Child
Dedication
Children are a gift and raising them is a precious responsibility. At Summerland Baptist we value families and want to partner with and resource parents as the primary influencers of their children.
One of the earliest ways we partner with families is through child dedication.
What is child dedication?
It’s a blessing-
An outward expression by parents of their desire to seek God’s blessing on their little one.
It’s a response-
Of parents with the the perspective that this child is both a gift and responsibility; gratefully committing to raising them knowing God and nurturing their love for Him from infancy.
It’s a declaration-
By parents that they will keep the end in mind and invite Jesus into the raising, training, and nurturing of their child who will one day have their own relationship with Jesus.
It’s a celebration-
A time to invite friends and family to be part of your circle and celebrate this child and this occasion together!
It’s a commitment-
An opportunity for parents to publicly express their commitment to make faith a part of their daily rhythm, in every situation. And a chance for the SBC church family to commit to walking alongside, equipping, resourcing, and encouraging the parents in this profound blessing.
Child dedication (Baby D) is NOT: An act of salvation for a child. It is also not the same as infant baptism. Both salvation and baptism are voluntary decisions made a person of their own conviction and conscience.
What does child dedication look like?
The format changes over time but currently, Child Dedication (Baby D) is held in our Sunday morning gathering, typically in a Celebrate Big Service. The congregation and families involved are addressed together before families are invited to the stage to respond to questions of commitment. The church family affirms and responds to the families and then
the event is ended in prayer.
Often parents have questions about the event or what family could/should be involved and we welcome a meeting prior to the event to answer questions and make a personal connection.
“Israel, listen to me. The Lord is our God. The Lord is the one and only God. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength. The commandments I give you today must be in your hearts. Make sure your children learn them. Talk about them when you are at home. Talk about them when you walk along the road. Speak about them when you go to bed. And speak about them when you get up.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
Commonly Asked Questions
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No. Your baby can be brand new or ready to graduate. We suggest that if your child is old enough to weigh in on the decision, you make this choice with them.
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Typically these events are a part of our Celebrate Big Sunday morning gatherings.
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Not necessarily. We love to include this in a Sunday morning gathering because of the element of partnership with church family and because it is a beautiful and encouraging thing for everyone to experience together. However, if, for any reason, this does not work for your family, we will come into your home for child dedication and with your permission, use pictures in our Sunday morning gathering for the church family to participate in the event.
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Not at all. Come as you are. Often people choose to dress up for the occasion but that is a matter of personal preference.
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Great question. Because child dedication is a commitment to teach a child to follow Jesus, we
believe it is important for both parents to be a part of this commitment. We offer a Christian blessing in the home for children in families who are divided on the subject of faith. because we don’t want to put parents into a situation where they are publicly asked to make a commitment that they don’t agree on. We also don’t want to create stress or tension between
spouses and honor the position of parents as primary influencers of their children. With permission we would use pictures and highlights from this blessing ceremony in our Sunday morning gathering for the church family to participate in the event. We as SBC make the same commitment of coming alongside families just as in a baby dedication.