We recently had a three-generation baptism at church. A young girl, her father, and grandfather all descended together into the baptistry. The grandfather spoke movingly on the meaning of becoming a Christian–the commitment it involves–and the father baptized his daughter. It was simple and powerful.
One of the truly wonderful traditions our congregation has is allowing a father to handle the baptism of his child. I consider our ministers to have made a great personal sacrifice in giving up this privilege in the interest of building stronger families–because administering a baptism is unspeakable joy. When the father does the baptizing, he’s communicating to his children his personal involvement and commitment to his religion. And this is very, very important. It is also great fun for the dads! I strongly recommend that all churches encourage this practice.
