A person’s spiritual journey begins at birth, and Child Dedications are the first religious marker in this journey; they set the spiritual trajectory of a child’s life for years to come. When parents dedicate a child, they pledge to raise their child in the Christian faith.
Beacon's Child Dedications take place as part of a regular Sunday worship gathering. In this service, we join together to read Scriptures that remind us of the beauty and responsibility of raising children. After a cute slideshow of all the little ones, our pastors issue a charge of responsibility to the parents where the parents pledge to raise their child in a Christian home. The pastors then issue a charge to the extended family members and the church where they promise to support these families in every possible way as the children grow. Each child is then blessed and prayed for individually.
Here are a few of the Frequenty Asked Questions:
Is a Child Dedication the same as a Baptism?
This is a great question. At Beacon, we believe a person should be baptized when they are older and can make a personal decision to follow Christ. Since a baby cannot make and articulate that decision, we do not baptize them. Instead, a Child Dedication is a declaration by the parents to raise their children in a Christian home and a joint prayer between the church and the parents that this child would choose to follow Christ as they grow up.
What is the right age to dedicate a child?
At Beacon, we are completely flexible on this. Any age is good with us! Most people dedicate their children in the first year. However, there is still a lot of variety, and we have also had many cases where a family comes to faith and wants to dedicate their school age children. This is great, too!
Is Kidz Quest open during a Child Dedication?
Yes! Kidz Quest is available for all children ages 6 weeks to 4th grade and Ignite is open for 5th & 6th Graders. Any kids are welcome to participate, including your guests.
I'm in!
Beacon holds these special Child Dedication celebrations multiple times per year. If you would like to be a part of our next Child Dedication celebration, email info@Beacon.Church.