The Three C’s of Child Dedication
The Child Dedication process is one of my most favorite classes to lead within the local church. It is often the first connection point families have with your ministry or your church and there is nothing better than celebrating new life within the church family.
One of my favorite things to do is stand in front of a room of parents and introduce them to or remind them of the call that God has placed on their lives as parents and primary disciplers. What I have learned over the years is that we cannot simply tell parents that they are the primary disciplers of their kids and expect that they understand that calling or that they know what to do with that calling. Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 is probably the most used scripture in this environment and for good reason! Moses is talking to God’s people and teaching them the commands from God so that generations after them will trust and fear the Lord.
As we think about child dedications, I like to focus on three things:
1. Celebration
2. Connection
3. Confidence
This may be new for you, but Child Dedications should focus on the parents, not the child. For Christian parents, the addition of spiritual growth and the call to “train up a child in the way that they should go” can be extremely daunting. Your child dedication celebration should not come with a list of to-do’s parents must check off to be a good Christian parent. This is probably one of your first opportunities to CELEBRATE and praise God for the gift of life, and remind the parents that it is not their job to save their kids.
In Deuteronomy 6, we know that Moses is not just talking to the parents. He is talking to the entire people group. This is not just a call for parents but a call for the whole community. The phrase that always comes to mind is “it takes a village” and what better place to find your village than amongst your brothers and sisters in Christ. This is the moment you get to share about your kids ministry and the desire you have to partner with them as they discipline their kids. Think about Bible studies, small groups, parent equip opportunities, MOPS, and Sunday mornings. Those are all really great things to mention and point to as you help parents get CONNECTED with eachother and to your church. Share about opportunities where your parents can grow in the context of community and get plugged in to your church.
The last thing I love to focus on, is helping parents build CONFIDENCE. God has called each parent to parent and disciple their specific children—what a gift! As you send your parents out, remind them that there is a whole team of people cheering them on and ready to equip them and encourage them every step of the way. Remind them that God is with them in the sleepless nights and in the joyful giggles. God is the giver of wisdom and we can ask Him. Remind them that they will mess up, but it is through failure where we are all reminded the need for God’s grace, God’s perseverance, and our true Savior. There is hope for parenting because we can find True hope in the Gospel.
If you are on the hunt for what to gift families during a Child Dedication, head to the Child Dedication Gift Guide.