Welcoming Our Little Ones Into God’s Kingdom
Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
Matthew 10:14&16
What an incredible picture of love and acceptance we see when we imagine this scene – Jesus not only welcoming little children but also announcing that they are a part of God’s kingdom, holding them in his arms and blessing them. Now that is a great way to start a relationship with Jesus!
At Keystone, we endeavor to follow the example of Jesus and welcome little children into God’s kingdom with a Baby Dedication ceremony. This special ceremony takes place in the midst of a worship service where we ask parents to affirm their intention to raise their child in the Christian faith, ask family and friends in attendance to help support their efforts, and charge the entire church body to remember their responsibility to partner with these parents. The ceremony ends with the pastor praying a prayer of dedication and blessing over the child that the parents help create.
Why a dedication ceremony and not baptism/christening? Although many Christian churches offer baptism for infants, we prefer the symbolism of a dedication. Our practice is for baptism to be reserved for those who have made a personal confession of faith. To hear more about our teaching on baptism, you can visit our Baptism page.
If you are interested in having your child dedicated, please complete the Connect Form and a member of our Ministry team will contact you.
At Keystone, we endeavor to follow the example of Jesus and welcome little children into God’s kingdom with a Baby Dedication ceremony. This special ceremony takes place in the midst of a worship service where we ask parents to affirm their intention to raise their child in the Christian faith, ask family and friends in attendance to help support their efforts, and charge the entire church body to remember their responsibility to partner with these parents. The ceremony ends with the pastor praying a prayer of dedication and blessing over the child that the parents help create.
Why a dedication ceremony and not baptism/christening? Although many Christian churches offer baptism for infants, we prefer the symbolism of a dedication. Our practice is for baptism to be reserved for those who have made a personal confession of faith. To hear more about our teaching on baptism, you can visit our Baptism page.
If you are interested in having your child dedicated, please complete the Connect Form and a member of our Ministry team will contact you.