CHILD DEDICATION

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Deuteronomy 6:5-7

WOULD YOU LIKE TO DEDICATE YOUR CHILD TO THE LORD?

We are so excited you have made the decision to dedicate your child to the Lord and look forward to celebrating with you! If you have multiple children you would like to dedicate, please fill out one Child Dedication form per child.
If you have questions about Child Dedication, please email Janice at jano@myvineyardchurch.com
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WHAT IS CHILD DEDICATION?

Our Child Dedication service provides parents an opportunity to publicly present their child to the Lord for His protection and for His purposes in their child’s life. The dedication of a child has significant impact on the parents as well, for they are pledging to take on the task of raising the child to know Jesus. In dedicating their child to the Lord, parents are at the same time dedicating themselves to following Jesus and to providing an environment that will nurture and encourage the child's desire and ability to make a commitment to follow Jesus. Parents are also committing themselves to continue to regularly attend and serve in a Christian church.
 
We know that God longs for relationship with your child and has laid the foundation for that relationship before your child was even born. (Ephesians 1:4-6) We know God formed your child while he or she was still in the womb and knows life he or she will lead. (Psalm 139:13-16) We know God’s ultimate goal is to continue to develop and shape your child into the likeness of Jesus. (Romans 8:29) In a Child Dedication service, parents and the church community— together—make a commitment to raise the child according to God’s Biblical design and purpose.

WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL PRECEDENT FOR DEDICATING CHILDREN?

We dedicate children following the example of parents in the Bible. Hannah dedicated Samuel with these words: “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 1:27-28)
 
Mary and Joseph dedicated baby Jesus: “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.” (Luke 2:22)
 
Jesus especially loved children. He taught that we were to depend upon God the way a child depends upon parents: “People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:15-16)