Thank you for your interest in dedicating your child to God!

Why dedicate a child to God?

• It was a common practice in Scripture: We read in Scripture where it shares that the prophets Samuel and John the Baptist, as well as Jesus, were all dedicated to God as children in the Jewish place of worship. Samuel’s mother, Hannah, declared, “I will take him and present him before the Lord.” (1 Samuel 1:22). Jesus “took the children in his arms, put his hands on them, and blessed them.” (Mark 10:16).
• It benefits the parents: A child dedication is also a parent dedication. Parents publicly declare their intention to raise their child “in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4). They publicly acknowledge God’s blessing and they pledge to provide a Christian home, asking the church’s help in raising their child “in the Lord.” This act of dedication reaffirms the parents’ own faith as they declare with Joshua, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”(Joshua 24:15)
• The child benefits: Dedicating your child is one of the first steps toward launching your child’s spiritual pilgrimage. This public act places children under the spiritual authority and protection of their church. It symbolically connects them, at an early age, to their spiritual roots, becoming part of their spiritual heritage. It lays a foundation that parents and church members can build upon in the future. Parents can keep memories of the dedication (photos, videos, certificates, Bibles) for future spiritual discussions with their child. These memories become memorial markers to guide a child’s spiritual journey.
• The church benefits: When a child is dedicated, it creates a formal connection between the child, the child’s family, and their spiritual family (the church). The congregation is also reminded of its obligation to “pass on the truth” to the next generation. The dedication provides an opportunity to solicit the congregation’s prayers and help the child’s spiritual growth. The apostle Paul wrote to a young pastor named Timothy, reminding him: “You know how, when you were a small child, you were taught the Holy Scriptures; and it is there that made you wise to accept God’s salvation by trusting in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15)

I/we want to dedicate our child, where do we go from here?

• Can anyone dedicate their child? We expect the parent(s) to be sincere followers of Jesus and participate in the life of Parkside Church in a meaningful way.
• When are dedications? We typically schedule child dedications to take place on 5th Sundays when we have our family service. However, if there are extenuating circumstances we’ll do our best to accommodate an additional Sunday.
• To get the ball rolling, fill out our online Child Dedication Request form and a Pastor will be in contact with you to confirm the details(https://pc.churchcenter.com/people/forms/322468).

Each child will receive a dedication certificate and if the family is dedicating their first child, they will also receive a parenting book.