Baby Dedication?

[Pastor Gary]

I have TWO babies to dedicate this Sunday, and would really like to use a different dedication outline than I have in the past. Any of you Pastors dedicate a lot of babies and willing to share notes/outline/text?

[soulsearcher]

PG, I'm not a pastor (for sure!), but would like to share that our quarterly baby dedications are one of the most beautiful times at Heartland. The families are called from the congregation and the parents stand forward with the baby, with other family members behind. Pastor Janis sings, "Tiny Fingers and Tiny Toes" (a 22 year tradition) and then she and Pastor Gary read the name of each baby from an enevelope holding the dedication card (music continues softly throughout). A photo or two of the child is shown on the overhead screens, the child is presented to Pastor, who holds it and says a prayer over the child. Interaction with the parents is essential. Sometimes a prophetic word is given. The child is then placed back into the hands of the father (very important), and the procedure continues until all children have been dedicated. Pastor Gary then admonishes the fathers of the babies (asks them), "Will you promise to raise this child in the fear of the Lord? The answer is, 'I Will'." After all agree, music is played as the families exit.

[rjjunior]

Don't know if this is any different...
Eph. 6:4 says we are to "bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Training and instruction of the Lord.)

To give your child to God is not just a CEREMONY...It is a COMMITMENT. It is a commitment that you are going to:

v Be a godly parent.
v Love Jesus supremely.
v Teach this child of Christ.
v Keep this child in church.
v Love this child.
v Pray for this child.
v Train this child.
v Stay married for this child.
v Keep your home holy.
v Put away worldliness.
v Live a righteous life.
v Keep Christ as Lord of your home.


Anyone who knows me well knows I'm not much on ceremonies for the sake of ceremonies. What makes a ceremony special is the hearts of the individuals involved. Sincerity is critical when dealing with God.

I think some people see baby dedication as a magical ceremony. Let me tell you—this little ceremony means nothing if you are not making a sincere, life-long commitment to raise this child under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Joshua told the children of Israel as they settled into their new home, the Promise Land:
Joshua 24:14-15
14 Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

This morning, the parents of Kiera Marie Haugen are here to dedicate her to the Lord. Kim and Denny are here to confirm their love for her by committing her to Him. I offer this admonition to them, as well as to all those who play a role in the development of Kiera: Train up this child in the nurture, admonition, training and instruction of the Lord."

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Matthew 19:13-14
Pastor: In presenting Kiera for dedication, you signify your desire for God's grace and wisdom in carrying out your responsibilities to her. Your prayer is that she may one day trust Jesus Christ as her personal Savior and know and follow the will of God. In order for this to happen, it is your privilege as parents to teach her early the love and fear of the Lord and bring her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Will you endeavor to do this by the help of God?
(Parents respond) "We will"
Pastor: Modeling this kind of love cannot be done alone. The parents wish to call upon others to help them. Grandparents and other close relatives, will you also commit by God's help to encourage Kim and Denny through prayer, praise, and correction, in their effort to raise Kiera in the love of the Lord?
(Family respond) The answer is, "We will"
Pastor: An old proverb says, "It's take a village to raise a child." So, too, it takes a community of believers to support the younger generation in their spiritual growth.
I now ask you, the congregation - will you commit yourselves as the Body of Christ to support and encourage these parents as they endeavor to fulfill their responsibilities to this child and to assist Kiera by nurturing her growth toward spiritual maturity?
Congregational Response: "We will"
Prayer

A prayer time for all parents, grandparents, and parents-to-be.

[RamboPreacher]

Baby Dedication
child's Name

Matthew 18:1-4
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And whosoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.”

This red rose is for you FATHER to remember this day. It is symbolic of rich and red blood with which you build and defend the home into which this little one has come. May it be a home built firmly upon the ideals of Jesus--the Son of God. Let nothing enter the home that will tend to destroy the faith, confidence, and initial love which without no home can long endure. Let nothing enter your home that will injure the soul of a little child or crowd out the Master who said…

Matthew 18:6
“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

This White Rose is for you MOTHER. It symbolizes the purity of heart and purpose with which you have endowed the home into which this little one has come. If your child grows up to know God as a personal experience, it will be largely because you have awakened the child’s faith into its first consciousness of God and because you have nurtured it in the things of God. It is from you the greatest object in the child’s affection, that the sense of awe and reverence is awakened in the little soul. From the purity of your eye comes the idea that God is holy---and from the gentleness of your voice the idea that God is love.

To you, CHILD, I give this small pink rosebud as a token of your innocence and purity of soul in the sight of God. My earnest prayer as I look into your untarnished faith is that when you lose your innocence and your eyes of understanding are opened, you will see Jesus…which to see Him is life and life eternal.

And to the grandparents, I give these yellow roses. The responsibility to your children and their children never ceases. As older and wiser leaders of the home may these yellow roses remind you of your responsibility to use wisdom in helping this little one grow in the knowledge of the Lord.

Some References to use
Psalms 127:3-5
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

Proverbs 22:6
“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Deut. 6:7-12
7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
10 “So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build,
11 houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant— when you have eaten and are full—
12 then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Matthew 18:5-6
5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

[Dr. Ron]

I personalize much of what I do with the parents.....ect.

But I always include two things.

First I use a ceremony I have used for years.

I present the father with a red rose.....representing the blood of the father that runs through the veins of his child.

I present a red rose to each of the siblings as well if they are on stage.

I then present a white rose to the mother signifying the purity of a mother's love for her child.

Finally I present a red rose to the mother for the child representing the blood of Jesus that was shed for this "unique" person......and I use the scripture ......"I am fearfully and wonderfully made..........."

After I take the child in my arms and offer a prayer I have the congregation stand and stretch their hand out to the child and it's parents and repeat a pledge to the child from their church family:

We, your church family, vow to you , ___________, to be your extended family.

We promise to assist you in growing spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

We promise to rejoice with you in your accomplishments; to stand beside you in your failures.

We promise to provide a safe place for you to be taught the ways of Christ.

We promise to support you in your ambitions, to uphold you in constant prayer, and to love you unconditionally.

This we promise.

We have a tremendous response to this......it makes the family feel included in the church family immediately.........and I can point to this when ever I need to encourage a family that they are loved and also encourage our members to embrace a family that has issues ......

[RamboPreacher]

...
I present the father with a red rose....

I then present a white rose to the mother...

copycat.