Parents partnering with God and the church as they raise their children.

FBC Peachtree City believes children are a gift from God, and we are very excited that you are considering the public dedication of your child.

Parent/Child dedication is your public commitment before God, your church, and your family to raise your child to know and love God; and your expressed desire to follow His Word (the Bible) as your guide to parenting. The dedication service provides you, the parent(s), an opportunity to declare publicly your desire to lead and spiritually nurture your child in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, so your child will one day respond to the Gospel and become a passionate follower of Christ.

Listed below are frequently asked questions about child dedication. Take time to review them to find answers to any questions you may have. For unanswered questions, feel free to contact Pastor Ben at benw@fbcptc.org

Child dedication is a Biblical practice found in both the Old and New Testaments. It is found in 1 Samuel 1:27–28 (NASB), where a godly woman named Hannah prayed year after year for God to give her a child. He answered her prayer and she gave birth to a son, whom she named Samuel. When Samuel was born, Hannah prayed these words:
“For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So, I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.”

In Luke chapter 2 of the New Testament, following the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took the infant Jesus to the temple and dedicated Him.

In both Scripture passages, the parents entrusted their child completely to God.

When Jesus grew up and began his ministry, he encouraged parents to bring their children to him so he could bless them. “And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.” Mark 10:16

By publicly dedicating our children to the Lord, we are celebrating the precious gift that has been given to us and acknowledging how much our children need Jesus, even from birth!

You do not need to be a member of First Baptist Church Peachtree City to have your child dedicated at FBCPTC. However, because you are asking the church to partner with you in raising your child, we do prefer that parents are committed to calling FBCPTC their home church. To partner with any church, a parent would be wise to decide if he or she agrees with its beliefs and vision, so they can be all-in in their partnership with the church.

When you choose to become a member at FBCPTC, you are stating that you agree with FBCPTC’s beliefs and values, and that you want FBCPTC to be your home church. For more information on membership, visit the membership page.

To have your child dedicated at FBCPTC:

• It is critical that parents dedicating their children have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
• It is important that parents’ beliefs line up with FBCPTC’s statements of belief.
• It is vital for parents to be regular attenders of FBCPTC’s who are pursuing an engagement in the life of the church.
• It is imperative that parents who wish to dedicate their children be pursuing their own spiritual growth and health. Therefore, we will ask parents who may not be following God’s plan for biblical marriage to receive appropriate counseling with one of our pastors before participating in a child dedication service.

We are open to having conversations with you on any of the above statements. If you are interested, contact Pastor Ben Woodard at benw@fbcptc.org or call (770) 487-8133.

Prior to the date of the Sunday morning ceremony, you will meet with Pastor Ben Woodard to talk about the significance of Parent-Child dedication for your family. Once you complete the participation form, Pastor Ben will contact you to set up a time to meet.  Together you will review what Parent-Child dedication is, study and commit to the dedication charges, learn about the significance of the Parent-Child dedication gifts and symbols, and walk through the logistical parts of the Sunday morning service in order to relieve anxiety, and also keep you from having to come so early for the service.

During the dedication service, parents affirm their desire to raise their child to know and follow God, and their commitment to partner with their local church family. Each child will be recognized and there will certainly be opportunities for a strategic photograph. You will be asked to join in a prayer at the alter with your family who are present, and your church family. We are conscious of the time and attention span of children especially. So, it will not last very long, although we will work diligently to make is special.

Families will attend both the 9:45 service at the Bridge and the 11:00 service at the Main Worship Center for Parent-Child dedication. Following the dedication portion of the 9:45 service, we will provide a light continental breakfast for you and your family in the Fellowship Hall. We will take the time to try to make each of family feel welcomed honored as our guests. Additionally, we will do our best to ensure that the Gospel is presented, and have a guest speaker making this event an opportunity to share the most important message with your loved ones.

We do not baptize infants. Scripture shows that Baptism follows an individual’s decision to trust Christ alone for salvation (Acts 2:41, 8:12, and 10:47–48).

FBCPTC believes Baptism is for those who have made a personal decision to trust Christ alone for their salvation, once they have the maturity and ability to understand what that means.

Parent-Child dedication does not 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 Christ and His work on the cross.
Rather than baptizing infants, FBCPTC encourages Christian parents to dedicate their children and themselves as a ceremony in which parents formally call upon God’s blessing for their child and publicly commit to raise him or her in accordance with Scripture.

FBCPTC does not have a set age requirement for child dedication. While most children are babies, sometimes older children are dedicated as well, for the following reasons:

• 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.

Yes! Every child is a gift from God and should be given the privilege to be prayed for and welcomed. Child dedication signifies the commitment of parents (including single parents) to do their best to raise their child to be a follower of Christ. Additionally, we highly encourage single parents to dedicate their child as they commit themselves to raise him or her without the current presence or partnership of a spouse.

If you have been previously married, the decision to dedicate a child should not (if possible) be independent of the engagement of the ex-spouse. Ideally, both parents—even if not married—would still commit to 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, FBCPTC is committed to supporting single parents in providing a Christian foundation for their child’s upbringing.

Although the term “godparent” is not used at FBCPTC, we do welcome parents to invite friends and family members committed to supporting them to stand with them during the dedication. The presence of these significant adults symbolizes their commitment to play a supportive role in the child’s spiritual development.