A Step of Faith and Maturity: Why Student Baptism Matters
by Pastor Brennan Bowman
My own journey toward baptism started on the shores of Arrowhead Bible Camp. As I watched my brothers prepare for their baptism, I was struck by the sincerity of their transformation. Over the previous year, I had witnessed a seismic shift in their character and direction—a change so undeniable that it forced me to look beneath the surface of the songs and stories I’d grown up with. I discovered a "gold mine" of life with Jesus that was no longer just a family tradition; it was a personal awakening.
Six months later, after baptizing my brothers and a few others, the pastor asked if anyone else was ready to declare that they had surrendered to King Jesus. I found myself physically wavering under the weight of the moment. I stepped forward, unprepared and without a change of clothes. I went home that day in some clothes from the lost and found, a physical reminder that I was now clothed in someone else’s righteousness.
For your students, baptism is far more than a sentimental milestone or a rite of passage; it is a public declaration of this same personal transformation. At its core, baptism identifies a student with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. When a middle or high schooler steps into the water, they are telling their community that the "old self" has been left behind. It is an "outward sign of an inward grace"—a definitive marker that salvation is no longer a concept they’ve heard about, but a reality they’ve embraced.
The teenage years are a season of profound transition, where identity and belonging are constantly under fire. By choosing baptism, students anchor themselves to something unchanging. They move from being "the child of a Christian" to being a disciple of Jesus in their own right. This decision often marks the pivot point from passive participation to active pursuit. It is the moment they decide to stand firm in their convictions, even when those convictions are countercultural.
I like what Corrie Ten Boom said: "God has no grandchildren. Only children."
This is why we celebrate student baptism so fiercely. We cannot pass down a relationship with God through DNA or proximity. There comes a moment in every young person’s life where they must stop "borrowing" someone else’s faith and start "owning" their own. When your student chooses the water, they are declaring they are no longer a "grandchild" of the church, but a child of the Living God. They are stepping out from the shadow of your heritage to build a legacy of their own—following Jesus not because it is what their family does, but because it is who they are.
If you’re interested in baptism and would like to learn more, please complete the Baptism Interest Form.
How can you live out your everyday faith in the middle of what you’re facing today?
For prayer or encouragement, connect with Kate Dodd, Director of Care, at Kate@centerchurch.live.
