Child Dedication: Direction and Companions for the Journey
Child dedications will be part of the worship services on June 17-18 and interested parents should read through this information and submit this form so we can take care of the necessary coordination.
Child dedications are not specifically prescribed in Scripture, unless you count Hannah dedicating young Samuel to the Lord. But Hannah’s dedication of Samuel involved leaving him there to live and work with Eli and the other priests serving at the house of God. We all know there are days when parents feel quite ready to dedicate their children in the same way, but at Evergreen we require all parents to take their children home with them.
So what is the point of child dedications? There are two primary purposes.
First, it is a way for parents to set the direction for the long-haul journey of parenting. Parenting even one child requires truckloads of energy, and the demand increases exponentially with additional cherubs. At the 11am service last Sunday I joked about the circus in the home of our oldest son who is married with three young kiddos. Circus3 would be the mathematical equation. The sheer demands of life with littles make it extremely difficult to remember the point of it all. Survival can easily become the primary goal. But Christian parents recognize God’s calling to not merely survive parenting, but to train their children to know and follow Jesus. Child dedication is a way to establish this critical heading for the long journey.
The second major purpose is for parents to formally invite the help of their church family. Parents bear the primary responsibility, but in dedicating their children, parents are welcoming the help of children’s ministry workers, youth leaders, pastors as well as fellow parents and church aunts and uncles and grandmas and grandpas. The old saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ is a biblical idea and child dedication is a way for formally committing to it.
Evergreen is truly blessed to be a well-balanced multi-generational church. There are lots of babies and toddlers, plenty of folks sporting the white hair of wisdom, and everything in between. All the generations play a part in the raising of the children God has entrusted to us. Please submit this form if you are interested in participating!
Pastor Toby
Categories: Evergreen Connection