Individuals vs Groups

We have a framed scripture hanging in our family room that was a gift from Steve’s (my husband’s) mother that quotes the second part of Joshua 24:15 – “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  While I like the declaration and commitment of it, I’ve always wondered how Joshua could make a statement of commitment for his entire household.

Some of the assignment material in the Come to the Water course talked about the idea that in the time of Christ, people did not think of themselves as individuals, but as a member of a group.  Whole households were baptized - this was the way of things.

As the Church expanded, this changed.  For example, have you heard of Perpetua?  She was a believer who was arrested for her faith.  She was in a three year preparation time for baptism and had not completed it, but was baptized because she was headed to martyrdom.  Her father came three times to try to convince her to renounce Jesus (she did not).  She was executed in March of 203 "by the beasts on the arena at Carthage.  Terrible story, but certainly one that demonstrates how individualism was replacing the idea of household membership in the church.

Two questions come to mind:

1. What if we considered baptism so important that we required a 3-year preparation time for it?  What would the church be like?
2. How is the church different because we see ourselves as individuals instead of members of a group or tribe in our faith?