Dedicating Children to God

Here are some biblical reasons why we dedicate children to the Lord:

1.  God loves children—they bring us closer to his kingdom!  One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch them and bless them, but the disciples told them not to bother him.  But when Jesus saw what was happening, he was very displeased with his disciples.  He said to them, “Let the children come to me.  Don’t stop them!  For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I assure you, anyone who doesn’t have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God.”  Then he took the children into his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.  (Mark 10:13-16, NLT) [also in Luke 18:15-17; Matt. 19:13-15]  

2.  We need God’s help to raise our children in difficult days.  It is good to dedicate our children to the Lord as a sign of our personal faith and our commitment to give them the best chance for living a God-honoring life in a sinful world. ...You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people.  Let your lives shine brightly before them.  (Phil 2:15, NLT)  

3.  All we have belongs to God—including our families.  God has entrusted us with caring for and training our children.  And now a word to you fathers.  Don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them.  Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the lord.  (Eph 6:4, NLT)  Fathers, don’t aggravate your children.  If you do, they will become discouraged and quit trying.  (Col 3:21, NLT)

 Are you ready to make this important public commitment? Please answer the following:

1.  Have we committed ourselves to Christ?  Are we growing in our personal relationship with the Lord?  Have we made Jesus the highest priority in our lives and in our home? 

Yes or No 

2.  Do we attend worship services regularly?  Have we made a commitment to worship with God’s people and to learn from God’s Word?

Yes or No

3.  Does our life-style honor the Lord?  Do we model the kind of behavior that will teach our child God’s ways and God’s values?

Yes or No

If you can answer “yes” to all these questions, then you are ready to publicly dedicate your child to the Lord. 

If you answered “no” or have any questions about any of these areas, then you may want to talk to a pastor before proceeding with your plans to dedicate your child.

 Here is a sample of the public commitment you    will be making on “Dedication Weekend”:

Vow of commitment:______ and _______ today you are giving your new son/daughter,  ________ ________, back to God.  Will you pledge to teach him/her God’s Word and raise him/her by its truths, teaching by your words and example what it means to follow Jesus?  Will you bring him/her up in the training and the instruction of the Lord so he/she can one day have the opportunity to receive Christ by faith as his/her personal Lord and Savior?

If you decide to dedicate your child(ren): Please fill out the form in the Dedicating Children.pdf brochure below and turn it in to the Welcome Center or email to info@cloquetchurch.com along with 8 to 10 pictures of the child(ren) you're dedicating.

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