One of the acts of worship we observe occasionally as a church is the dedication of parents and children (i.e., “Baby Dedication”).  We include this in our Sunday gatherings when Christian parents step forward and say, “We want to stand before the congregation and pledge, by God’s help, to prayerfully raise our child in the ‘training and instruction of the Lord’” (Eph. 6:4).  So the dedication service is for the parents.

Of course, it’s also for the child.  Mom and Dad are bringing their little bundle of joy before the Lord to say, in essence, “We give thanks for this child, and we pray for God’s help in parenting this child, and we present our son/daughter to the Lord knowing that, ultimately, our little one is God’s child” (1 Cor. 6:19).  The whole ceremony centers around the needs of the child.

But baby dedication is also for the whole church family.  The people act as witnesses (as with a wedding)—but more:  as fellow believers, we vow to support the parents and assist them as we are able within the fellowship of the church.  I see this as a major attraction for young parents:  new moms and dads want to hear the congregation declare “We do” in response to the question, “Do you promise to assist these parents in the task of teaching their son/daughter the Word of God by playing the part for which God equips you in the ministry of our church family?”

So, at Goshen the dedication of parents and children is for the good of everyone.  But just to clarify (since in some circles people imagine that infant dedication (or “baptism”) bestows eternal life), dedicating your child is not like flipping a spiritual switch.  Rather, it is a step, a key step, in the trek of Christian parenting in which we entrust our children to the Lord afresh each day.

If you are following Jesus and have little ones you’d like to dedicate to the Lord during one of our worship services, contact the church office and we’ll get back to you with next steps.