What is Child/Baby dedication?
Baby/child dedication is a symbolic ceremony undertaken by Christian parents soon after the birth of a child. The ceremony is intended to be a public statement by the parents that they will train their children in the Christian faith and seek to instill that faith in them. The congregation often responds through responsive reading or some other method to affirm that they, as a church family, will also seek to encourage the parents to bring up the child in the faith. There is no implied salvation in the ceremony, and it varies from church to church.
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Is child/baby dedication found in the Bible?
The idea of dedicating a child to the Lord can certainly be found in the Bible. Hannah was a barren wife who promised to dedicate her child to God if He would give her a son (1 Samuel 1:11). Luke 2:22 begins the account of Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the temple after forty days in order to dedicate Him to the Lord. This was slightly more involved since it involved a sacrifice, but once again this ceremony did not indicate any level of salvation.
Baby dedication is not one of the two ordinances—baptism and the Lord’s Supper—required of Christians in the New Testament. As Christians, we are baptized and participate in the Lord’s Supper as outward and public signs of what Christ has done within us. While baby dedication is not an officially instituted ordinance of the church, there does not seem to be any conflict with Scripture as long as parents do not view it as assuring the salvation of the child.
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What’s the difference between baptism and child/baby dedication?
Baby dedication is not infant baptism. We believe that when people are old enough to understand what it means to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, they should have the opportunity to make that choice for themselves. An infant is not able to understand sin, forgiveness, the sacrifice our Savior made for us, and what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Baby dedication is about your commitment as a parent to lead your child into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, so that as he gets older, you are able to guide him and to help him understand what that means.
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Is child/baby dedication a requirement for salvation?
Dedication does it impart grace or salvation to a child. Salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ as each person recognizes their sinfulness and receives forgiveness and eternal life through Christ and His work on the cross.Rather than baptizing infants or children, OB One church encourages Christian parents to dedicate their children. This is a ceremony in which parents formally call upon God’s blessing for their child and publicly commit to raise him or her in accordance with Scripture.
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What if my spouse is not a born-again Christian?
If you or your spouse aren’t living in accordance with scripture, please set up a meeting to discuss this with Pastor Julian. Our goal is not to turn any family away, but instead to help lead parents to the promise found in Proverbs 22:6 — “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” If you would like to speak with Pastor Julian, you can reach him at julian@54.189.185.79
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Can parent(s) assign godparents?
Although the term “godparent” is not used at OB One church, we do welcome parents to invite friends and family members committed to supporting them to stand with them during the dedication. The presence of these significant adults symbolizes their commitment to play a supportive role in the child’s spiritual development.
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At what age can a child take part in a dedication service?
While OB One church does not have a set age requirement for baby dedication, the average age for a child to be dedicated is four to eight months old, although many parents dedicate children much older than that.
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What can I expect during a child/baby dedication ceremony?
- During the dedication service, parents will come up on stage and 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.
- Then we will ask the church if the parents can count on their help in the process of raising their child.
- Then we will pray for the parents and the child asking for God to bless them