There is no age requirement for child dedication. Families will typically dedicate their child from 1-month old up to 1 years old. Some parents choose to dedicate children much older than that. Age isn't as important as your desire to lead your child in the ways of Jesus.
Children's Ministries is excited to partner with you in raising your child to know and love Jesus. You have the greatest impact on your child's spiritual development and we want to journey with and equip you as we build spiritually healthy homes together.
A Child Dedication is a special event in the life of your family and it fulfills 3 purposes:
- Publicly thanking God for the gift of your child and surrendering them to God's good plan for their life.
- Publicly commiting to raising your child in the ways of Jesus so that, in God's timing, they will make a decision to follow Him.
- Inviting friends, family, and the church community to commit to supporting you as you raise your child to know, love, and follow Jesus.
Child Dedications happen multiple times throughout the year at all campuses in two formats:
- Group dedications (5 families max)
- Main worship services (5 families max)
To have your child dedicated at CSC, we ask:
- Parents to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
- Parents to be regular attenders of CSC worship services.
Families are required to complete a Child Dedication Orientation before the ceremony.
To start this exciting milestone in your family, please select your campus below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some churches practice infant baptism where they pour water on a baby's head during a ceremony to baptize them. Centre Street Church does not baptize infants as we believe baptism is for those who have made a personal decision to trust Christ alone for their salvation at a time when they have the maturity and ability to understand what that means. A Child Dedication does not secure your child's salvation. It is the first step in trusting God for the day when your child may come to a personal decision of faith and relationship with God through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Centre Street Church believes in following the Biblical example of parents bringing their children to God, thanking God for them, and committing to leading their child in the ways of Jesus Christ in a God honouring way.
The information session typically lasts about 25 minutes and is a conversation between you and the Children's Ministries Pastor at your campus.
The length is dependent on the location of the child ceremony. A typical group dedication is approximately 45 minutes long. A child dedication in the main worship service is approximately 5-10 minutes long.
There is no cost to have your child dedicated.
Of course! Child dedications signify an important commitment of parents (including single parents) to partner with God in raising their children to know, love, and serve Jesus. The decision to dedicate a child is not dependent upon the beliefs of an ex-spouse. However, we encourage you to talk with your ex-spouse about the dedication. We acknowledge that it takes a lot to raise a child on your own. As a church and as a Children's Ministry we are committed to partnering with you in providing a strong Christian foundation for your child.
During the Child Dedication Ceremony, you are committing to leading your child in the ways of Jesus Christ in a God honouring way. As part of that commitment, you agree that:
- You are a Christ follower cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus on a daily basis.
- You are or, intend to, purposefully seek to love and live like Jesus
- You are part of, or intend to be, part of the church in the following ways:
- Regularly attending Centre Street Church worship services,
- Encouraging your child to be connected and involved in Children's Ministries, Grade 5&6 Ministries, and Youth Ministry
- Joining other followers of Christ in community by learning, growing, caring and praying for one another, giving to and serving the Lord in the church and in the community.
- You are living a Godly life as taught in the Bible.
- You are committed to growing in the Christian faith.
- You will be intentional about discussing and instructing your child in the Christian life and expose them to opportunities, classes, and groups that will help them grow in Christian character, grow their faith, and live the Christian life.
We do not have a specific role for 'godparents' in a child dedication. We welcome parents to invite friends and family members that are committed to supporting and journeying with them as they raise their children. The presence of these significant adults is important and is a powerful symbol of their commitment to support and help nurture the child's spiritual development as they grow.
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