Charges in Child Dedication Ceremony

Background of Child Dedication

The Bible speaks to us that children are not baptized but being dedicated to God. Never in the Bible that you will see a child being baptized. One of the best examples that we can see about child dedication was the dedication of Samuel.

The story is found in 1 Samuel 1:21-28. Hannah being a barren woman asked earnestly to the Lord to give her a child and promised the Lord that the child will live in the temple and serve God for the rest of his life. And so God granted Hannah a son and named him Samuel. After weaning the child, she brought him to Eli, the temple priest and left the child to him offering him to the Lord. Thus, Hannah dedicated the child to the Lord.

Samuel grew in the ways of the Lord. He became one of the greatest prophets of Israel, the one who anointed the first two kings of Israel. He became the Lord’s servant until the end of his time.

The Charge

To The Child

May you grow in the love of the Lord. May you obey His commands and be the a light to lost world. May your dreams be fulfilled as you obey with the Lord’s command. May you become faithful to the Lord with a kind, compassionate heart to others until the time that you return to your creator.

To The Parents

Parents, do not exasperate your children, instead upbring them in Christian ways, ways pleasing to the Lord. It is your responsibility therefore to support your children for their basic needs until such time that they are ready to be apart from you. You are also responsible in disciplining them and love them, upbringing them in Christian ways

To The Relatives

We charge thee to help assist the parents in upbringing this child in godly manners. You are responsible in showing this child what it means to be godly. Not teaching them worldly things such as vices and immorality. Your good example is indeed a great need in molding this child to become better, responsible adult.

To The Church

To the Church, it is your responsibility to assist the parents and teaching this child about God both inside the Church and wherever you are with this child. It is your responsibility to provide this child his/her spiritual needs. You are also responsible in overseeing both the parents and the children in their spiritual walk.

Child Dedication, what it is and what it is not?