CHILD DEDICATION

A COMMITMENT

Child dedication is a commitment between parents and the church that each will do their part to see the child discover and fulfill God’s unique purpose for his or her life. Child dedications are held twice a year during our weekend worship services.

Expectations for Parents Frequently Asked Questions

DEDICATION PROCESS

In order to dedicate your child, parents are required to fill out the application below and attend a dedication class or meet with your campus’ KidsWorld pastor. If you have previously dedicated at Christ Community, you are not required to attend the class a second time, but we will contact you when we receive your application to discuss your dedication.

DEDICATION: SEPTEMBER 21 & 22
September 21 at 5pm service
September 22 at 9am & 11am services
Child Dedication Class to be held on September 8; more details will follow after your application has been submitted.
Questions? Contact Pastor Jen Webster at jwebster@ccclife.org
APPLY
DEDICATION: SEPTEMBER 22
September 22 at 9:10am & 11:10am services
Child Dedication Class to be held on September 8; more details will follow after your application has been submitted.
Questions? Contact Pastor Shelley at SJohnson@ccclife.org
APPLY
DEDICATION: SEPTEMBER 21 & 22
September 21 at 5:10pm service
September 22 at 9:10am and 11:10am services
You will be notified of Dedication Class/Information once your application has been submitted and reviewed.
Questions?
Contact Sarah King
Sking@ccclife.org
815.981.9923
APPLY
DEDICATION: SEPTEMBER 22
September 22 at 10am service
Child Dedication Class to be held on September 8; more details will follow after your application has been submitted.
Questions? Contact Don Hay at dhay@ccclife.org
APPLY
DEDICATION: SEPTEMBER 22
September 22 at 10am service
You will be notified of Dedication Class/Information once application has been submitted and reviewed.
Questions? Contact Pastor Adrian at abautista@ccclife.org
APPLY

EXPECTATIONS OF PARENTS

• Parent(s) have made a commitment to following Jesus. We recognize that there are many families in which only one parent has come to faith. In this case we would invite the believing parent to participate on the stage, and the entire family can join for the prayer time after the services.
• Parent(s) are regular attenders of Christ Community’s weekend services, agree with the beliefs and values, and are committed to actively growing in those values.
• Parent(s) are committed to raising their child to know God and model Christ-like love in their own lives.
• We ask parents who are living together and who are not married to take steps to acknowledge and surrender to God’s plan for their relationship before participating in a child-dedication service.

COMMON QUESTIONS:

During our weekend services, parents will come on the stage with their children and commit to a series of vows to raise their children to be passionate disciples of Jesus Christ. The church will respond with a series of vows to come alongside our families. After the service, we invite all of our families, including any extended family and friends, to a time of prayer with our elders.
Scripture provides evidence that baptism follows an individual’s decision to trust Jesus alone for salvation (Acts 2:41, 8:12 and 10:47–48). In the Bible, we find parents bringing their children to Jesus. He held them, prayed for them and told us to welcome them. But he did not baptize them and he did not tell anyone else to baptize them. Christ Community believes baptism is for those who have made a personal decision to trust Jesus alone for their salvation, once they have the maturity and ability to understand what that means.
Dedication is not a sacrament; nor does it impart grace or salvation to a child. Salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ as each person recognizes their sinfulness and receives forgiveness and eternal life through him and his work on the cross.
There is not an age requirement, although most children are dedicated when they are under two years old. Here are a few examples of when an older child might be dedicated.
• The parent(s) are new believers in Christ and their children were not dedicated when they were infants.
• The parent(s) are having a younger child dedicated and want to have their older child dedicated at the same time.
• The child has not yet made a personal commitment to accept Jesus as their Savior.
• The child was adopted into your family at a later age.
Yes. Child dedication signifies the commitment of parents (including single parents) to do their best to raise their child to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We highly encourage single parents to dedicate their child, to mark the partnership between themselves and the church. If there is a co-parent, the decision to dedicate a child is not dependent upon the beliefs of the other parent; however we encourage single parents to discuss child dedication with their co-parent, if applicable. In a co-parenting situation, both parents—even if not married but living biblically and meeting the other requirements of dedication—could still participate in the dedication of their child to God. We acknowledge that this is often not possible and that it takes extra effort for a single parent to raise a child. As a church, Christ Community is committed to supporting single parents in providing a Christian foundation for their child’s upbringing.
Although the term “godparent” is not used at Christ Community, we do welcome parents to invite friends and family members to support them. While they would not come on stage during the service, we invite family and friends to join your family for the prayer time after the service. The presence of these significant adults symbolizes their commitment to play a supportive role in the child’s spiritual development.