Baby Dedications

What is a baby dedication?

In Luke 2:22, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to be dedicated according to the instruction of the Bible. Baby dedication is a public statement parents make before their church family where the parents… 1. …thank God for their child, acknowledging that s/he is a gift from God. 2. …commit the child into the Lord’s care and instruction. 3. …commit themselves to be godly parents, modeling their faith for him/her.

Dedicating our children to the Lord is a great way of seeing ourselves as stewards of our children, not owners. God loves our children far more than we ever could. He has placed them into our care to train and nurture them. Ultimately, our job as parents is to raise the children the way the Lord wants us to raise them; with His love, forgiveness, patience, and care. Our children truly are a gift from God:

“Behold children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward.” Psalm 127:3

Why baby dedications?

Christian parents have been given a tremendous responsibility by the Lord to raise and nurture their children according to biblical standards. A child’s basic personality make-up is established as early as the age of six, and some even sooner.

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

God has thus given us the responsibility of raising our children in His ways from the very beginning, building a solid foundation of Jesus Christ into their lives. This responsibility involves both mother and father, so for this purpose, at the time of our baby dedications, we also like to dedicate the parent(s) to the Lord.

What’s the difference between a dedication and a baptism?

Baptism is a ritual that symbolizes our salvation as Christians. When we accept Christ as our Savior we choose to be baptized to show that we have already made the decision to follow Christ. Baptism doesn’t save us, it declares we have already been saved. It is an outward symbol of an inward decision. Since infants are not old enough to understand salvation, we do not baptize infants or young children. We generally wait until they are old enough (based largely on parents’ judgement) to accept Christ on their own. Dedication is a wonderful way for the parents to commit to raising the child so that at the earliest possible moment the child can accept Christ.

How can I raise my child in a way that honors God?

1. Pray constantly for and with your child.  Bedtime is a great time to do this!  Tuck them in and pray for them and with them each night.
2. Teach your child the Bible.  Bring them to our children’s program on Sunday mornings, purchase an age-appropriate Bible, Christian DVDs and or videos and read to them stories from their own Bible.
3. Be a good example of Jesus to your child.  If the parents are living together without being married, we ask that you hold off from dedicating your child until you are both married. The pastors are more than willing to help you through this process.
4. Balance standards with compassion.  The book of Proverbs has many verses dealing with discipline. Take a few moments to read these verses through. Proverbs 13:24, 29:18, 22:15, 29:15-17. A book you may want to read on this subject is by James Dobson and is titled, “Dare to Discipline.”

These are but a few of the responsibilities given to Christian parents. As Christians, we realize that without the help of God’s Spirit we could not fulfill them. Therefore, here at Loma Vista Community Church, we will decline any request to dedicate a child to the Lord whose parent(s) do not know Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord. (In the event that only one parent has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ we ask that the unsaved parent remain seated during the dedication.)

The Day of the Dedication.

1. Arrive early and check-in with Alicia before the service begins.
2. Please sit in the first row to facilitate going up onto the platform.
3. Encourage family and friends to join you on the platform.
4. Parents and family may take (and are encouraged to take) pictures.

When you are ready, simply fill out the Baby Dedication Request Form below: