New Life Community Church defines Parent/Child Dedication as the parental willingness to partner with God and the Church to raise your child. The scriptural root for this type of dedication is found in 1 Samuel 1:27-28:

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord."

The Parent/Child Dedication involves making a public declaration that you desire to raise your child in the "training and teaching of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4), and to give them "wisdom that leads to salvation" (2 Timothy 3:14-15).

The parents are to seek to do everything that is in their power as God gives them wisdom, to see that the child grows up to respect and honor God, and to love and serve Jesus Christ.

We believe dedication is not a sacrament; it cannot impart grace or salvation to your child. Salvation only comes through Jesus Christ as each person recognizes his or her sinfulness and receives forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

As a child, Jesus was brought by Joseph and Mary to the house of the Lord. This was an act of dedication and recognition that He really belonged to God. Throughout His ministry, people brought children to Jesus and He placed His hands on each of them and blessed them. Christians are to recognize that everything we have belongs to God. Our children belong to Him as well.

The dedication service is more than a ritual. It's a commitment of the parents to honor the will and the Word of God.