Baptism of Our Lord Children's Message

​Luke 3:21-22, Mark 4:1-11
Theme:  Baptism
Materials: napkins with sea shell images, cake frosted and decorated to look like a sea shell
 
Do you see anything unusual on the altar? (bring cake for children to see)
I wonder why we have a cake on the altar.  What do you think?
Yes, this is a special day for a family in our church because ____ will be baptized.
We will declare that _____ is a child of God.  Our pastor will mark _____ with the cross of Christ.
 
Let’s look at this cake and see if we can see some clues to help us think about baptism.  What does it look like?  (a sea shell)  Where do you find a sea shell?  Near the water.  What happens in baptism?  (Water is poured over the head of the person)  So the sea shell helps us think of the water.
 
What do you see that is blue on the cake?  What do you think that is supposed to be?  (3 drops of water)
During baptism how many times does Pastor pour water on the baby’s head?  (3--once for God the Father, once for the Son/Jesus, and once for the Holy Spirit.)  This cake will help ______’s family celebrate his/her baptism.
 
Today I have something for each of you to help remember your baptism. What do you see on the napkin that reminds you of baptism? (sea shell)  I want you to use it this week to help you and your family talk about your baptism.
 
Let us pray.  Dear God, thank you for the honor of being a child of yours, marked with the cross of Christ forever.  Help us to treasure your love for us.  And the children of God say…Amen.