So, I went and talked to 60 Year 4 children about Baptism.  Clearly there had been a change of plan, and the teachers had not done much stuff on John the Baptiser, so that was one problem neatly avoided.

I talked about the Greek verb and its typical translations and application - dipping and dunking (the latter not a technically accurate translation, but hey... I sent them all home to baptise their digestive biscuits in tea), sinking (according to some Bappy leaflet I read) and dyeing.  Plus a tad on the symbolism on washing and dying/grave.  Of course there was smug daughter of Methodist local preacher who told me what Baptism was all about and was clearly checking out my soundness on the topic!

Then we got onto pictures of fonts and baptisteries including a photo of an Orthodox infant Baptism (by dunking, in case you didn't know).

They were intrigued and the questions came thick and fast - did people hit their heads on the end of the baptistery, could babies breath underwater, why didn't people dissolve as biscuits do (I think that was from the smart alecs!), how do you get trained in doing baptisms (good one that! see one, do one, teach one?  Says she who has seen and taught but never done), is it true that babies have to be baptised so they don't go to hell if they die, how deep is the water, why do some vicars draw crosses in the water, what do you wear...?  And one that really surprised me - how did I come to train to be a minister?

It was a fun hour, and it very soon passed.

I have no idea if in ten years they will remember anything I told them about Baptism, though maybe they will for ten days baptise their biscuits.  Hopefully, though, they will take away a sense that the Baptist vicar (sic) was actually an OK person, respectful of other traditions and other faiths, who treated their questions with the seriousness (and humour) they deserved.