WHAT IS CHILD DEDICATION?

Parents, we are grateful for the commitment you have made to influence your child to know Jesus and make Him known. YOU have more influence on your child’s spiritual life than anyone else! As your church, we want to partner with you to have the greatest impact on your child so they know how to be and make disciples that are Surrendered Worshipers, Maturing Followers, Compassionate Servants, and Kingdom Multipliers.

One way we want to partner with you is through Child Dedications. It is a chance to align our hearts as parents and the church to work together to grow your child spiritually. The practice of dedicating a child to the Lord isn’t a direct command from the Bible, but we see it modeled for us. Mary and Joseph dedicate Jesus as well as Hannah dedicating Sammuel in 1 Samuel 1:27-28. “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.”

It’s easy to see Hannah’s heart as she presents her son back to the Lord. We as Christ followers want to present our children back to the Lord out of a grateful heart as well. This is an opportunity to stop and reflect on what it means to be a godly parent, think about what will matter the most in the life of your child, and make intentional decisions to make that a reality as you parent through the many phases of your child’s life.

Child dedication doesn’t magically change anything, but it helps you focus your heart to raise your child in a way that they will learn of their deep need for Jesus and how to have an intimate relationship with Him. Child Dedication is not an infant baptism. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change that takes place after someone trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior. When your child makes that decision, we would love to come alongside you in their next step of obedience in baptism. If you want to participate in your location’s next Child Dedication, register here!