What is a baby dedication?
A Baby Dedication is a ceremony for babies younger than 2, in which the child’s parents 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. As a parent, you have the greatest influence in your child’s spiritual upbringing, teaching your child what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus. We are so excited to come alongside you as you begin this parenting adventure.
Responsibilities Involved in a Baby Dedication
Parents who dedicate a child are making a promise to the Lord to do everything within their power to raise the child in a godly way, prayerfully until he or she can make a decision on his or her own to follow God. Parents who make this vow of commitment are instructed to raise the child in the ways of God and His Word, and not according to their own ways. Some of the responsibilities include teaching and training the child in God’s Word, demonstrating an example of godliness, disciplining according to God’s ways, praying earnestly for the child, and faithfully bringing them to Church.
An Example of a Baby Dedication in Scripture
Hannah dedicated Samuel to God. “And she Hannah made a vow, saying, “O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 1 Samuel 1:11 When God answered Hannah’s prayer by giving her a son, she remembered her vow: “As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. 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.” And he worshiped the LORD there. 1 Samuel 1:26-28 Jesus was dedicated in the Temple. Luke 2:22, “When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.”