One of the greatest joys a pastor can experience is preparing a child for baptism. Ninety-nine percent of the children who ask for this rite do it on their own. The Holy Spirit has obviously worked on their hearts and they respond with genuine love and desire for commitment. For the other 1 percent, a parent has requested classes for the child for reasons unrelated to a desire by that child to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. All too often, culture in one way or another influences the response.

Consider an incident that happened when I was giving baptismal classes to a group of fifth graders in an Adventist elementary school. The students’ parents had been notified of the classes and most had given permission for their children to attend. One father, however, had been left out of the loop, although the mother of his twin sons had signed the permission slip. In a note, the father told of his shock that we would baptize anyone so young and explained that in his culture baptism at such a young age would never be accepted. The letter was passionate, and it went on to state that the father would not allow his sons to be baptized.

Those boys were twelve years old at the time, the same age as Jesus when he sat in the temple listening, asking questions, and amazing onlookers. Children younger than that have no doubt requested baptism, responding to a sense of conviction that comes from the Holy Spirit. Yet many people still question whether children can really be ready for baptism at such a young age. This disappoints me. The message the child gets is that someday he or she will be old enough, ready enough, or good enough. But that day rarely comes unless the Holy Spirit has an opportunity to move dramatically on that person’s life.

In another incident, a mother insisted that her son take baptismal classes because his friends were doing it. She wanted to do the right thing as a mother. She wasn’t sure she should push him, but she didn’t want him to be left out. Eventually, it became apparent that she was just as concerned about her own standing in the community as she was about her son’s spiritual growth. As it turned out, her son was not ready for classes; he was disruptive and dropped out before long. A lesson to be learned here is that parents can’t push or demand. The Holy Spirit doesn’t work that way no matter what culture dictates.

Jeff was another student in baptismal classes. He was very involved in discussions and dug deeply into God’s Word. But his father was upset that the class didn’t get more involved in a study of the heavenly sanctuary. I explained that baptism is not a graduation but a first step in a closer walk with God and a richer understanding of his Word. But the father remained critical. He had grown up in a culture where a candidate had to know the Fundamental Beliefs in their entirety before being baptized.

Many parents feel that their children must know more, that they must have greater understanding before baptism. Most of all, they feel that their child must exhibit good behavior. I don’t deny the ability of the Holy Spirit to change lives, but are these parents thinking about their own lapses in behavior, fearing that their own baptism may not be legitimate?

As seen in these examples, parents often tend to pass along beliefs framed by culture and their own misunderstandings of how the Holy Spirit works in the lives of people and how God gives the gift of faith to his children of all ages. However, faith is a gift. The Holy Spirit moves and works in the lives of people of all ages in a myriad of situations.

So is the gift of faith given to families? Are there families that could be characterized as families of faith?

To a large extent, family experiences define us as individuals. Since most families are dysfunctional to some extent, few exhibit faith all of the time—especially during times of stress and struggle. But, thankfully, we do have many examples of mothers or fathers, brothers or sisters, grandparents or cousins, who have individually witnessed to faith in a positive manner and made a difference in someone’s life. These members help form positive Christian family cultures. As a whole, families cannot accept Jesus Christ as their savior, but individuals in those families can, and this can help set the tone for the entire group.

The results can be powerful. When the paralytic in Capernaum (Mark 2:1–5) was lowered through the roof of a house for Jesus to heal, it was the faith of the four friends that he saw and to which he responded. The healing took place because of their faith. Not only can individuals help shape the culture of families, they can also support others in that family, intercede on their behalf, and bring blessings that otherwise wouldn’t be there.

Whatever their background or configuration, families that truly seek Jesus will form Christ-centered cultures of their own. Through them, members will rise above obstacles that hinder spiritual growth, grow in faith, and reflect Christ in their lives.

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