Child Dedication Service

Transcription

1 Child Dedication Service South Valley Community Church Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from Him. (Psalm 127:3 NLT)

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3 The Parent/Child Dedication Service South Valley Community Church Lemoore, California Common Questions: What is infant dedication? At South Valley Community, we view infant dedication as an act in which parents honor God publicly through acknowledging (1) that their child is a GIFT from God and (2) that they are committed as parents to PARTNER with God in fulbilling His PURPOSE for their child. "...Bring [children] up in the training and instruction of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4b NIV). What does the Bible say about dedicating children? Human life is a GIFT from God and begins at CONCEPTION. "Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from Him" Psalm 127:3 NLT "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" Jeremiah 1:5 NIV "You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt" (Psalm 139:13-14 CEV). In response to God's gift of children, His people have honored Him by dedicating their children to His purposes. The example of Hannah dedicating Samuel: "I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord" 1 Samuel 1:27-28 NIV The example of Mary and Joseph dedicating Jesus: "When the time of their purimication according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord" Luke 2:22 The joy of Jesus' birth was shared with the people of God in the house of God. Like most Jewish parents in that day, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple to be presented to God. Long before this time godly parents presented their children to God. And to this day, parents bring their children to God, asking for his blessing.

4 Who qualifies for dedicating an infant? Any parent or parents who: BELIEVE in the Scriptural foundation for dedication of children Wish to PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE God as the giver of life Desires to RAISE their children to understand and experience a relationship with Jesus Christ. No parent is perfect, but in order to honor the commitments being made, parents should make every effort to model a Godly life for their children. Parents who are living together outside of marriage are not permitted to participate in the ceremony. Parents who are now single can participate in most situations, provided they are actively pursuing a Christ- centered home for their child. Parents are also strongly encouraged to be members of South Valley Community Church in order to faithfully live out the commitments they will make in dedicating their child. How old should a child be when he or she is dedicated? Most children are dedicated as infants, but there is no age limit. What is the difference between infant dedication and baptism? Some Christian churches baptize infants by sprinkling them with water. In those churches the covenant of baptism is seen as being similar to the Old Testament covenant of circumcision. Other Christians don't baptize infants. Instead, they dedicate babies to God. We believe: Children are DEDICATED Believers are BAPTIZED There are a number of reasons for this. First, there are no incidents of infant baptism in Scripture. Baptism is, instead, an evidence of Christian faith. Additionally, while some groups suggest that baptism imparts a special grace to children, there is no scriptural support for this. The Bible is clear that nothing, not even baptism, can remove our sins only our faith in Jesus Christ can do that. The Bible says: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 Often adults who were baptized as children desire to be baptized again as an expression of their decision to receive Christ as their Savior and Lord. Infant dedication is an act of parents who want to acknowledge God as the giver of life and to commit themselves to raising children in the training and instruction of the Lord. Baptism is an act of obedience on the part of an individual who has experienced salvation through Jesus Christ and desires to publicly testify of this experience. For these reasons, we do not baptize infants. Christian parents are, instead, encouraged to dedicate their children to God during a public worship service. During this Christian Dedication service a beautiful and solemn promise is made before God and the Church to care for this child as though he/she was God's child.

5 Who will officiate the dedication? Any of the pastoral staff at SVCC may be requested to ofbiciate at an infant dedication service. Generally, though, the service is conducted by the Lead Pastor. When are child dedication services offered? We usually schedule child dedication services 4 times throughout the year. Services will be conducted during either or both of the Sunday worship services. The dedication service will be approximately 10 minutes in length. Please try to arrive no later than 15 minutes prior to the service that you will participate in. What will happen at the dedication service? After the opening song, the pastor ofbiciating will greet everyone and explain the meaning and signibicance of child dedication. (See The Dedication Service area) The Pastor will then invite the parents and child(ren) to come out on the platform, along with any others whom the parents may wish to join them. There are three parts to the Dedication Service: Commitment of the PARENTS Commitment of the CONGREGATION DEDICATION and ANOINTING of the children This is usually accompanied by a video tribute featuring pictures of all the children. A certibicate of dedication will be presented to the family. We encourage you to send invitations to family and friends to join you for this special occasion. You may wish to plan a family gathering afterwards. We also encourage families to use these moments to introduce your guests to the worship service that either precedes or follows your child s dedication service. Additional Questions To Consider: Children are a gift from God. Like everything good in life, they come from God and they belong to him. Parents are caretakers of the children God has given them. As parents speak to the pastor about their desire to dedicate their children to God, there are several questions they should ask themselves: 1. Since dedication of children is a Christian act of giving children to God for his glory, the most obvious question to ask is, "Are we COMMITTED CHRISTIANS?" As a parent/couple standing before God dedicating your child to him in a Christian church, your life should show the characteristics of Christ. Sometimes people bring their babies for dedication because it is "the thing to do". God is honored by hearts that genuinely desire to please him without regard for what others think. Christian Dedication of babies and children is for Christian families.

6 2. The next question is "Are we SERIOUS about this dedication?" Parents should ask themselves if they really want to see their child grow to be the person GOD created them to be and serve HIM. Children were not given to us so that we could live our lives through them; they need to live the life God intended for them. When Hannah, the mother of Samuel the prophet, dedicated him to the Lord, she promised to give him up to serve God in the temple (1 Samuel 1-2:11). Dedication of children to God means handing them over to God to do with as He pleases. An act of dedication is an act of faith in God, trusting him to call the children wisely and mercifully. 3. Another question that is appropriate to ask at the time of Christian Dedication is "Are we willing to ACTIVELY OVERSEE our child's Christian development?" Scripture tells us that we are to train a child in the way he should go (Proverbs 22:6). This includes meeting together regularly as Christians to spur one another on to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:23-24). Dedication of children to God is a promise to model a Christian lifestyle to the children worshiping with a church family regularly. In a sense, a Christian Dedication of a child is a dedication of the parents to be godly role models. 4. A Binal question to ask is, "Are we, the parents, in AGREEMENT on this?" A pastor cannot really dedicate someone else's baby to God, because the baby does not belong to the pastor. The parents have been made caretakers of their baby. Only they can dedicate the child to God. It is important that they are committed to the Christian Dedication. The Dedication Service: As parents presenting your child to the Lord, you signify your own personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You show a desire to see God's will is carried out in the life of your child. And you acknowledge your place as stewards of what really belongs to God: your child. Dedication means that by word and example, you promise to teach your child to live a holy life and to value the good gifts God has given us. You promise to give your child every opportunity and encouragement to develop into the well- rounded Christian individual God intends him/her to be. Dedication before God and the Church means that you realize that the Church should have a large part in the spiritual growth of your family. The church should know you and your child so they can give prayer support, assist in Bible teaching, and provide opportunities, facilities and workers through which you and your child can enter into the fullness of Christian faith. If it is your wish to follow the example of godly parents who, throughout the ages, presented their children to God in dedication; if you understand that your child is a gift from God and that He will hold you accountable for your child's spiritual growth in Christ; if you promise to pray for and with your child, to instruct your child in the things of God, to teach your child to read God's Word, and to do everything in your power to bring your child to a knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; if you believe it is a great privilege to offer a child back to the Creator, and wish to stand before God and the Church to dedicate your child to God, then the leadership at the South Valley Community Church would love to assist you in doing so.

7 The Commitment: In the presence of Almighty God and these witnesses: Do you believe that your children are precious gifts from God that has been entrusted to your care, and do you now present yourselves and your children for dedication? We do Will you endeavor, with God as your helper, to set and example for your children in both word and deed, maintaining both personal and public devotion to God and uniting regularly in the fellowship of the Church? Will you endeavor to raise your children in the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord, acquainting them with the Scriptures which can make them wise unto salvation so they might, at the appropriate time, acknowledge Christ as Savior and Lord? The congregation is then asked to stand and express their commitments to God and the families. Do you acknowledge that these children are precious gifts from God that have been entrusted to your care as a church family? We do Will you endeavor, with God as your helper, to set an example for these children in both word and deed that they may come to realize the blessing of being part of the fellowship of believers? Will you commit to support and encourage these families in their faith and pray for them as the Lord brings them to your remembrance? A prayer of dedication for the children is then offered. Families are called individually (generally in alphabetical order) and each child is anointed with oil and a certibicate of dedication is presented to the family.