Child Dedications

What Does it Mean to "Dedicate" Your Child to Christ?
The precedent for the dedication of children can be found in a number of passages in the Scriptures:

• Luke 2:27 - When Christ was born his parents (Joseph & Mary) took Him to the temple to be presented unto the Lord.
• II Timothy 3:15 - Here the grandmother and mother of Timothy are said to have raised Timothy under the teaching of the Holy Scriptures since childhood.
• I Samuel 1:27-28 - Elkanah & Hannah realized that the Lord had given them their child as a gift. As a result, they took him to the temple where they dedicated his life and service to the Lord.

This time of dedication is one of "parental dedication." You, as parents, are really the ones pledging yourselves to "teach the Words of the Lord diligently to your children, to talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:7). The time is meaningless unless you as parents dedicate yourselves to this privilege and responsibility.

As you bring your child to Bethany to be dedicated to the Lord, we typically do this at one of our Worship Services. We want the family of Christ to be involved in your commitment. It both strengthens your
commitment as parents and calls upon the family at Bethany to support you in your commitment. The pastor will ask you, the parents, some questions of dedication pertaining to your desire to raise your child in a Christian home and to do what you can to bring your child to a place of personal faith in Christ. Then he prays for you and your commitment.

We typically have a child dedication service once a year on Mother's Day. If you are interested in having your child dedicated, contact the church office and we will send you an informational brochure and put your name on the contact list for our next child dedication service!