child in your life:
- Take them to a pool. This is obviously directly related to Baptism through water, but it can also be a good chance to watch them become more confident in their swimming, gain courage to go down a big slide, or learn a new skill.
- Watch a movie with them. Talk to them about it afterward; learning to view the media we consume through our biblical worldview leads to healthier media habits!
- Gift the experience of summer camp. Find your nearest Christian summer camp and offer to drive them to camp. Or maybe sponsor a portion of their trip. Buy them gear they’ll use while growing in faith in the outdoors.
Celebrating our baptismal birthday is a great way to be reminded of God’s faithfulness and promises that He gave to you at your Baptism. Even though you may not remember the day God made you new through water and the Word, you can remember and celebrate that He saved you through His Son. I encourage you to celebrate your own baptismal birthday and the ones of your own children and sponsored children.
Use this month’s Everyday Faith Calendar to remember your Baptism.
