baby | Child Dedication
OUR NEXT baby dedication IS SUNDAY March 24, 2024
dedicated to jesus
what is child dedication?
Big House Church practices baby dedication instead of infant baptism (also known as Christening) as our primary celebration of a child's birth into BHC’s community of faith. A baby dedication is a ceremony in which believing parents, and sometimes entire families, commit before the Lord to raise that child according to God's Word and God's ways.
Christian parents who dedicate a child make a promise to the Lord before the church congregation to do everything within their power to raise the child in a godly way—prayerfully—until the child can make a decision on his or her own to follow God. As is the case with infant baptism, it is sometimes customary at this time to name godparents to help raise the child according to godly principles.
Parents who make this commitment are instructed to raise their children according to God's ways and not their own. Some responsibilities include teaching and training the child in God's Word, demonstrating practical examples of godliness, disciplining the child according to God's ways, and praying earnestly for the child.
god’s instruction to parents
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 ESV
what Jesus says
Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.”
Jesus in Luke 18:16 NLT
child dedications at Big House
At Big House Church, we love your babies and children and are thrilled that you raise them to know and love God. We desire to partner with you to help your child(ren) grow to be like Jesus and understand our role as the best helpers and supporters of your spiritual leadership. Dedicating your little one to the Lord is a significant opportunity to publicly declare your intention to do all within your power to lead them to Jesus. This includes: committing to teaching them the Gospel, praying for them daily, and demonstrating what Jesus looks like in your everyday ordinary life. In doing this, you share the heart of those first-century parents who pressed through the crowd to get their children near Jesus.
Mark 10:13-16: records the interaction
"One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.”
What an amazing evidence of the heart of our Savior and with that in mind, through baby/child dedication, we set our own children before Jesus to be embraced and blessed by Him.
Instruction
Please provide your child’s full name and a picture via email to info@bighouse.church (picture should be a square adorable picture to be added to our BHC Slide. See example below.
Attend the Service prepared to participate in the dedication portion…in other words, don’t shoot from the hip. Before the service you will be informed of when the dedication will happen in the order of service and when to come up on the platform.
Please bring your immediate family, including the baby’s parent(s) and siblings, on stage. You will have an opportunity to introduce your family to the church. You may also bring a spiritual father/mother, godparents or other significant spiritual influences to stand with you.
Pastor Ty will ask you as parent(s) the following:
Believing that your child is a gift from God, and that He shall hold you accountable for him/her, do you now solemnly confess that it is your purpose to dedicate this child to the Lord and to His service? Will you pray with him/her and for him/her; instruct him/her faithfully in the doctrines of true Christian faith; teach him/her the Word of God; lead him/her to lead a holy life and take him/her faithfully to the gathering of the church for worship and instruction; and will you do all within your power to bring him/her to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord?
You respond: We will
At that point, for each family, one at at time, you will do the following.
1. Introduce your family and then your child being dedicated.
2. (Option) Read a selected/special verse that you have for your child or a word of blessing.
Ex. We have chosen this verse for our child… ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”…Joshua 1:9
Ex. We have chosen these 2-5 words that we are praying will help define their lives. “Strong, kind, humble, wise, filled with joy.”
3. Pastor Ty will then dedicate your child to the Lord, saying:
(your child’s name) I dedicate you to God, Your very Creator, Who loves you even before you love Him. May your young life be nurtured and matured under the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit. May God protect you physically and deliver you from the tempter and the corruption of a sinful nature. May He call you early in life to passionately follow Jesus and impact the world around you for the expansion of His kingdom and the glory of His Name. The Lord bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you..in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
4. And repeat 1 - 3 for the next child.
5. After the dedication(s) I or someone I choose will close in prayer. (Please remain on the platform until all babies are dedicated and final prayer)
If you have questions, please send us an EMAIL.
If you are ready to dedicate your child, please fill out the form BELOW.
