Theological Understanding

Parent Child Dedication

 

Parent Child Information Sheet - Please download and return this form  to Carol.L@branchcreek.org if you are interested in taking part of this ceremony.

Click here for upcoming Parent Child Dedication schedule.

It’s exciting whenever a new child enters a family. There’s nothing greater than when you, as parents, really grasp that children are a gift from God.

Dedicating a child acknowledges God’s sovereignty–not only over the child, but also over Mom and Dad. You, as parents, present your child before God and His people, our church family–asking for grace, power and wisdom in carrying out your responsibilities. You are assured that you aren’t in this alone—our church family will offer you guidance and training and hold you accountable for how you raise your children. It’s a privilege for the church to share in the joyful moments when you as parents express your full appreciation to God through the baby dedication ceremony.

Let’s talk about the meaning of this dedication. A passage for discussion is Deuteronomy 6:4-7, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 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.” First, it commands parents to love God; if you truly wish for your child to one day love and follow God, your lives must be an example. Parents, you are to love God with every ounce and fiber of your energy and teach your child to do the same. As you love God, one another, and your children—you’ll model a wonderful love for God that your child will want to experience for himself. Take some time this week to think about your own personal relationship with Christ—what will your walk with God teach your child? Ephesians 6:4 says, “fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” God’s instructions are plain.

Second, Deuteronomy makes clear that the duty of teaching children belongs to parents. Praying with your child is valuable; especially repetitious prayers at meal times and before bed as well as prayers for situations in the child’s or family’s life. Read Bible stories to your child.

Deuteronomy 6:2 says to do this, “so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.”

Sunday schools can provide weekly instruction, but parents must seize the teachable moments that arise throughout life. Take opportunities to weave God into conversations and make it a point that faith affects every aspect of their lives.

Create an environment that’s rich with reminders about your faith—we humans forget quickly—have a lot of reminders around your home—tell your children often that life’s about God and what He wants. The faith your children embrace is the faith they’re encouraged to live out every day–not the formal Sunday faith.

Children are a gift from God. Psalm 127:3 proclaims, “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.” As believers, we’re called to recognize that children belong first and foremost to God. God in his goodness gives children as gifts to parents. You not only have the awesome responsibility of caring for this gift, but also the wonderful privilege of enjoying the gift. Because children belong to God and are given by grace as gifts to parents, it’s only proper and appropriate that children be dedicated to God.

We’re told in 1 Samuel 1 that Hannah presented her son Samuel to the Lord. In Luke 2:22 we read that Mary and Joseph brought their baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem in order to present him before the Lord. In the same way, you will take part in the ceremony, presenting first yourselves and then your son or daughter before the Lord our God.

So that your child may walk in the abundant life that Christ offers, the Parent Child Dedication ceremony asks you to vow by God’s help and in partnership with the church family, to provide for your child a Christian home of love and peace, to raise him or her in the truth of our Lord’s instruction and discipline, and to encourage him or her to one day trust Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord.

This can’t be done alone–it requires the help of others. For this reason, in the ceremony we call on the help of the church family. We ask that they declare their desire to help PARENTS fulfill the vow they’ve make by offering support and guidance. There’s an old proverb that says, “it takes a village to raise a child.” Parents have first responsibility. But parents need the help and support of their church family. The church family needs to help the parents to be faithful in their calling as members of the body of Christ, to help them be faithful to God, and to help them teach and train their child in the ways of the Lord so that they might one day trust him as Savior and Lord.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”