Adult baptism follows the same core pattern as any baptism: confession of faith, water, the baptismal words and a blessing. The difference lies in what comes before it, and in the fact that you say yes yourself. If you want to be baptised as an adult, you contact a church, have one or more conversations about baptism and are baptised in a service, with or without godparents depending on the church.
At Good-Natured, many of our baptism gifts are made for exactly this occasion: for young people and adults who consciously decide to be baptised. This guide explains what the preparation looks like, what happens on the day, what role godparents or baptism mentors play and what makes a good gift.
• Requirement: your own wish to be baptised and a conversation with the church. There is no minimum or maximum age.
• Preparation: anything from a few conversations to a baptism course over several months, depending on the church.
• Godparents: expected in the Catholic Church, usually optional in Protestant churches, often replaced by baptism mentors in free churches.
• Cost: baptism itself is free of charge.
• Gift: something that recalls the decision, such as a baptism gift bundle with a book and a baptism card.
1. Baptism for adults: who can be baptised?
Anyone who has not yet been baptised and wishes to be. Many adults grew up without church and came to faith through friends, a small group, a youth camp or a difficult season. Others were not baptised as children because their parents wanted to leave the decision to them.
The first step is almost always the same: a call or an email to the church where you would like to be baptised. The pastor or church leadership will then suggest a first conversation. In the large churches, anyone already baptised, even as a baby, is not baptised again. Many free churches, by contrast, celebrate baptism deliberately as believer's baptism, even after an infant baptism. It is best to talk about this openly in the first conversation.
2. Preparation: conversations and baptism courses
How long the preparation takes depends very much on the church.
Protestant: usually one or more conversations with the pastor, sometimes a short course on faith. The questions are: What does baptism mean? What do I believe? Which verse should go with me?
Catholic: adults go through the catechumenate, a period of preparation that often lasts several months up to about a year. At the end they usually receive baptism, confirmation and first communion together, often at the Easter Vigil.
Free churches: often a baptism course over a few evenings. Many churches ask the person being baptised to share briefly in the service how they came to faith.
In almost every church you also choose a baptism verse during this time, a Bible verse that stays with you beyond the day. Take your time: you can recognise a fitting baptism verse by the way it fits your own story, not just the occasion.
3. What happens at an adult baptism service
The baptism is usually part of a Sunday service and takes around fifteen to twenty minutes. The order varies in the details, but the framework is almost the same everywhere.
1. The Great Commission. Often the service begins with Jesus' command from Matthew 28:19 to baptise all nations in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
2. Confession of faith. You are asked whether you believe in God and want to be baptised, and you answer yourself. This is the biggest difference from infant baptism. In some churches a short personal testimony follows.
3. The baptism. In Protestant and Catholic churches, water is usually poured over the head three times; in free churches you are usually fully immersed, in a baptistery, a lake or a river. In Romans 6:4, Paul describes baptism as being buried with Christ so that we too should walk in newness of life. Immersion makes this picture visible.
4. Blessing. Usually with the laying on of hands, often together with the reading of the baptism verse. In many churches a baptismal candle is lit from the Easter candle.
5. Certificate and fellowship. At the end you receive your baptism certificate. Afterwards many celebrate with family, friends and church, over church coffee or at home.
4. Godparents, baptism mentors or nobody?
This is the most common uncertainty at an adult baptism. The short answer: it depends on the church.
In the Catholic Church a godparent is expected for adults too. In Protestant churches godparents are usually not required for adults, but many still choose someone to walk alongside them. Free churches often have no godparents in the traditional sense, but baptism mentors who are available during the preparation and afterwards.
Whatever your church: find someone you can talk to about questions of faith and who will still be asking how you are a year from now. Whether this person is officially called a godparent is secondary.
5. What to wear for baptism as an adult
For baptism by pouring, neat everyday clothes that suit the church are fine. For baptism by immersion you are often given a baptism robe, or you wear light-coloured clothes that are not see-through and bring a change of clothes and a towel. What guests and companions wear is covered in our post on what to wear to a baptism.
6. Gifts for an adult baptism
A gift for an adult baptism can take seriously what is happening here: a conscious decision. At Good-Natured we have put together our own bundles for this. Alternating between a product and an idea that costs nothing:
A gift with depth: The large baptism gift bundle for 50 € includes a T-shirt of your choice made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, the books „Überrascht von Furcht“ and „Überrascht von Liebe“ in a slipcase, and our baptism card.
A letter: Write down what you value about this person and their journey. A letter is read again years later.
A card: The Baptizo postcard for 2 € takes up the Greek word for baptism and leaves room for a few personal lines. Good wording for a blessing is short, concrete and about this one person.
Time together: a breakfast or a walk one month after the baptism, when everyday life is back.
Something smaller: The small baptism gift bundle for 25 € combines socks of your choice, one of the two books and the baptism card.
A prayer: Tell the person being baptised that you are praying for them, and then do it.
The large baptism gift bundle with a T-shirt, two books and a baptism card for 50 €.
View the bundle ↗More ideas, sorted by godparents and guests, are collected in our guide What to give for a baptism. Why a gift for a believer's baptism can have substance is explained in baptism gifts for adults.
Conclusion
Baptism for adults is simple to organise: contact a church, have the conversations or take the course, choose a baptism verse, attend the service. In substance it is a big step, because you confess yourself what parents and godparents promise at an infant baptism. With godparents, a baptism mentor or neither, what matters are people who walk the road with you afterwards. If you would like to give something for the day, you will find a selection at Good-Natured under baptism gifts.
Frequently asked questions
Does an adult baptism cost anything?
No, baptism itself is free. In Germany's Protestant and Catholic churches, baptism makes you a church member, and church tax then applies if you have an income. Free churches have no church tax; they are funded by voluntary giving.
Can I be baptised without becoming a church member?
In the large churches, baptism establishes membership, so the two belong together. Many free churches separate baptism and membership and only accept baptised people as members if they wish. It is worth raising this in the first conversation.
Can I choose where I am baptised?
Often, yes. Many free churches hold baptism celebrations at a lake or river in summer, and Protestant churches increasingly offer open-air baptism festivals. Ask your church early, because such dates usually only happen once or twice a year.
Can I be baptised again as an adult after an infant baptism?
The Protestant and Catholic churches recognise infant baptism as valid and do not baptise again. Instead there are forms of remembering one's baptism or reaffirming faith. Some free churches regard only a conscious believer's baptism as baptism. An open conversation with the church helps here.
Baptism gift bundles, the Baptizo postcard and more ideas for young people and adults who have said yes to God.
View the collection ↗
