Child Dedication

At Friends Church, rather than baptize babies and young children, we hold a ceremony of dedication. During a dedication, parents are asked to commit to:

• Affirm their personal faith and trust in Christ
• Pray often for the physical, mental, social and spiritual welfare of their child
• Participate in the life of the church on a regular and consistent basis
• Model their love for God and His word in their home
• Look and pray for teachable moments when they may present the love of Christ to their child that he or she may share in the joy of a personal relationship with Him once obtaining an age of accountability to accept Christ
• Receive the commitment of the members of the church to support the parents as they endeavor to raise their child in a way that honors God

In this way, the church supports the parents desire to see their children raised to become believers when they can understand the gospel and make their own profession of faith. For some children this can happen at a young age, perhaps before their teen years, at which time, they would choose to be baptized.