Baby and Child Dedications
Baby and Child Dedication Overview
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What is a baby dedication?
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In Luke 2:22, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to be dedicated according to the instruction of the Bible. At Anchor Church we believe in Baby/Child Dedication instead of infant Baptism. A dedication is a ceremony in which believing parents, and sometimes families, make a commitment before the Lord to submit a child to God's will and to raise that child according to God's Word and God's ways.
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The Bible says that it is an act of obedience by parents to offer their baby to the Lord (Mark 10:13-14). It is a public declaration of their intention as parents to lay a foundation of Godly principles, with an intention to raise their child with Christian values (Deuteronomy 6:5-7) and to guide and educate their child in accordance with God's work.
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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.
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Why baby dedications?
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Christian parents have been given a tremendous responsibility by the Lord to raise and nurture their children according to Biblical standards.
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6
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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 in their lives. This responsibility involves both the mother and father, and that is why at our baby dedications we also dedicate the parent(s) to the Lord. As a church, we acknowledge our role in the parents' lives and in the lives of the children, and we are committed to each other as we are committed to the Lord.
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What's the difference between a dedication and a baptism?
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Baptism is a ritual that symbolizes our salvation as Christians. Dedication is not a Baptism, and it does not impart salvation to the child. Baby Dedications are viewed as a confirmation between the parents and the church to raise the child in a Godly way until the child is old enough to make his/her decision in accepting Christ as their personal Savior.
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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.
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As parents, we cannot decide our child's salvation for them. Each individual must make their own decision about their relationship with Christ. When a child becomes old enough to understand the concept of sin and their responsibility for that sin before God, they are then ready to make a decision about salvation.
Since infants are not old enough to understand salvation, we do not baptize infants or young children. We generally wait until they accept Christ on their own. Parents can, however, lay a foundation through their teaching and example that will help a child be ready to make that most important decision.
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The Day of the Dedication:
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Arrive early and check in with the Pastor before the service begins.
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Please sit in the first row to facilitate going up onto the platform.
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Parents and family may take (and are encouraged to take) pictures.
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When you are ready, simply fill out this Baby Dedication Request Form.
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