Child Dedication
We believe children are a gift from God, and we are very excited that you are considering child dedication. Child dedication is a commitment you make before God, as parents, to give thanks to God and raise your children according to God’s purpose. It is our heart to partner with you as your child grows and develops their own personal relationship with God. To that end, we offer a dedication service designed to help you commit to raising your child to find and follow God!
Got questions? Look below to learn more or contact our office with any questions.
What to expect
WHAT DOES THE DEDICATION LOOK LIKE?
Child dedication is a public commitment you make before God, your church, and your family. We set aside a portion of our weekend services to dedicate children to the Lord. We share a brief instruction about dedications and ask the families, friends, and church to celebrate this moment together. Parents express their desire to raise their child in a God-honoring way. The dedication ceremony allows you to celebrate this life that God has entrusted to you and for the church body to stand with you in prayer. Each family receives a personalized dedication certificate, a bible, and small toy to commemorate the moment. This is a wonderful opportunity to invite family and friends to join you for a service at Owasso First Assembly and be a part of your special moment.
WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL PURPOSE FOR CHILD DEDICATION?
The scriptural root of child dedication is found in 1 Samuel 1:27–28 (NASB), where a godly woman named Hannah prayed year after year for God to give her a child. He answered her prayer and she gave birth to a son, whom she named Samuel. When Samuel was born, Hannah prayed these words: "For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord."
A New Testament example is in Luke chapter 2. Following the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took the infant Jesus to the temple and dedicated him.
In both Scripture passages, the parents entrusted their child completely to God. The writings of Moses, found in Deuteronomy 6:5–9, describe God's plan for how a parent should raise up a child: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
DOES OWASSO FIRST ASSEMBLY BAPTIZE INFANTS?
Scripture provides evidence that baptism follows an individual’s decision to trust Jesus alone for salvation (Acts 2:41, 8:12, and 10:47–48). In the Bible, we find parents bringing their children to Jesus. He held them, prayed for them and told us to welcome them. But He did not baptize them and He did not tell anyone else to baptize them. We believe baptism is for those who have made a personal decision to trust Jesus alone for their salvation, once they have the maturity and ability to understand what that means.
Dedication is not a sacrament; nor does it impart grace or salvation to a child. Salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ as each person recognizes their sinfulness and receives forgiveness and eternal life through him and his work on the cross.
Rather than baptizing infants or children, we encourages Christian parents to dedicate their children. This is a special moment in our church service where parents formally call upon God’s blessing for their child and publicly commit to raise him or her in accordance with scripture.
CAN A SINGLE PARENT PARTICIPATE IN A CHILD DEDICATION SERVICE?
Yes! Child dedication signifies the commitment of parents (including single parents) to do their best to raise children to be a followers of Jesus Christ. The decision to dedicate a child is not dependent upon the beliefs of the ex-spouse; however we encourage single parents to discuss child dedication with their ex-spouse. Ideally, both parents—even if not married—would still commit to the dedication of their child to God. We acknowledge that this is often not possible and that it takes extra effort for a single parent to raise a child. As a church, Owasso First Assembly is committed to supporting single parents in providing a Christian foundation for their child’s upbringing.
WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR ON DEDICATION DAY?
Parents and children are welcome to wear whatever makes you feel most comfortable on stage during the dedication.
Still have questions? Reach out to our offices at info@owassofirst.com.