Baby Dedications?

[Filia Mariae]

I understand why Baptists (and some other groups) do not believe in baptizing infants, but I'd like to know why you do baby dedications. Could someone explain to me what exactly happens and why you do this?

Thank you.:)

Pax Christi

[novcncy]

I understand why Baptists (and some other groups) do not believe in baptizing infants, but I'd like to know why you do baby dedications. Could someone explain to me what exactly happens and why you do this?

Thank you.:)

Pax Christi

Hi Sister Mariae,

It's a tradition. It's a custom, a way for us to declare to the church our desire to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It's not taught in the Bible, but it doesn't violate scripture either, unless it's considered to affect the child's relationship with God.

[Diane_Windsor]

Actually, there is already a thread about this here (http://www.christianforums.com/t1756735-baby-dedication.html). My answer can be found here (http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?p=16332298&postcount=7).

Diane
:wave:

[novcncy]

Actually, there is already a thread about this here (http://www.christianforums.com/t1756735-baby-dedication.html). My answer can be found here (http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?p=16332298&postcount=7).

Diane
:wave:

Yeah, there is. But I don't have the time to figure out how to do those nifty hyper links. :D

[arunma]

I understand why Baptists (and some other groups) do not believe in baptizing infants, but I'd like to know why you do baby dedications. Could someone explain to me what exactly happens and why you do this?

Thank you.:)

Pax Christi

Well first of all, our infant dedications focus mostly on the parents (because they're the one's who are actually capable of understanding what's going on). At our church, our pastor blesses the child before God, and asks the parents to promise to raise him/her in the faith.

Secondly, we admit that infant dedication isn't specified in Scripture. It's a tradition (not that there's anything wrong with tradition, provided it's Biblical). That said, we view infant dedication as an act of man, not an ordinance of Christ. We don't dedicate adults who become Christians in the same way that infant baptizers baptize an adult convert.

[McDLT]

My comments are on the other thread too - http://www.christianforums.com/t1756735-baby-dedication.html

[ZiSunka]

I understand why Baptists (and some other groups) do not believe in baptizing infants, but I'd like to know why you do baby dedications. Could someone explain to me what exactly happens and why you do this?

Thank you.:)

Pax Christi

How?
The parents go before the congregation and announce that they are dedicating their baby to the Lord, meaning that they are raising the child to love and serve the Lord. The congregation usually agrees to encourage and support them in the effort to raise a godly child.

Why do we do this?
Because we want to!

[Knight]

Nothing more than a simple covenant between the parents, God, and the church that they will raise the child in a Christian home.

[daveleau]

I understand why Baptists (and some other groups) do not believe in baptizing infants, but I'd like to know why you do baby dedications. Could someone explain to me what exactly happens and why you do this?

Thank you.:)

Pax Christi

Baby dedications are times when parents publicly dedicate the upbringing of the child to God in front of family and church. It has no salvific qualities and does not affect the child in any way spiritually. It is a traditional ceremony performed between God and the parents regarding the child. (Yes, I said the "T" word. :)) When the child comes of age, the child must decide whether they are going to follow God or not. They accept Christ as their Saviour and proclaim that belief by being baptized in water. The salvific baptism, the one of the Holy Spirit, is complete once the child prays the sinner's prayer and asks God to lead their lives as a Believer. Those are our basic beliefs.

God bless you,
Dave

[Carrye]

Don't mean to derail Carly's thread, but do you do the same thing for wedding engagements? . . . come before God and the congregation and declare intent?

[Knight]

Don't mean to derail Carly's thread, but do you do the same thing for wedding engagements? . . . come before God and the congregation and declare intent?

Not necessary. The bride-to-be usually makes quite sure that everyone they know or happen across knows of the engagement. :)

[ZiSunka]

Don't mean to derail Carly's thread, but do you do the same thing for wedding engagements? . . . come before God and the congregation and declare intent?

Typically, yes, there is some kind of announcement by the happy couple during the prayer and share portion of the service in which people come before the congregation to ask for prayer for special reasons.

[Diane_Windsor]

Don't mean to derail Carly's thread, but do you do the same thing for wedding engagements? . . . come before God and the congregation and declare intent?

Nope, and we don't publish marriage banns.

Diane
:wave:

[ZiSunka]

Nope, and we don't publish marriage banns.

Diane
:wave:

Publishing of marriage banns wasn't about getting the support and prayers of the congregation, it was about giving people time to come forward with reasons the couple couldn't be married, such as one of the fiancee's already being married, or having illegitimate children that weren't being cared for, or the couple being too closely related. The banns would be published at the church on a board as well as in the "bulletin" so that everyone could see who planned to marry whom and voice their objections long before the wedding day. There are several famous cases where engagements were broken when folks came forward with information that prevented the couple from solemnizing their nuptuals, such as King Henry II, who was engaged to a German princess (a distant cousin) when it came out that she had mothered an illegitimate child, disqualifying her from marrying the king. But most of the time, the objections came because the man or woman was already married to another living spouse (remember Jane Eyre?) or because they were in reality closely related due to extramarital affairs. These days, having a baby out of wedlock doesn't disqualify a person from marrying, the state has laws about who is too closely related, but too often, bigamy is still being committed. I don't have any objection to publishing banns, but most newspapers take care of this when they publish marriage licenses issued.

[Diane_Windsor]

Publishing of marriage banns wasn't about getting the support and prayers of the congregation, it was about giving people time to come forward with reasons the couple couldn't be married . . .

And how are marriage banns not publically declaring that you intend to marry?

Diane
:wave: