Child Dedication

Praise God.... Alex is being dedicated at Church tomorrow!! As Christians this is a process we choose for our child until they are old enough to accept Christ into their lives on their own terms!! Please Pray for Alex tomorrow as we dedicate his life to Jesus!!

Here's a little more information for you!

Child Dedication is parental recognition of a solemn responsibility and trust - a responsibility to raise your child in the nurture and instruction of the Lord. The Dedication Service provides you, as a parent, an opportunity to make this commitment public before God, your friends, and family.

Dedicating a child acknowledges God's sovereignty not only over the child, but also Mom and Dad. Parents present their child before God and His people asking for grace and wisdom in carrying out their responsibilities. Parents also come praying that their child might one day trust Jesus Christ as Savior for the forgiveness of sin.

Before the actual ceremony, it is crucial that pastors counsel parents about the meaning of dedication. The best passage for discussion is Deuteronomy 6:4-7. First, it commands parents to love God; if they truly wish for their child to one day love and follow God, their lives must be an example. This is a good time to query parents about their own personal relationship with Christ.

Second, Deuteronomy makes clear that the duty of teaching children belongs to parents; Sunday schools can provide weekly instruction, but parents must seize the teachable moments that arise throughout life. Explain the value of prayer (for example, repetitious prayers like "Now I lay me down to sleep . . .") at meal times and before bed. Urge them to read aloud Bible stories for devotions. Give them practical ideas they can implement into their daily family routines.

Sometimes it is custom for parents to choose godparent(s). Often viewed simply as an honorary title, its value however can be greatly enhanced by defining how this role will be carried out. Many godparents assume responsibility to provide cards and gifts of a Christian nature for the child on birthdays and holidays. Some periodically ask the parents how they are doing in training their child (Proverbs 22:6). Still others have arranged that in the event of the parents' unexpected death, the godparents will take the child into their home (This of course requires legal documentation).

Where in Scripture is there a precedent for dedication of a child?

Hannah presented her son, Samuel, to the Lord in Shiloh (1 Sam. 1:11).
Jesus was also dedicated to God (Luke 2:22) and He allowed little children to come to Him for His blessing (Matt. 19:13-15).

If your heart is in agreement with the purpose and the motive of the Parent/Child Dedication, then we invite you to participate. We consider this a sincere promise to God that flows out of your commitment to Jesus Christ.

It is a parent’s dedication to make a spiritual commitment to God on behalf of their child. It is a commitment that involves a lifestyle of praying for the child, teaching from God’s Word and setting a Christian example for the child. This is not infant baptism. It does not indicate or assure salvation. It does not make the child a Christian. Every person must exercise personal faith in Christ when he or she is old enough to understand the gospel.

This occasion allows the parents to publicly commit their children to God for His blessing on their lives. It is recognition that children are a temporary gift from God given to us who bear the responsibility for their spiritual development.