BIBLICAL TRUTHS
Children are precious to God.
But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Luke 6:18
Children are a blessing from God.
Children are a heritage from the LORD, offispring a reward from him. Psalm 127:3
Children's spiritual upbringing is the parents' responsibility.
Bring them [your children] up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4b
Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Psalm 34:11
Children are the means by which the Gospel is passed from one generation to the next.
One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4
QUESTIONS ANSWERED
WHAT?
The dedication of a chld is a special event in the life of a family and in the life of the church. Dedication has been defined as the quality of being devoted to something or being set aside for a purpose.
The Dedication service at church is an opportunity to publicly express a desire for a child to know, love and serve Jesus Christ. It is an acknowlegdement by parents that children are a gift from God and the parents' desire is for their children to follow Christ throughout their lives.
WHY?
A Dedication Service is an important demonstration of our desire to pass on our Christian faith to the next generation.
It is the natural outcome of our understanding of the Biblical truth that only through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ can our children have meaningful, successful and fulfilled lives here and an eternal life in the presence of God.
WHO?
A Dedication Service launches a partnership between a child's family and the church as they both promise to help the child understand the place of God in his/her life. Church membership is required to participate in the Dedication Service.
Parents promise to make their faith a priority in their home, to pray for and with their child, to be an example of an obedient follower of Jesus, and to be actively involved in the local church.
The church promises support through prayer, appropriate programs and resources, encouragement, and counsel in the endeavor ot providing for the spiritual development of the child.
WHEN?
The training, counseling, teaching, role-modeling, and praying for our children is a day-by-day process that continues through a lifetime. Generally parents choose to make an intentional commitment to actively guide their child's spiritual development at an early age when they can anticipate several years of being the major influence in the lives of their chldren.
WHERE?
A Dedication Service at First Baptist Church at the Mall takes place with several families who have the common commitment of dedicating their child to God. It is held during a Sunday morning worship service with a congregation who regularly worships and praises God together.
HOW?
Parents who desire to publicly commit their children to God's will for them should call the Preschool Office at 863 682-0163 ext. 363 or ext 368.
Dedication services are held three times a year. When the next service is approaching, parents who have signed up will be notified of the date. Prior to the Dedication Service, parents are reqauired to attend one training session to assure that parents have a proper understanding of the meaning of dedication, to give guidance on steps to carry out the commitment they are making, and to review the schedule and activities that will occur the morning of dedication.
Contact us for more information or register for dedication.