AC3 Position on Child Dedication

Q. What is Child Dedication?

A. Child dedication is a public commitment Christian parents make before God, your church, and your family. The dedication service is twofold: to present a child to God for official blessing and for parents to present themselves to God to raise their child in the “training and instruction of the Lord” (Eph 6:1-4).  We derive this ceremony from the example of Jesus who welcomed children into his circle, laid his hands on them, and prayed for them (Matthew 19:13-15) and from Hannah’s example, who, in gratitude for the gift of her son, dedicated him to know and serve God (1 Samuel 1:21-28).

Having a child dedicated should not be confused with salvation. Dedicating your child to the Lord does not secure his/her eternal destiny. The Bible tells us that salvation is by faith alone and not by works. Each of us must make our own personal decision of faith. As your child grows he/she must make their own decision to trust Jesus Christ as their savior. You cannot do it for them. What you can do is be a role model for them by living a life of faith and parenting them in a Christ-centered atmosphere that will lead them toward Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Q. Is a child capable of making a faith decision?

A: Absolutely! Jesus made it clear that His message of hope is not only for adults but also for children and that they have the capacity to trust Him. That is why we think it is very important as a church to partner with parents in their child’s faith journey at home and through our Kreek Kids ministry.

In the Bible, we find parents bringing their children to Jesus. He held them and prayed for them and told us to welcome them. But He did not baptize them. The Elders of Allen Creek strongly suggest that children be at least 12 years old in order to make the decision to be baptized, a confirmation of making their faith their own. Find out more about AC3’s position on baptism. https://ac3.org/beliefs

Q. Do I need to be an AC3 member to have my child dedicated at AC3?

A. You do not need to be an official AC3 member to have your child dedicated in a public ceremony at AC3. We do ask that parent(s) be married Christ-followers themselves who call AC3 their church home. Why? Only Christians can authentically commit to raising their children in the way of Jesus, and that “way” involves a priority commitment to modeling their desires for a lifelong, loving marriage. 

In the case of single-parent Christ-followers, we welcome these parents to dedicate their children to the Lord. Because home situations can be very complicated, you might have questions.  So, we also ask parents to attend our Child Dedication class before dedicating their kids. Please feel free to reach out to our pastor staff with your questions.   

If you don’t feel you are able to make this commitment right now, it’s OK to wait.  For example, we ask that children delay being baptized until they are able to understand the full implications of such a public declaration of faith in Jesus.  Similarly in dedication, it’s best to wait until the parents can imperfectly but honestly make the commitment to model the way of Jesus before their kids.

In dedicating your child, you are stating that you desire to partner with God and our church community to raise your child in cooperation with God’s intentions. To partner with any church, a parent would be wise to decide if he or she agrees with its beliefs and vision. You can discover more about our beliefs in our AC3 Mission class. https://ac3.org/classes

Q. What can I expect during a child dedication, where is it held and what time should I arrive?

A. Our child dedication service has been compared to a wedding service where, rather than a bride and groom, parents express their vows and desire to raise their children in a God-honoring way before God, their family, and their local church body. One of our pastors will invite you up before the Church, then pray for your children and your commitment as parents to help guide them along in their own Christ-centered faith journey.

Child dedication is held in the AC3 auditorium. You should arrive about 20 min. before the main service time. Sit toward the front right-hand side. If changes or additional directions need to be given, it will be done during this time.

We encourage you to invite all your friends or family members to the dedication.  They are free to take pictures. Use them as a reminder of your desire and commitment to raise your child using Biblical principles. Child dedication happens during a live-streamed service and will be posted and available on the internet.

If you have additional questions, feel free to email or talk to someone on our pastoral or Kreek Kids ministry staff.