Child Dedication
“Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.” –Proverbs 22:6
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)
A Commitment for Parents
Child dedication is an opportunity for parents to commit themselves to raising their children for the glory of God. This service gives parents an opportunity to recognize their child as God’s gift to them, declare their own faith in Jesus Christ, and declare their intent to raise their child in a Christian environment.
A Note About Infant Baptism
Infant baptism, or “christening,” is the practice of baptizing very young children or infants by sprinkling them with water. Fellowship Alliance does not practice this ceremony because we believe the Bible teaches that Baptism is for believers in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:41, Acts 8:23-13) and that faith in Jesus Christ is what saves us (Ephesians 2:8-9). Because babies are not yet capable of understanding and believing what Jesus Christ did for them, we believe that babies should not be baptized. Therefore, our Child Dedication Services are focused on the parent’s dedication and not an infant’s salvation.
Criteria for Parents
Parents should meet the following criteria before dedicating their children:
- Parents must be followers of Jesus Christ. If parents are not followers of Christ themselves, they cannot raise their children to follow Him.
- Parents should attend services regularly at Fellowship. It is important for you to have accountability and fellowship with your church family.
- Parents must be married. Since God designed for couples to have children within marriage, couples that have children outside of marriage are expected to wait until they are married to dedicate their children.
- A note on single-parent dedication: We understand that a parent may be single, divorced, widowed, or have a spouse that is not a believer. In these cases, a child may be dedicated if the parent dedicating the child is a believer in Jesus Christ and willing to stand alone before the congregation. All dedications will be subject to approval by the pastoral staff.
Mother's Day Service
Every Mother’s Day, we have a special child dedication service for parents. If you would like to dedicate your child at this service, please read the above statements and then register prior to the dedication service.
REGISTER
If you have any questions or if you would like to schedule a private baby dedication outside of the Mother’s Day service, please contact Family Ministry Pastor Justin Wright at 609-953-7333, x 141 or justinw@myfac.org.