The scriptural root for a baby dedication is in 1 Samuel 1:27–28, where a godly woman named Hannah prayed year after year for God to give her a child. God answered her prayer, and she gave birth to a son 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.” — 1 Samuel 1:27-28

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. The writings of Moses found in Deuteronomy 6:5–9 describe God’s parenting plan:

“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 your 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. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and your gates.” — Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Though we refer to this as a baby dedication, parents may dedicate a minor child of any age.

However, we recommend the child be younger than age seven.

We do not baptize infants. Please see our Baptism page and click the button at the bottom for House of Prayer’s beliefs about infant baptisms.

Yes. Why? In dedicating your child to God, you are stating that you are willing to partner with God and the church to raise your child in cooperation with God’s intentions. Parents would be wise to decide if they agree with House of Prayer’s beliefs and vision so they can be all-in in their partnership with the church.

Becoming a member of House of Prayer happens in four short sessions we call Next Step. For more information on the process, check out our Next Step info page.

In summary, to have your child dedicated to God at House of Prayer, we ask parents:

 to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

 to be sure their beliefs align with what we believe.

 to regularly attend House of Prayer’s weekend services.

 who are living together but not married to acknowledge and surrender to God’s plan for their relationship before participating in a child dedication ceremony.

We are open to having conversations with you on any of the above statements. You may call us at (985) 446-2620 or email us at LaurenD@hopchurches.com

During the dedication service, parents express vows before God, their family, and the church, declaring their desire to raise their child in a God-honoring way. Because parents are the key role models for their children, they play a primary role in the dedication service.

Parents are asked to affirm the following commitments:

 Do you receive this child with gratitude as God’s gift to you and your family?

 Do you commit to each other as parents, creating a stable environment where your child can mature? Will you make a covenant to strengthen your marriage relationship?

 Do you commit to continue in your personal faith toward God, recognizing your children are more likely to follow God’s path by the model they first observe in you?

 Do you commit to leading a faith-filled home that honors God in all your relationships and the choices you make in spiritually growing your family?

 Do you commit to parent with patience, recognizing that with your inherent strengths and weaknesses, your desire to shape your child is a loving act that requires time, prayer, and God to produce what He and you hope for in your children?

While House of Prayer does not have a set age requirement for baby dedication, the average age for a child to be dedicated is four to eight months old, although many parents dedicate children much older than that, often 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) have a younger child dedicated and want to have their older child dedicated simultaneously.

Yes! Baby dedication signifies the commitment of parents (including single parents) to do their best to raise their children to be followers of Christ. Additionally, we highly encourage single parents to dedicate their children as they commit themselves to raising them without the other parent’s presence or partnership. The decision to dedicate a child is not dependent upon the other parent’s beliefs; however, we encourage single parents to discuss baby dedication with the child’s other parent. 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 it takes extra effort for a single parent to raise a child. As a church, House of Prayer is committed to supporting single parents in providing a Christian foundation for their children’s upbringing.