Parent & Child Dedication

Parent & Child Dedication Services
At Harvest, we include child dedications in our Sunday morning service at various points throughout our ministry year. This allows us as a church family to truly express our gratitude to God for the blessing of these children and our desire to see them experience Him through faith in Jesus.
During this service parents will be asked these three questions:

1. Is it your intention to raise your child in the ways of Jesus Christ?
2. Are you willing to be held accountable by the elders and your church family?
3. Do you recognize that you can do none of this apart from Jesus Christ and complete dependence on Him?
   
   

Registration Details
Child dedications are open to:

• Parents who are members (or in process of becoming members) of Harvest Buffalo. 
  • Not currently a member? We'd love to talk to you about joining in membership of Harvest Buffalo. Click HERE to start the process!
• Parents choosing to dedicate to raise their children(any age) for the admonition of the Lord.
• Both parents are required to read Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp prior to the dedication service.
• Parents will be asked to meet in advance with an elder prior to the dedication service.

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What Is Parent & Child Dedication?
Parent & Child Dedication is a ceremony for parents that can have rich meaning and significance. In dedicating a child (any age), parents are acknowledging their child is a gift from God (Psalm 127:3-5) and publicly declaring their intention to raise their child in such a way that he or she is given an opportunity to know God and to establish a personal relationship with Christ (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Ephesians 6:4).

By dedicating their child, parents are affirming their total dependence upon the Lord (John 15:5), and are asking family, friends and the church community to prayerfully support and hold them accountable to these commitments (Hebrews 10:24-25).

What Is NOT Child Dedication?
Dedicating a child does not impart salvation to the child. Salvation is the free gift of God given to someone who turns from their sin and by faith trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. 

Child dedication is also not baptism. Baptism is for believers – those who have already by faith trusted in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins – to publicly identify themselves with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ through the symbolic act of being immersed in water.