At New Song, we follow the practice of infant and child dedication, rather than infant baptism. We believe child dedications are a ceremony for parents to dedicate their child to their Heavenly Father, recognizing they are truly a gift from God and declaring that their lives belong to Him. As we dedicate an infant or child to God, we pray a blessing over the child and come around the family, joining in the responsibility of raising the child in the ways of the Lord.
(Luke 2:21-22, Matthew 19:13-15)
"On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord." Luke 2:21-22 (NIV)
"Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.†When he had placed his hands on them,
he went on from there." Matthew 19:14 NIV
