LOCKPORT ALLIANCE CHURCH

 In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. - Romans 12:5

Baby Dedication

What is a child dedication?

Following the example of parents in the Bible like Hannah and Elkanan (Samuel's parents) and Mary and Joseph (Jesus' earthly parents), many young families want to dedicate their child to the Lord.  It is a way of publicly affirming the child as a gift from God and asking Him to lead, guide and direct that child through his or her life - and ultimately to lead him or her to personal faith in Jesus Christ.  A child so dedicated is not guaranteed to become a Christian; there is no special grace imparted in the dedication and God gives us a free will to choose to follow Him or not to.  But in many ways the parents and the church congregation are publicly dedicating themselves to foster an environment of faith that will make it as natural as possible for that child to make a personal profession of faith in Christ one day when he or she is ready.

What do I have to do for my child to be dedicated?

Talk to a member of the pastoral staff.  They will arrange a time to talk with you about child dedication and then plan a date for the dedication to occur that's convenient to your schedule.  We are flexible, but be aware that some Sundays won't be available because of previously-scheduled holidays or events on the church calendar.  Child dedications usually take place during the 11:00am worship service.

I grew up in a church tradition that baptized children by sprinkling them with water.  Why don't you do that?

We see baptism and child dedication as two distinctively different things in the Bible.  The basis for our view on baptism comes from Matthew 28:18 - 20, a passage commonly known as "the Great Commission."  There, Jesus says, "All authority on heaven and on earth has been given to Me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you."

Jesus clearly indicates that candidates for baptism are those who have consciously responded to His calling to follow Him as His disciples.  Baptism is the public and symbolic means of identifying them as His followers.  Find more information about Baptism here.

While we respect the different theological viewpoints of other denominations, we believe that baptism is intended solely for professing followers of Christ.  We are certainly glad to baptize children who are old enough to have made that decision to follow Christ even at a very early age, which many children do.

Do I have to be a member of Lockport Alliance Church to have my child dedicated?

Not necessarily.  If you consider Lockport Alliance Church your "home church" and are putting down roots here, we would be happy to discuss a child dedication with you.  If you do feel like you belong here, though, church membership is certainly an important "next step" for you to consider - and we hope you will!  It will help you get more connected to the body here and will assist you in your own spiritual growth and development.