|
Am I Ready to be Baptized? |
|
|
|
|
News -
Book Review
|
|
Contributed by Phil Spadaro
|
|
Wednesday, 13 June 2007 |
 “Am I Ready to be Baptized?” is a book which serves two purposes. It
helps those who are ready to be baptized understand what entering into
a relationship with God looks like. As the reader is prepared by the
book, it stimulates dialog between him and his parents and / or
mentors. The second purpose of the book is to dissuade those who are
not ready for baptism from getting baptized.
“Am I Ready” is aimed at a preteen (middle school) audience. The examples are easy to understand, concise and doctrinally accurate. The book does make some assumptions about the reader. The child is expected to have someone to talk to about salvation, repentance, sin, etc... Each chapter encourages discussing the subject to apply what was learned to the reader. The second assumption is the reader's mentors or parents are on board with immersion for the forgiveness of sins, the necessity of repentance, etc... Thirdly, “Am I Ready” assumes the child is in an environment (church) where baptisms are integral to salvation. It is not a book you hand to a reader in a vacuum and wait for them to come out with a comprehensive understanding of baptism and salvation.
Each chapter provokes the reader to think about their understanding and application of the subject. The chapter on sin, “Am I a Sinner”defines sin, but does not tell the reader if they are a sinner. The reader must decide if they have sinned and if the comprehend it. Chapters build upon previous ones and assume the child has thought through and discussed previous subjects with her parents or mentor. Most chapters have one scripture on the topic at hand, though some chapters are only illustrations (textual not graphical).
The book is also great for those who are too young to be baptized, but want to. We purchased the book to dissuade our then six year old from pursuing baptism. Instead we focused on the costs and character it will take to get to a point of readiness. “Am I Ready” helped him to comprehend sin, repentance, the sacrifice of Jesus and the power of the resurrection better. He was able to conclude that he was not ready, yet.
I would highly recommend this book for those with middle school children and younger. It fosters a great bond between the child and those studying with her and helps to build a better understanding of the heart of baptism.
"Am I Ready to be Baptized" by Kyle Butt and John Farber (Peaceful House Publishing) is available at Ohio Valley Bookstore and Apologetics Press among other retailers.
Powered by Components Lab Tag Mambot
Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
|
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 June 2007 )
|
News 
