Parent and Child Dedication

At New Life Church we celebrate the wonder and beauty of raising children in the nurturing love, reverence, and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). When we perform a Parent/Baby Dedication, we are dedicating both the parent and child, and allowing the parent(s) to affirm their commitment to Christ, to each other, and to their child under the covering of the local church.  We follow the tradition of many parents in the scriptures who dedicated their children to the Lord such as Hannah, who dedicated Samuel (1 Samuel 19-28), and of our Lord’s family who brought Jesus to the Temple to be dedicated to God (Luke 2:22-40).  We bring our children to the Lord following the encouragement of Jesus in Matthew 19:13-15, when He said “suffer the little children to come unto him, and to forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven”.

The Dedication ceremony serves as a ‘symbol’ that as Parents you are choosing to specifically raise your children to know and follow Jesus and that our church as a whole is agreeing to partner with parents in raising and loving our children.  We believe that children don’t learn to follow Jesus by accident, but rather they make a decision to follow Jesus by intent.  Dedication serves as a way of welcoming our children into the larger family of New Life Church and showing our commitment to introduce them to Jesus Christ. 

During the dedication service, parents promise before God, their family, and our church family to raise their child(ren) in a God-honoring way. Because parents are the key role models for their children, we ask that they commit to the following before dedicating their child:

• Parent(s)/Guardians must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
• Parent(s)/Guardians must be formal members of New Life Church.
• Parent(s)/Guardians must be committed to loving, leading, and raising their child(ren) in reverence and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ in matters of faith and conduct.
• Parent(s)/Guardians must agree with our church’s beliefs and values, which can be found in our Statement of Faith.
• Parent(s)/Guardians must be committed to modeling Christian character before their child by demonstrating: stability in their family life, integrity in their personal life, purity in their sexual life, and harmony in their relational life.

• All of the above “Requirements of Parents” are equally applicable to Unmarried Parents.
• Unmarried Parents/Guardians cannot be sharing the same residence.

Only the “custodial” Parent/Guardian of the child(ren) to be dedicated may bring the child(ren) ‘on-stage’ to the Minister for dedication.  The non-custodial Parent may stand at the altar in support of the child(ren) being dedicated. (The non-custodial parent may be called to the stage at the discretion of the Presiding Minister).

If you meet the guidelines set forth above, please SUBMIT this form.
You will be notified regarding your child’s dedication date.

• Parent(s) must provide all application information at least two weeks prior to the dedication date. Applications received within two weeks of the dedication date will be held until the next scheduled Dedication.
• Please provide at least two photos of the child(ren) being dedicated for possible display during the ceremony.
• If mailing in a copy of the Dedication Form, please send to:

New Life Church

3592 Flat Shoals Rd.

Decatur, GA 30034

Note: Forms submitted through our website is the simplest and fastest way to register your application in our system, however, if mailing in your form, please call or email the church 1 week after mailing to confirm that the application has been received.

WHAT IS A PARENT/CHILD DEDICATION?

A Parent/Child Dedication is a ceremony that dedicates both the parent and child to God, allowing the parent(s) to affirm their commitment to Christ, each other, and their child in the witness of the local church.  Our  Dedication ceremonies are special celebrations for parents to gather with other family members, and make a commitment to raise their child in a Christ-centered home. The responsibility of parents is to lead their children, by the power of the Holy Spirit, into the saving and loving knowledge of Jesus Christ. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4). In essence, Parent/Baby Dedications are not just about the child, but it is about dedicating the entire nuclear family to the Lord.

WHAT PAREN­T/CHILD DEDICATIONS ARE NOT?

We do not believe, nor teach that dedicating your baby will ensure her/his salvation.  For this reason, Parent/Child Dedications are not a Christian sacrament, nor is it a ‘christening’ or ‘baptismal’ service.  We believe that each person must make a personal acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Savior by their own personal decision when they are mature enough to morally understand their need for the spiritual forgiveness of their sins.  However, we do believe that Baby Dedications allows both the parents and the church to affirm their commitment to being spiritually invested in their children, and to serve as a model of the love of God, and the gospel-centered grace of Jesus Christ.

DO I NEED TO BE A MEMBER TO DEDICATE MY CHILD?

Yes.  All parents must be members of New Life Church to have their child(ren) dedicated here, because in dedicating your child to God, you are stating that you are willing to partner with God and the Church to raise your child in accordance with God’s design. As your church family, we are here to partner with you as the Body of Christ and support you as a family unit.

AS A SINGLE PARENT, CAN MY CHILD BE DEDICATED IN A CEREMONY?

Yes!  Baby dedication signifies the commitment of parents, including single parents, to do their best to raise their child to be a follower of Jesus Christ.  We understand that being a parent is an extremely tough job, and it can be even harder as a single parent.  As a church family, we desire to be a part of your extended family.  New Life is committed to supporting single parents in providing a Christian foundation for their child’s upbringing.

IS DEDICATION THE SAME AS BAPTISM?

No. New Life Church believes 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 encourage a dedication ceremony, where parents formally call upon God’s blessing for their child and publicly commit to raising him or her in accordance with Scripture.

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT FOR PARENT/CHILD DEDICATION?

Parent/Child Dedication is a public, yet intimate ceremony that takes place during regular Sunday Worship services, or in a private ceremony at the Minister and family’s discretion. During the ceremony, parent(s) publicly commit to raising their child(ren) in a home centered on Jesus, and to lead them in Christian faith, love and values.  Our team welcomes the child and parent(s), prays over each family, and presents a Dedication Certificate to each family.

WHEN IS PARENT/CHILD DEDICATION?

Parent/Child Dedications are held quarterly, though months and times may vary depending on the overall church calendar of activities.  If you are interested in participating in Parent/Child Dedication, please fill out the form.  The New Life Church administrative team will reach out to you and provide more information on the upcoming dedication dates and times.