Tips for baptism preparation

Part of the fellowshipping process is welcoming visitors and investigators from the very beginning of their experience with the Church. Then, when an investigator has a baptism date set, it should be like a green light for Ward-Missionaries to know that they need to really get moving to help that investigator prepare for activity in the Church!

We all know the symbolism of baptism and what it represents - the death/burial/resurrection of Christ, a new beginning, an outward sign that we are making a covenant, and more. Its also important to recognize that baptism also represents the transition from investigator to new member. And that is a transition that is best made with help from the Ward- Missionaries and other Ward members.

In our experience as Ward-Missionaries, we have seen a number of people fall away from the Church immediately after being baptized. If a person chooses not to participate in the Church or keep their baptismal covenants, that is a very sad thing. Since there is so much emphasis on the need for new-member fellowshipping, its easy to feel like we could have done something more to prevent it.

In some cases, there may have been more that we could have done to help the new convert become an active member. However, the truth is that sometimes the new member might not be willing to continue with their commitments, regardless of our efforts. In every case, we need to make sure that fellowshipping by Ward-Missionaries, Ward leaders, and other Ward members is taking place and that every thing possible is being done to help the new member make a successful transition. While the choice to remain active in the Church is ultimately their responsibility, we are responsible to do everything within our capacity to help them.

We have worked hard to try to make a smoother transition for our new-members by involving the Ward members (especially Ward-Missionaries), beginning with the pre-baptism stage. Of course, I am a strong advocate that we should increase our contact with new members immediately after baptism, and there are several posts on this site that discuss post-baptism fellowshipping and retention.

Here are some of the ideas we've come up with for pre-baptism fellowshipping....

SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP A BAPTISM-CANDIDATE:

• We try to become familiar with each investigator as much as possible, especially when they have a firm baptism date set

• We really want to attend at least one pre-baptism teaching appointment with the full-time missionaries so we can explain that we will begin teaching them the new-member lessons after baptism, & set up an appointment for our first lesson if possible. In our experience, some full-time missionaries are more agreeable about this than others, so if we can’t visit them with the full-time missionaries we arrange our own pre-baptism visit

• We encourage the full-time missionaries to include as many ward members in the baptism program as possible (this helps get more members to the baptism and makes a connection between the member and their ward family)

• We can make sure that baptism candidate knows what to bring to the baptism (we have a handout that we give them). The full-time missionaries sometimes forget to tell people to wear white underwear, bring a towel, etc. We’ve had a lot of people forget to bring something, even if they’ve been told, so I try to have a spare towel, hairbrush, etc in the car just in case.

• We can help put the word out about upcoming baptisms and encourage as many ward members to attend as possible (by phone, email, or announcements at church).

• We give each baptism candidate a “Welcome to the Ward” packet (preferably several days before the baptism) and encourage them to invite their friends/family to attend*

• We attend convert baptisms

• We take photos of the convert in the lobby before the baptism (with the missionaries and without) and give them framed copies of their photo as a keepsake. We also make sure they have received a copy of their baptism program.

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These simple steps have made a big difference in our ability to get to know our investigators (especially those who are preparing for baptism). Any contact we have with them lets them know that we care and that we are available to help them. Without a doubt, the more comfortable a new member feels with the Ward members, the easier the transition into Ward membership will be for them and the more likely they will be to stay active.

*If you'd like more information on "Welcome to the Ward Packets", please see the "Welcome Packets" section on the right side of this page.

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Musical numbers at convert baptism services

For a long time there was a practice of having all of the full-time missionaries in our Stake do a musical number at each convert baptism service. What had started out as a musical number to help fill the time while people changed their clothes had gradually turned into a musical number that was part of the program (because the missionary doing the baptizing wanted to participate in the song and/or they wanted the new member to be able to hear the song, as well).

It was fine, but it did extend the length of the program quite a bit (often they performed a slow 4-verse hymn) and still left that long waiting period while the convert and person doing the baptizing were changing. Eventually this practice was changed altogether, because of a change in mission president, who asked that this practice of having all of the full-time missionaries perform together at baptisms discontinue. Policies may differ in your area, this is just how things are run currently in our area.

So, we haven't had any musical numbers at all recently, just because this was always something that was planned by the missionaries in the past and has been somewhat overlooked. The intermediate time while people are changing is usually filled by Elders from another ward standing up in the front and teaching a gospel principle or two. Since it can take a while for people to change, it is a long time for the Elders to try to stretch something out and people tend to start to fidget.

My husband (Ward mission leader) thought it would be nice to have a short musical number performed during that changing time, which would be followed by the Elders' remarks in whatever time is remaining. He got the 'ok' from our Bishop, and tasked me with gathering a list of names of people who might be interested in performing in the future.

I started with a message on facebook, "Attention musically talented people in the area: I'm trying to put together a list of people who might be able to do musical numbers for upcoming convert baptism services...solo, duet, whatever...vocal or musical instrument. This isn't for a specific date, just need a list of people who might be willing if we want a musical number in the future. We usually have a 1-2 weeks notice. If you would be able to help, let me know!"

I may follow up with personal messages to people that I know have performed in the past, and possibly a sign-up sheet at church, depending on how much of a response I get.

I suggested to my husband that to avoid potential disappointment, it might be good to specify ahead of time that the musical number will be performed during the waiting period, so that they understand that the new convert most likely won't be in the room to hear the musical number.

I thought I'd mention this on this blog because, as always, I'm interested in getting as many ward members to convert baptisms as possible, and it occurred to me that this is another great way to do that!

Ideas for Adult Converts

I'm always on the lookout for new ideas for gifts, books, programs, clipart etc. for our converts. When I was at Deseret Book recently, I noticed a large amount of items for child baptisms, but not a lot specifically for adult baptisms. If you go to deseretbook.com and type 'baptism' in the search box, you'll see all sorts of scrapbooking supplies, picture books, embroidered towels, etc, but almost everything is specifically for children.

We have a lot of child-of-record baptisms in the church, but we're also a missionary church, so its kind of surprising to me that there isn't more available for adult convert baptisms. I'm sure its a supply and demand issue - people are just more likely to buy a gift for a child or grandchild being baptized and we may not put as much thought into preparing things (like programs) for convert baptisms. But that doesn't mean that there aren't things available that we can purchase or make that are adult specific, we just have to look a little harder or be a little more creative.

Here are some things that I've come up with that are appropriate for adult convert baptisms:

Programs: In the past we used just a plain paper program with a scripture printed on the front. I wanted to make the program a little more special, so we recently started ordering pre-printed programs from Deseret Book - they are @ $8.00 for 100 programs. I usually print about 20-25 for most of our baptisms, so one package lasts for 4 or 5 baptisms. They have several styles that feature pictures of Christ's baptism that are appropriate for adults. Here is the one we usually use - I like this one because it has the scripture I like to use to the front (if you click on the photo you will be taken to Deseret Book's page for ordering information)...

(For more info about printing programs, see post re: baptism program templates under 'baptism services' topic at right).

Clip-art: I mainly use clipart images on the handouts that I leave with newly baptized members after they've had a new-member lesson. For example, for one of the new-member lessons that talks about covenants, I like to include images of baptism and the sacrament. Most of the baptism clipart I've found is of baptisms for 8 year olds from 'the Friend' magazine. Here are two images of adult (or teen) baptisms that I found on sugardoodle.net :

Gifts: Any type of gift is totally optional, but I feel that any type of gift, no matter how humble, gives the convert a personal memento of the occasion and conveys the message that we care for them.

We normally give each convert a framed photo (of the convert(s) dressed in white, standing with the missionaries in the lobby before their baptism). I write a personal 'congratulations' message on the back of the frame, which includes the baptism date. For the past few baptisms I've been buying wooden frames similar to these (they come in several colors) that cost around $5.00. I find that frames like these work well with almost any decor style, but any type of frame will do.


Some other gift ideas that I've seen:

Baptism bracelet (for ladies). This is actually a child's bracelet, but can be purchased in different lengths at whiteelegance.com (click on the photo to link to their site). Or you could make something similar yourself if you're crafty.
Soap Craft - I've seen these with different words on them, but I think it would be great to have a baptism/repentance theme quote, words, or scripture as a long-lasting reminder of their baptism day. Sugardoodle.net has a great tutorial (here) for making soap bottles like these for less than $2.00 each, and you can put any words or image on them that you like...maybe something like, "Be Clean"?:


Temple Lines website sells patterns of various temples for making handkerchiefs or other crafts (click on photo)
And there are many websites with temple-related crafts that can be given as gifts to adult converts, such as these temple photo block kits from poppyseedprojects.com. I think temple-themed gifts are especially appropriate for adult converts, since they will immediately begin preparing to attend the temple when they are baptism.

Baptism Preparation Handout

I've put together a handout to give to investigators who are preparing for baptism. It covers some of the information they will need to know (what to bring, what to wear, etc). The full-time missionaries will usually explain these things to the investigator as they get close to their baptism date, but not always. I try to personally speak to each person who is scheduled to be baptized to make sure that they know what they need to bring, etc, but we've had a definite shortage of towels / hairbands / brushes / and/or dry underclothing at some recent baptisms, so I figured it couldn't hurt to have another reminder - a handout that they can keep and (hopefully) refer to prior to the big day.

I have also include some other information about the baptism that I thought might be helpful for the investigator to be aware of ahead of time. For example, I included an explanation about when photographs are/aren't appropriate. During a recent baptism in our Ward, a friend of the woman being baptized began taking pictures on her cell phone during the ordinance. Everyone sitting around her was shocked, but nobody seemed to know what to do. Finally, a missionary had to go over to her to ask her to stop. The friend had no way to know that photographs are not appropriate during the baptism - its just something that we are used to and tend to forget that they may not have the same practice in another Church. It was a somewhat awkward situation that could have been avoided with just a little more preparation.

Here is the text from the handout I made - feel free to adapt/use it for any upcoming convert baptisms in your Ward:

PREPARING FOR YOUR BAPTISM DAY

Congratulations on your upcoming baptism! We are so excited to help welcome you as a new member of our Ward family! Here is some important info to help you prepare for your special day:

LOCATION:

Baptism services are held at _____________________________. Feel free to invite family and friends - everyone is welcome.

CLOTHES:

Sunday dress clothing is appropriate for baptism services, however, visitors are always welcome, whether they are wearing "Sunday" clothing or not. Right before your baptism service starts, you will change into a white jumpsuit (these are provided at the church, you don't need to bring white clothing to wear). The jumpsuits aren't see-through, but it is recommended that you wear white or light-colored underwear because dark colors/prints are sometimes slightly visible when the white fabric gets wet.

HAIR:

You will need to be totally under the water for you baptism to be complete, so if you have hair that is long enough to be put in a ponytail, please either have you hair braided or in a ponytail (girls/women who don't have their hair in a braid or ponytail sometimes need to be re-immersed several times because their hair comes up out of the water).

WHAT TO BRING:

You'll want to bring several things for your convenience after your baptism is over:

• A change of underwear (because your under-clothing will be wet after your baptism)
• A towel
• A brush/comb
• A plastic sack for your wet clothes

PHOTOS:

Since it considered a sacred ordinance, photos are not permitted during the baptism service. Photos are normally taken with the full-time missionaries/family/friends in the hallway shortly before the baptism service starts and/or while refreshments are served after the baptism service is over. If you are inviting friends or family to your baptism, you may want to make them aware that photos during the baptism are not appropriate.

Convert baptism program template

My husband was recently called to serve as Ward mission leader and next weekend will be the first convert baptisms since he was called. In our Ward, the full-time missionaries work with the convert to come up with suggestions for the baptismal program and the final program is planned by the Bishop. Then, the Ward mission leader (or his wife!) prints up the programs. Since this is his first time being responsible for printing the program, I searched online for a template that we could use to make the set-up easier. I could have made my own template to use, but I knew that would take me a while.

I wasn't able to find a convert baptism program template anywhere, but I did find a baptism program that was created for use at a child of record baptism, which is easily adapted by making a few changes (for example, I deleted the part about the 'Welcome from the Primary' and added a section for a presentation by the full-time missionaries that we normally have while the convert is changing clothes).

Here is the template I used:

Click here for BAPTISM PROGRAM TEMPLATE ON "MORMON SHARE" WEBSITE

Baptism Service Refreshments

The Relief Society Presidency in our Ward does an excellent job of coordinating refreshments for convert baptisms - and they've had a LOT of refreshments to coordinate over the past few months, so they're really appreciated.

I think its great that the Presidency takes care of that aspect of the baptism service because that means right there we've got at least one (usually 2 or 3) representative of the R.S. Presidency there to show their support. Plus, if they have called 3 or 4 sisters from the Ward to contribute cookies, those sisters are likely to stay for the baptism as well. We've had some concerns about low baptism attendance in the past, but no more! We were packed full at our last few services and that is a great thing.

Besides, just about everybody likes treats, so having refreshments afterward makes a great opportunity for Ward members to visit with the new member (and any relatives or friends that they have invited).

I usually try to contribute something for the refreshment table also, though I'm not much of a baker....This weekend we had 5 convert baptisms at one baptism service, so in honor of the very special occaision I put in an extra effort and made temple-themed cupcake brownies (white-chocolate candy shaped like the Portland temple on a brownie in a white cupcake liner). I was a little worried that people might think it was tacky or inappropriate to put a temple on a brownie, but I got the idea from my friend Sue (who used these same kinds of candy molds to make treats for her 8 year old son's baptism) and I thought it was really cute, so I went ahead and did it. I figured it might also be a conversation starter if a visitor was curious about what the building was, too.

I guess they must have gone over well, because by the time my husband got over to the refreshment table to try one, they were already gone!

(Just FYI in case you're looking for a temple candy mold - I had difficulty finding them- I bought my temple candy molds from this website (click on the underlined words to go to the site). I'm not affiliated with that company or anything, its just the site I used for my personal purchase. Each mold makes 12 candies. I bought 2 molds so I could make 24 at once, but you could always just reuse one mold as many times as you want).

Baptism attendance by Ward members

In the time that we've been serving as Ward Missionaries, we've attended all 3 convert baptisms (along with our children). I've noticed that the same few people attend, and that (aside from relatives) the people who are attending are generally there on assignment. There is always a representative from the Bishopric, Relief Society, Stake Presidency, etc., which is great (don't get me wrong!), but I'm sort of sad that more members don't come to support the new converts.

We've been trying to brainstorm some ideas for increasing member attendance at convert baptisms. The baptisms are already announced in Sacrament meeting, Relief Society, and Elders Quorum. I also send out reminder emails (to everyone whose email I have) in the ward. So I don't really think that its that the Ward members don't know about the baptisms. I've also mentioned this in ward mission correlation (that a member of the EQ and RS presidencies attend), but didn't have a real idea - of course, I recognize that sometimes people are just busy with other things. I just think its a missed opportunity for members to show support and friendship a new member AND a spiritual experience that would be beneficial for everyone in the family.

The only thing we've come up with so far is trying to encourage the full-time missionaries to include more members in the baptismal program. I've also considered making simple invitations to put on the RS display table the Sunday before a baptism (baptisms here are always on Saturday). Any suggestions?