This summer, my congregation decided to try something new. For five consecutive days, we put together different fun activities and called it, simply, Fun Week. One of the days, we decided to meet up at our city splash pad and give thanks for our baptisms before going off to play and eat freezies. That was the inspiration for this liturgy. When adapting it to your local splash pad, think about how you can utilize different water features during different parts of the liturgy. At our splash pad, there was a button to push to reactivate all the water features that I pushed right after the welcome. We zig-zagged around walk spouts when we remembered the Israelites walking through the Red Sea. I spun a spinning water feature when we remembered our baptisms. Figure out creative ways to get your kiddos moving and interacting with you.
Welcome
I welcome you to the splash pad
in the name of God the Father, who created water
in the name of God the ☩ Son, who is our Living Water
and in the name of the Holy Spirit, who fills us to overflowing
Amen.
Thanksgiving
Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism, we are soaked with God’s mercy and forgiveness. Let us give thanks for the gift of baptism!
Creation and Local Sources of Water with Psalm 104:10-13
Note: Give the kids a heads up how you would like them to respond at each section.
Leader: Holy God, You are mighty and merciful
all of our days, we are surrounded by your goodness.
You make springs gush forth and we say…
Response: It is good!
L: You fill the streams and we say…
R: It is good!
L: You make water to flow down from storm clouds and mountain heights and we say…
R: It is good!
L: Praise to You for cloud and rain, for dew and snow, for ocean and sea and river.
Praise to You for the waters that nourish us here:
(local bodies of water may be named here, maybe the kids can help you list them)
Holy God, You are mighty and merciful
all of our days, we are surrounded by your goodness.
God’s Faithfulness
L: Holy God, praise to You for Your saving waters!
All of our days, we are held afloat by your faithfulness. You split the sea in two so that the Israelites could walk into freedom and we hear…
R: God is faithful!
L: You sat with the lonely Samaritan woman and invited her to drink your living water so that she would never be thirsty again and we hear…
R: God is faithful!
L: You protected Paul and the whole ship’s crew from the stormy sea until they could reach a hospitable place and we hear…
R: God is faithful!
L: Holy God, praise to You for Your saving waters!
All of our days, we are held afloat by your faithfulness.
Our New Life in the Spirit
L: Holy God, You are gracious and generous.
All of our days, we are filled with your Life.
In our baptisms, You washed us and we have been set free to play and to care for each other so we say…
R: Thank you, God!
L: Every day of our life, our baptism is refreshed through your steadfast love so we say…
R: Thank you, God!
L: We wait, in hope, for the day when we will see You face-to-face around the glassy sea, and the waters of our baptism will be exchanged for a crown so we say…
R: Thank you, God!
L: Holy God, You are gracious and generous.
All of our days, now and forever, we are filled with your Life.
Amen.
Blessing
Almighty God, who gives us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and forgives us all our sins, strengthen us in all goodness and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Optional Additions
- Sing a song together. Deep and Wide or Peace Like A River would be fun at a splash pad!
- What baptism resources do you use to equip the newly baptized and their families in your context? Consider utilizing them during this Thanksgiving for Baptism.
