what is it ?

Baby dedication is a way of thanking God for his gift of a new life and dedicating you, as parents, to God as you being the roller-coaster ride of being a mum or dad.

It is a way of saying a heart-felt thank you to God for the gift of a new life – your baby. We believe every individual is valued by God and so we create this special moment at which we pray for you and your baby

what part does the rest of the church play

At the service itself we usually ask the congregation to promise to help you in the task of bringing up your child. Of course there will only be a few of the church members who have personal contact with your baby (in the crèche for example) but we want you to know that we are with you in the task of parenting.

Jesus did it

Jesus himself blessed little children when they were brought to him and it is his blessing we are seeking when we pray for your baby and also for you.

In the Bible there are many examples of how much importance God gives to little children and we want our church to be a child-friendly zone.

is it different from christening or baptism?

Only slightly. It's different because we don't use water and we don't believe that dedication makes your baby a Christian – that must be a personal decision in later life. But we do believe that God's blessing is released in their life and in yours as we pray together and commit ourselves to being along-side you in the task of parenting.

how do I prepare for dedication?

When we know you would like your child to be dedicated one of our ministers will come and see you to talk through the promises you will be making in the service. He will also chat with you about ways in which we can make the event meaningful for you.

what if my partner doesn't see themselves as a Christian?

That is not a problem to us, however we prefer to modify some of the promises so you can both say them with honesty.

What if I'm a lone parent

No problem. We would like you to participate in this just as a pair of parents. We fully recognise the enormous challenge of being in your position and want the church to be place that supports you in your role.