FLOWING WATER BAPTISMAL FONTS FOR CHURCHES
Click on the video to learn about our original round and new square oak flowing water baptismals. Both baptismals are natural oak finish. The video will review many of our baptismal’s best features, and illustrate how easy it is to change visual water effects.
Hello, my name is Harold Dailey, and I am a recently retired pastor, and the creator of the Living Waters Baptismal. I would like to share with you the Living Waters Baptismal story. I served God in the United Methodist Church for 21 years. Prior to that I was the founder and CEO of an architectural fountain company, creating beautiful water displays for commercial and government buildings all over the world.
I have always had a passion for working with wood. Over the years, God has provided me opportunity to built a lot of custom furniture and fixtures, primarily for the churches where I served. It has been therapeutic for me each time I finished a piece and get to see it serve a purpose. You see, ministry is a continuous work in progress, for there is always one more sermon, Bible study, or person in need of spiritual help. So finishing something has always provided me great satisfaction, and closure.
It was an unexpected surprise when God separated me from the fountain business I loved so many years ago to call me into full-time ministry, but I have no regrets. Serving God, and helping people has been far more satisfing than building fountains, and making money.
I was not surprised when God called me to build the first Living Waters Baptismal. He placed the desire in my heart, and the design in my head about a year before He suddenly told me it was time to retire. Over the years, I had become accustomed to God’s surprises, which were usually a blessing. I was especially blessed when He asked me to combine the three things that had brought me so much joy in my life; building fountains, working with wood, and serving God’s children in the church. He guided the design, and gave me the gifts to accomplish the task. It is my prayer that God’s children and church will be equally blessed by the baptismals I build.
Each baptismal is handcrafted and unique. I select the best wood I can find, and derive great joy and satisfaction in praying over the baptismal as I carefully build it. Being retired, I never get in a hurry. My work is not about production, but perfection. Of course, nothing I build is perfect, and I enjoy finding imperfections in the wood such as an occasional worm hole. They remind me that nothing in this world is perfect, and we all have our share of worm holes.
This is the message behind the Living Waters Baptismal story, that through God’s perfect love and grace, we the imperfect can be made new in the perfect image of God, Jesus Christ. God’s love and grace are not static, but alive and flowing. In biblical times, people were baptized in flowing water because it was fresh. You would never consider being baptized in still, stagnant water. When God’s children sinned and turned away from Him, putting others things first in their lives, God referred to Himself as the “fountain of living water” (Jeremiah 2:13). God is the source from which all life flows. When we put other things before God in our lives, we cut ourselves off from our source of life.
Jesus told the woman at the well that He could give her “living water”–water that could become within the believer a well springing up to eternal life (John 4:10-14). Jesus later declared: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me, and let the one who believes in Me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water'” (John 7:37b-38).
Many churches today suffer because the Spirit of God is not flowing, but still and stagnant. God does not intend the church to be still, but alive with the Holy Spirit and God’s grace flowing from within. Baptism is the sacrament through which we repent of our sin, and are reborn to “life” through Christ. We make a commitment to serve God, and His children. We are not intended to simply be forgive our sins, and “receive” the Spirit of God, but to become conduits through which the Holy Spirit, and God’s grace can “flow” to others.
This is the inspiration for the Living Waters Baptismal. The flowing water in the baptismal reminds us that God’s Spirit and grace are ever flowing. The baptismal is round without beginning or end because God’s love is endless. The basin is white to remind us that through baptism our sins are washed away, and God makes us clean. The light which emits from the water’s source is to remind us that God’s light is shinning fourth in the darkness, and we are called to be His light-bearers in the world. We come to the baptismal dead in our sin, but we leave alive in Christ. We acknowledge and repent of our sin, and claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Baptism is not our destination, but the “beginning” of our new life.
I pray over each baptismal I build. I don’t know those who will be baptized in it’s waters. But I do know that they will be my brothers and sisters in Christ. Through baptism we become part of the family of God. And we are called to be a priesthood of all believers, each doing our part, and serving our purpose according to God’s plan. We are all part of one body, the body of Christ. In a world so divided, this is important for us to remember.
God has told me, that at this time in my life, my purpose is to build these baptismals. What I will do in the future, is in God’s hands. For now, it is my prayer that every Living Waters Baptismal be a blessing, serving as a good and faithful instrument, bringing glory to God. May this forever be the Living Waters Baptismal story–serving the Creator of all that has ever been created.
Your fellow servant in Christ,
Rev. Harold Dailey
Below is a photo gallery of the first “prototype” Living Waters Baptismal. The captions capture some of the “first” joys as God’s vision was born into a working model.
Baptismal setup and operation is quick and easy, requiring no special tools or skills. A YouTube video is provided to illustrate the entire process. The video also shows how to change water effects. An Operating Manual in PDF format is also available below for download.
Time needed: 10 minutes
Place level on white basin with ends directly above two casters on opposit sides of the baptismal. Next, adjust leveling thumbwheels until bubble is centered between lines on level. Then, turn level 90 degrees, and repeat process to level the other casters. Check both positions again to insure baptismal is level and stable.
Install water effect device. (Instructions shown below.)
Verify drain valve’s blue handle is aligned parallel to floor, and not vertically aligned parallel to hose outlet.
Slowly pour four (minimum) to five (maximum) gallons of CLEAN water into the white basin.
Verify power switch button is OUT (OFF position), and not IN (ON position).
Run power cord and plug through the opening in bottom of cabinet, and plug in to an electrical outlet. Red light on plug should come on. If not, then push the “reset” button on plug.
Push power switch button IN to turn ON the baptismal. Button with latch in the IN (recessed) position, and water will begin flowing.
Push the power switch button again to turn OFF the baptismal. Buttom will unlatch, returning to the OUT position, and water will cease flowing.
Place lid on baptismal. WARNING! Never operate baptismal with lid in place.
Unplug and store power cord when baptismal is not in use. Children may push power button while lid is on.
A Living Waters Baptismal has two water effects. They include the “Gushing Spring” and the “Crystal Pool”. The “Gushing Spring” requires removal of the diverter disc, and mounting shaft. If installed, they are located at the water inlet in the bottom of the white basin. To remove, simply unscrew the diverter disc and mounting shaft. After removal, store them on the access door frame.
The “Crystal Pool” comes with a choice of solid and clear diverter discs. Install by screwing one of the diverter discs onto the mounting shaft. Then screw the assembly into the threaded mounting hole in the water inlet of the white basin. Hand tighten only.
The YouTube video below illustrates the baptismal setup and operation. It also shows how to change the water effects.
A Living Waters Baptismal is easy to clean, sanitize, and drain between uses. All that is required is a clean cloth, clean water, and a small amount of household chlorine bleach. In addition to the instructions below, a YouTube video is available below. Also below, you can download the Operating Manual in PDF format.
Never use any detergents or chemicals to clean the surfaces, or water basin. They can damage the finish, and if used in the basin, create soap foaming. It is best to clean all surfaces with a mild solution of water with a very small amount of chlorine bleach (about a tablespoon of bleach in a cup of water). Then use a clean lint-free cloth, dampened with the cleaning solution to wipe down surfaces. This will both clean and disinfect. Dry with another clean lint-free cloth, or allow to air dry.
The best way to completely sanitize the water, and system of a Living Waters Baptismal is by adding one cup of household chlorine bleach to the baptismal waters. Slowly pour the bleach directly into the center of the white basin while the baptismal is operating, and allow the baptismal to continue to operate for a least fifteen minutes after adding the bleach. The bleach will mix with the water, and will circulate throughout the system, thoroughly sanitizing all the surfaces that come in contact with the water. Chlorine bleach is a natural and safe sanitizer, used to disinfect public drinking water and swimming pools.
If OFF, push power switch to turn ON baptismal.
Slowly pour one cup of household chlorine bleach into center of white basin, and continue operating baptismal at least fifteen minutes.
Push power button to turn OFF baptismal.
Unplug power cord, and pull into the cabinet through the hole in the base, coiling the cord inside the cabinet.
Place the end of the clear hose into a five gallon bucket, or container of equal size. Alternatively, the drain hose can be connected to a garden hose, and run outside through an open door.
Turn blue handle on drain valve 90 degrees to open. Water should drain from the baptismal.
After draining, lift hose closest to drain valve and allow remaining water in hose to empty into container or hose.
Close drain valve, aligning blue handle parallel to the floor.
Pour the water drained from the baptismal on the ground, and not down the sewer. Water which has been blessed in the sacrament of holy baptism should be returned to the earth, and not treated as waste.
Draining Note: Draining the baptismal using the drain hose will not eliminate all water. A small amount of water will remain in the lower reservoir below the white basin, and a little more will be trapped in the piping. This water will eventually evaporate, and does not have to be removed. If desired, you can remove most of the water from the reservoir using a towel lowered though the opening around the white basin, and dragged around the perimeter.
The YouTube video below illustrates how to sanitize, and drain a Living Waters Baptismal.
