On February 2nd, 2013 my husband and I dedicated our son Eliott to the Lord. Among family and friends we committed to raising our son according to God’s ways! Below is the dedication ceremony notes from our pastor and friend, Bill Heydorn, including the commitments we vowed to and a baby dedication poem that we wrote for our son.
Eliott James Smith – Baby Dedication Ceremony
Why do we do Baby Dedications?
- An opportunity to thank God for the precious gift of Eliott
- An opportunity to publicly declare your intentions to raise Eliott in a Christian home.
- A benchmark you can return to time and time again.
- A family dedication, where parents and family commit themselves to abide by biblical principlesand to raise Eliott according to God’s standards.
{PRAYER}
Psalm 127:3 proclaims that “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.”
We do not take parenting lightly. The fact that God gave you Eliott to raise in His ways is an incredible blessing as well as incredible responsibility. I know that you both love the word of God. And your parents have taught you well. May you continue that with Eliott. I am so proud of both of you. I have watched you grow in so many ways.
“Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on their children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” – Deuteronomy 6:4-7
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” – Ephesians 6:4
God’s instructions are simple.
Aaron and Jen, love God with every ounce and fiber of your being and teach Eliott to do the same. As you love God and one another, you will model before Eliott a wonderful love for God that he will want for himself.
But this is not just about Aaron and Jennifer.
Eliott has the benefit of the influence provided by his extended family, who are backup support for his spiritual training.
It is your responsibility to provide a caring, supportive group for this family. I ask each of you to be faithful in prayer for Aaron, Jen and Eliott, and support their efforts to establish a strong Christian home built on Christian principles. And I urge you to demonstrate a real interest in and concern for Eliott as he grows physically, mentally, socially and spiritually.
COMMITMENT
Aaron and Jen….in the presence of God and these witnesses….
Do you today recognize ELIOTT as a gift from God and give heartfelt thanks for HIS blessing over you?
Do you pledge as parents that, with God’s help, you will bring up ELIOTT in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, making every reasonable effort, with patience and love, to build the Word of God, the character of Christ and the joy of the Lord into his life?
Do you promise to provide, through God’s blessing, for the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs of ELIOTT, looking to your own heavenly Father for the wisdom, love and strength to serve him?
Do you promise, to be in constant prayer that, by God’s grace, ELIOTT will come to trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins and for the fulfillment of all his promises to him, even eternal life; and in this faith follow Jesus as Lord and obey his teachings?
Do you now dedicate ELIOTT to the Lord who gave him to you, surrendering all worldly claims upon his life in the hope that he will belong wholly devoted to God?
Which of course we said YES!!!
{BRING THE FAMILY UP AND PRAY OVER ELIOTT}
Any words of wisdom you would like to speak to Aaron and Jen about raising Eliott?
{CLOSE IN PRAYER}
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A Baby Dedication Poem
