Baby Dedication 2021

September 5, 2021

Give thanks to God that there were a total of four babies from the families of Alex and Ally, Zelos and Liu Liu, and Mike and Christy dedicated to God under the witness of the God’s people during Sunday Service at church.

Children are a gift from God, as mentioned in Psalm 127:3, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” By God’s grace and goodness, He gives children as gifts to parents. In view of acknowledging that children belong first and foremost to God, it is appropriate that children are dedicated back to God.

Pastor Gavin shared that the meaning of dedicating a baby is to acknowledge God’s sovereignty over the child, and also Mom and Dad. Parents present the child before God and His people is an action of asking for grace and wisdom. It is also a commitment of raising the child in the truth of our Lord and to encourage the child to one day accept Jesus Christ as Saviour. In addition, training the child by example cannot be done alone. It requires help from others – the church, where parents get help and support of the community, as the old saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.”

There was a baby dedication briefing one week before the ceremony. Pastor Gavin prayed and shared with the parents. He also shared the reasons and spiritual meanings of baby dedication as well as the roles and responsibilities of parents. Moreover, the parents made a handcraft which was like making a promise, symbolising that the parents were willing to commit to raising their children in accordance with God’s Word and love.

At the ceremony, the parents made a promise to dedicate their children to God under the witness of God’s people and received the blessings from them as well as from Pastor Gavin. They also received back their own handmade beautiful handcrafts as souvenirs and took photos at memorable moments.

Finally, Pastor Gavin reminded that the best thing Mom and Dad can teach their children is the “Fear of the Lord”. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7)  Parents should focus on teaching children to love the Lord and keep God’s Word in their hearts before teaching them about other things.