Dedication Celebration

A Faith-Filled Commitment to Our Children

Greenford celebrates and honors the commitment parents make to lead their child into a meaningful and lasting relationship with their Heavenly Father.

Parents, we are so glad that you are interested in participating in our Dedication Celebration! Your child is a precious gift from God and we look forward to partnering with you on your parenting journey. We hope that this event will be a memorable day where we can celebrate and honor the commitment you make to raise your child to know and love the Lord.

Questions? Contact Rachelle Shelhart.

A Faith-Filled Commitment to Our Children

Greenford celebrates and honors the commitment parents make to lead their child into a meaningful and lasting relationship with their Heavenly Father.

Questions? Contact Rachelle Shelhart.

GCC Cross

What is dedication?

Dedication Celebration is a time for parents to make a commitment before God to raise their children to know and love the Lord. This is the beginning of a journey where you, the parent, partner with us, the church. As a parent, you have the greatest influence on your child’s spiritual upbringing, teaching them what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Dedication is more than an event. It is an opportunity for you to take some time at the beginning of your journey as a parent to really think about what will matter the most in the life of your child; to talk together and decide what you value and what you can do today that will have the greatest impact on your child’s future.

Frequently Asked Questions

01 What is the biblical purpose of child dedication?

The spiritual root of child dedication can be found in 1 Samuel 1:27-28 when God answered the fervent prayers of a barren woman named Hannah. In response she prayed these words: “For this child I have prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have dedicated him to the Lord.” We also witness this same dedication in Luke 2 when Mary and Joseph dedicate the infant Jesus at the temple.

02 How is dedication different from baptism?

Scripture shows us that baptism follows an individual’s decision to put their trust in 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. Baptism is for someone who has made a personal decision to accept Jesus as their savior, once they have the maturity and ability to understand what that means.

Dedication is not a decision that the child is making to put their trust in Jesus. Instead, dedication encourages Christian parents to commit to their children that they will raise them in a God honoring home.

03 What can I expect at dedication?

Our Dedication Celebration is a time for you to stand before your family and friends and make a commitment to raise your child to know and love the Lord. We will begin with a short message to parents about the importance of the decision they are making. We will then lead parents through a time of dedication and prayer followed by a reception to celebrate. The event lasts about 1 hour.

04 Who do I invite to dedication?

We want you to share this memorable occasion with those who will be influential in helping you to raise your child. Our desire is that you will surround yourself with family and friends who will pray for you, support you, give you good advice, listen to your struggles, and when life gets tough, help you remember what matters most.

When responding with a number for our event, please keep in mind that each table seats 8 and we ask that you try to limit your number to no more than 12. You do not need to include small children that will not take up a chair. This will ensure that as many people as possible get to participate.

05 Why is space limited?

The largest space that we have for a reception on our campus will seat around 100 people comfortably. For this reason, once our numbers reach this capacity, we must cut off our registration.

06 When is the next dedication?

We host Dedication Celebrations in the spring and in the fall each year. If you missed the deadline or we have reached full capacity, we encourage you to listen to The Buzz for more information on the next scheduled dedication celebration.

07 What is a life verse?

A life verse is a scripture that you will choose for your child. It can be reflective of a prayer you have for your child, a model of how you want your child to live their life, or a reminder of God’s promise to your child.