Being a parent is no easy task. It’s one of the greatest joys in life but so often we can wonder “Am I doing this parenting thing right?” There’s good news for you, you don't have to do it alone. That’s where Child Dedication comes in. Not only do we celebrate and thank God for the gift of your child but it's a time for you to commit to modeling and raising your child to know the love of Jesus and to follow His teachings. It's a big responsibility as you are the most important spiritual influence in your child’s life. But the good news is, you’re not the only influence. As you dedicate your child you're committing to do these things in partnership with your church family who will love, support, encourage and help you in leading your child to becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus.
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT CHILD DEDICATION:
1. It’s not baptism or a sign of salvation.
Child dedication is a great step for your family, but it’s certainly not the same thing as salvation or baptism. Salvation is what happens when your child decides to start a relationship with God, and baptism is when they decide to go public with their faith. Child dedication is less about your child’s choice now and more about setting them up for those choices later. When you dedicate your child, you’re committing to raise them in an environment where they hear about Jesus and have an opportunity to accept Him.
2. What’s the big deal about child dedication?
Child dedications are a spiritually significant milestone for your whole family. When you dedicate your child, you’re choosing to make some parenting decisions that honor God, like getting in community through Epic, modeling what it looks like to be planted in the church through serving, and showing your kids an example of what a generous life looks like. And while it sounds like you’ve got more things to do, you’re actually lightening the load because you’re committing to do these things in partnership with the church.
3. When can you dedicate your child?
That’s your decision. You can dedicate your child whether they’re three days old or 10 years old. Child dedication is an important step in your family’s faith life because it’s setting a foundation that your family will be known for following Christ. So, consider choosing a family verse, picking family values, or finding community that will help you grow in these values and become the people God has called you to be. Parenting doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.
Let’s parent together—trusting that with multiple voices and collective influence, our kids will be trained up in the right ways they should go.
