Referring to children, Psalm 127:5 says "Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." Indeed, children are a blessing and a gift from God. Certainly there is responsibility (and plenty of it), but raising children is a privilege and joy.
Dedicating children to God is a public commitment you make before God, your church, and your family to express your desire to lead and spiritually nurture the growth and development of a child. Christian parents who dedicate a child are making a promise to the Lord to do everything within their power to raise the child in a godly way, prayerfully until he or she can make a decision on his or her own to follow God.
Why should I have my child dedicated?
The scriptural basis for child dedication is found in 1 Samuel, where a godly woman named Hannah earnestly prayed for a child. During one of those prayers 1 Samuel 1:11 (NIV) tells us, And she (Hannah) made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life..."
When God answered her prayer and she gave birth to a son, whom she named Samuel, Hannah prayed these words: "For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord." (1 Samuel 1:27-28 NASB).
Furthermore, in Luke chapter 2 of the New Testament, following the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took the infant Jesus to the temple and dedicated Him.
In both Scripture passages, the parents entrusted their child completely to God. When we bring a child for dedication, parent(s) are making a similar commitment to entrust their child to God. We are recognizing the fact that ultimately the child comes from God and belongs to God.
What are my responsibilities as a parent?
The writings of Moses found in Deuteronomy 6:5–9 describe God's plan for how a parent should raise up a child:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
When you present a child for dedication, you are committing to do your best to follow the instructions in Deuteronomy 6:5-9.
Do I need to be a member of your church?
The short answer is "no", you do not need to be a formal member of this church, however you should be someone who is attending the church. Why? Because you are making a commitment before God to raise the child in partnership with God and the church. Therefore, a child dedication should be held in the congregation in which the parent(s) attend.
Some things to keep in mind:
What Can I expect during the ceremony?
During the dedication service, parents express vows before God, their family, and the church, declaring their desire to raise their child in a God-honoring way. Because parents are the key role models for their children, they play a primary role in the dedication service.
Parents will be asked to affirm the following commitments:
What do I do next?
Contact Pastor Norman and he will be happy to meet with you and discuss dedication your child(ren) to the Lord.
Dedicating children to God is a public commitment you make before God, your church, and your family to express your desire to lead and spiritually nurture the growth and development of a child. Christian parents who dedicate a child are making a promise to the Lord to do everything within their power to raise the child in a godly way, prayerfully until he or she can make a decision on his or her own to follow God.
Why should I have my child dedicated?
The scriptural basis for child dedication is found in 1 Samuel, where a godly woman named Hannah earnestly prayed for a child. During one of those prayers 1 Samuel 1:11 (NIV) tells us, And she (Hannah) made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life..."
When God answered her prayer and she gave birth to a son, whom she named Samuel, Hannah prayed these words: "For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord." (1 Samuel 1:27-28 NASB).
Furthermore, in Luke chapter 2 of the New Testament, following the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took the infant Jesus to the temple and dedicated Him.
In both Scripture passages, the parents entrusted their child completely to God. When we bring a child for dedication, parent(s) are making a similar commitment to entrust their child to God. We are recognizing the fact that ultimately the child comes from God and belongs to God.
What are my responsibilities as a parent?
The writings of Moses found in Deuteronomy 6:5–9 describe God's plan for how a parent should raise up a child:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
When you present a child for dedication, you are committing to do your best to follow the instructions in Deuteronomy 6:5-9.
Do I need to be a member of your church?
The short answer is "no", you do not need to be a formal member of this church, however you should be someone who is attending the church. Why? Because you are making a commitment before God to raise the child in partnership with God and the church. Therefore, a child dedication should be held in the congregation in which the parent(s) attend.
Some things to keep in mind:
- We ask parents to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
- We ask parents to be in agreement with the basics of what we believe.
- We ask parents to be regular attenders of our worship services.
- We ask parents who are living together and who are not married to take steps to acknowledge and surrender to God’s plan for their relationship before participating in a child dedication service.
What Can I expect during the ceremony?
During the dedication service, parents express vows before God, their family, and the church, declaring their desire to raise their child in a God-honoring way. Because parents are the key role models for their children, they play a primary role in the dedication service.
Parents will be asked to affirm the following commitments:
- Do you receive this child with gratitude, as God’s gift to you and your family?
- Do you commit to each other as parents, creating a stable environment in which your child can mature? Will you make a covenant to strengthen your marriage relationship?
- Do you commit to be parents of personal faith, recognizing your children are more likely to follow God’s path by the model they first observe in you?
- Do you commit to lead a faith-filled home that honors God in all your relationships and in the choices you make in spiritually growing your family?
- Do you commit to be parents with patience, recognizing that with your inherent strengths and weaknesses, your desire to shape your child is a loving act that will require time, prayer, and God in order to produce in your children what He and you hope for?
What do I do next?
Contact Pastor Norman and he will be happy to meet with you and discuss dedication your child(ren) to the Lord.
.
Credit to Willow Creek Community Church for their helpful information on Child Dedication.
Credit to Willow Creek Community Church for their helpful information on Child Dedication.