To welcome a new-born child into your family is the most wonderful thing – no wonder the new parents and their friends want to say “thank you!” in some public way.
Throughout the Church’s history parents have brought their new children to Church to be blessed and named and to offer them in prayer with thanksgiving to God, making promises that they will do all they can to be good parents in the sight of God to their child.
Parents will often want to invite family and friends to such a service (which forms part of a regular morning service) and will perhaps invite close friends to share in these promises with them, acting as sponsors or “Godparents”.
In some churches the infant is “baptised” or “christened” as a cross is marked in water on the child’s forehead or water is poured over it. As Baptists we believe the Baptism is properly left until the person is old enough to choose this step for themselves as a sign of their own maturing faith, so we do not use water in a service of Infant Dedication, but in all other respects the service is the same.
If you would like to ask about having your baby Dedicated in an act of Thanksgiving like this, contact one of our Minister, Simon, who will be delighted to explain more.
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