Baptism Instruction

Baptism celebrates God’s act of redemption in the believer.  It is an outward, visible sign of an inner, spiritual transformation made possible through the resurrected Christ.  –Minister’s Manual

There are many resources for teaching a baptismal instruction class. The ones listed here were prepared by Mennonites.

Claim(ing) Faith: youth discover the Confession of Faith. MennoMedia, 2013. 
Invites youth and their leaders to explore, discover and claim faith through an Anabaptist/Mennonite lens. Using the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective as the starting point, youth will explore the hard questions of faith and discover what it means to live a life of discipleship. 10 session include both print and video component.Begin Anew / Empezar de Nuevo by Palmer Becker, Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada, 2014. A 16-session series of studies to make adult disciples in small groups and congregations. Based on the idea that Christianity is a combination of believing, belonging, becoming, and behaving, this discipleship resource is for anyone interested in growing in Christian faith from an Anabaptist perspective, regardless of their background or previous church experience.
Find 16 videos that accompany the series here. 
Leader’s guide
Participant’s guide
Begin Anew MeditationsGod’s Story, Our Story: Exploring Christian Faith and Life. By Michele Hershberger; MennoMedia, 2013. Addresses essential issues of Christian faith through an engaging survey of the biblical story and sidebars containing real conversations from believers of all ages. Suitable for group or individual study. A companion piece to Making Disciples.Making Disciples: Preparing People for Baptism, Christian Living, and Church Membership. By April Yamasaki; Faith and Life Resources, 2003. Download. This practical guide helps pastors and other church leaders invite, instruct, baptize and follow-up with new members. Includes an adaptable 10-session study plan linked with God’s Story, Our Story and the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective. 

Through Fire and Water: An overview of Mennonite History. By Harry Loewen, Steven Nolt, Carol Duerksen and Elwood Yoder; Herald Press, 2010. Presents the Mennonite faith story within the sweep of church history. This was written as a textbook for students in Mennonite high schools. 

Being God’s People: Embracing Christian Faith from a Mennonite Perspective by Ervin Stutzman, MennoMedia, 1998.
Each of 13 lessons emphasizes a different aspect of being the people of God and is arranged in six sections so new believers may study one section a day. Uses scripture texts from Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective. The leader’s guide is available as a print on demand title, shipping within two to three days. Student guide comes in print version or downloadable.

Testing the Waters: Basic Tenets of Faith
​Discover the biblical roots for the central Christian concepts of covenant, community, and baptism. This short course is a way to test the (baptismal) waters of Christianity before diving in, or review the basics for those who already have. 6 sessions. Generation Why series.

Adventures with the Anabaptists. By Jeanne Grieser and Carol Duerksen; Faith and Life Resources, 2001. Introduces youth to the events and personalities of the radical reformers of the early 16th century in Europe. The 10-session study, written for teachers and including reproducible sheets, brings history to life, relating it to the contemporary issues youth face. Includes skits, quizzes, reflection, bible study, teaching on basic beliefs and the Schleitheim Confession. It is adaptable for both senior and junior high youth, and in a variety of settings.

Faith For the Journey: Youth Explore the Confession of Faith. By Ann Weber Becker; Faith and Life Press, 1997. There is a session on each article of the Confession. Could be used as a core study for catechism or a framework from which to build discussion, study and journaling. Out of print; check Amazon or church libraries. Available from the Western District Conference and Central Plains resource libraries.

Via: Exploring the Way of Christ. Faith and Life Resources, 2009. Spanish and English. Via is for those who are new to the church and who may know nothing of the Bible or of Christian faith. Eight sessions introduce people to the basics of Christian faith from an Anabaptist perspective, in the context of a supportive group of other discoverers. Considered a pre-catechism curriculum. Out of print but available from the Western District Conference and Central Plains resource libraries.
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Beginning the Christian Life by Russell Krabill, Herald Press, 1988.

Confession of Faith in Mennonite Perspective 1995
​What is an Anabaptist Christian? by Palmer Becker

The Quickest Ever DVD Guide to Anabaptists and their Values. Mennonite Health Services Alliance, 2009. 4 minutes.

The Radicals. Based on the Myron Augsburger book, Pilgrim Aflame, the story of the Michael and Margaretha Sattler and the early Anabaptists in 1525. 99 minutes.

Who are the Mennonites? Can you tell if someone is a Mennonite just by looking? This 3 1/2-minute video dispels that myth and explores Mennonite history, beliefs and practices.

Getting the Radical Back into Baptism
​A Gathering Place webinar from October 5, 2017 
Michele Hershberger, Bible and Ministry Professor at Hesston College, talks about ways to make baptism more biblical, more memorable and more of a catalyst for lasting transformation for our youth.

Paula Snyder Belousek ​uses these resources with adult new believers.

Andrea Wall has developed this Curriculum Plan for Catechism classes at Bethesda Mennonite Church, Henderson, Nebraska. ​

Daniel Yoder has developed a one-day retreat for membership instruction to be held on Good Friday for College Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana. He tries to cover all the basic catechesis in the “normal curriculum” for junior high and high school youth.
Exploring Baptism workbook
​Our Story banner
ourStory Lessons Schedule
ourStory Summary
One-day retreat outline

Anabaptist Essentials by Palmer Becker
A clear, readable guide on what makes Anabaptist Christianity distinctive. Organized around the core values, “Jesus is the center of our faith; community is the center of our life; reconciliation is the center of our work.”Confession of Faith in Mennonite Perspective
A statement in 24 articles adopted by Mennonite Church USA for teaching and nurture.

What we believe together by Alfred Neufeld
Explores the seven Shared Convictions adopted by the Mennonite World Conference General Council.

The Bible as Story: An introduction to biblical literature by Marion G. Bontrager, Michele Hershberger and John E. Sharp
The biblical narrative is and has always been one overarching story of God interacting with people to bring healing from the devastating effects of sin.

Living the Anabaptist Story
This accessible history tells the story of how adult Christians of the 1500s first shaped the Anabaptist believers church tradition and of how it lives on today and can be joined by any who identify with Anabaptist understandings of following Christ.

Beliefs: Mennonite Faith and Practice
Stories: How Mennonites Came to Be
Practices: Mennonite Worship and Witness
All by John D. Roth; Herald Press, 2004, 2006, 2009.

The Mennonite Handbook
A light-hearted look at all things Mennonite. With reliable, historical, and theological information, alongside some fun facts, it provides practical tips on being a churchgoing follower of Jesus Christ. This book is highly contextual and not relevant to every Mennonite church.