Baby Dedication Q&A
What is a Baby Dedication?
A baby dedication is a commitment that you as parents make to your child, that you would raise them in such a way that they would be a full-devoted follower of Christ. Here at Christview we do not practice infant baptism as it is not a pattern or practice, we see in the Scriptures. This dedication is NOT an infant baptism ceremony; as we say,” the dedication is all about the commitment YOU are making to your child.”
Who should dedicate their child?
Only those parents who are serious about following Christ and wanting to make it a priority in their life to raise their child to know and fear the Lord should participate in baby dedication. Although we see no specific guidelines for child dedication in the Scriptures, we do see devout God-fearers who dedicated their children (1 Samuel 1:20-28; Luke 2:22-23).
What will the Baby Dedication process look like?
After you register to participate in the Baby Dedication, you will receive an introductory email that will ask you to watch two videos. We ask that you watch these videos before Dedication Sunday.
You will also be sent an email the week of the Dedication Sunday giving you details about the Dedication Ceremony. This will happen during one of the regular worship services at Christview. You, your spouse, and your child (as well as any other kids you may have) will come up on to the stage during the dedication portion of the worship service. We will explain the intent of the dedication, give a charge to you and your spouse, which is a series of questions in which you will respond with “we do.” In a similar fashion we will charge the church with a series of questions in which they will respond with “we do.” At the end of the charge we will present your family with a dedication certificate as well as a small gift.
What should we do after the Baby Dedication?
Dedicating your child is so much more than five minutes on the stage one weekend–it’s a journey that lasts a lifetime! Through this process, we hope to get you started on a path to raising the next generation of faith. We’ll encourage you to imagine the end, remind you that you can’t give what you don’t have, and explain how it’s a partnership for the next 18 years and beyond.
We want to continue, as a church, to be a resource and partner to you. So in this next 18 year journey reach out to us and lean on us as you seek to raise a child who knows and fears the Lord.
Here is a brief talk from Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY that captures our heart as well when it comes to our partnership with you: https://www.southeastchristian.org/Content/seccweb/audio/family-dedication/its-a-partnership.mp3