Child Dedication
What is a child dedication?
A child dedication is when parents bring their newborn-5th grade child before God and dedicate themselves to raise the child to know and follow Jesus. This custom has its roots in the Hebrew Bible and was even done by Mary and Joseph eight days after the birth of Jesus.
When a child is dedicated to God, it does not take away original sin or guarantee any spiritual privileges to the child. The parents are simply recognizing their child as a gift from the Lord and are committing themselves to do everything in their power to point their children toward faith. Each child, on their own, must eventually choose whether or not they will personally repent of their sin, place their hope/trust in the sacrifice of Jesus to take away their sin and follow Him.
What will happen during the dedication?
We simply introduce your child to the church family, letting them know of your intentions to raise your child to know and follow Jesus. We then ask the church family to commit to pray for you and your child as often as they think about it. The pastor will then pray over your family.
What are the expectations of the parents?
We don’t expect parents to be perfect but we do expect them to set a godly example in the home. This means several things:
Both parents* have personally committed to faith in Jesus and have been baptized since beginning to follow Him.
Parents are not currently living a lifestyle of disobedience to God. Meaning that they are in a monogamous marriage of one husband and one wife.**
Both parents are committed to growing as followers of Jesus as members of this church family.
What does this mean for our family?
We, as parents, are committed to “love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength… And [we] commit ourselves wholeheartedly to this command [and will] repeat it again and again to our children. Talk about it when [we] are at home and when [we] are on the road, when [we] are going to bed and when [we] are getting up.” – Deuteronomy 6:4-7
*If you are a single parent, you are still able to dedicate your child to the Lord. We, as your church family, will do everything in our power to be a spiritual support for you and are available to serve your family.
**We recognize everyone’s legal right to live with or without regard to the will of God for their life. However, child dedication is reserved for those who choose, of their own accord, to live under the authority of the Word of God.
When is the next child dedication happening?
Once you let us know you are interested in participating in a child dedication through the form below, your location pastor will reach out to you 1-3 weeks prior to the next child dedication weekend!