Teach Your Children Well

"Pastor, we'd like to have our baby dedicated. What Sunday would work out best for you?" I love hearing this. One of my favorite pastoral "duties" is to commit a child's life to serving God and formally welcome him or her into the church community. In our church, we don't baptize babies, we dedicate them. (We reserve baptism for those old enough to make a confession of personal faith in Jesus Christ.) Baby dedication is primarily about parents publicly affirming their commitment to raise their children in the church and teach them to be faithful followers of Christ. It's also about the congregation pledging its support of the family in recognition that we are a community and God uses our fellowship with each other to strengthen us.

But too often the process stops with dedication. I make sure to sit down with parents and I encourage them to seriously think about the vows they make in dedicating their children. But, just as in wedding counseling, I'm afraid my admonishments are too quickly and easily forgotten. Like weddings, dedications seem to be more about a photo op than a vow to be taken seriously. A baby's dedication should be the first of many steps that child will take on the path with Christ. The next ones should be consistent, weekly attendance at worship and Sunday School. But that depends on the parents taking their vows seriously, something too many parents don't do. What really upsets me is how parents let their kids make their own decisions about church and spirituality ... namely, that if the kid says "I don't want to go to church" or "I don't want to go to Sunday School," parents say "OK." WHY??

I've heard parents use these excuses:

#1 -- "I don't want to shove church down my kid's throat. He might end up resenting it and leaving the church altogether." It's funny how that doesn't apply when it comes to safety and health issues. After all, we don't care if we're "imposing" when we tell our children to use hygiene, eat their vegetables, and don't play on the street. We're certainly willing to impose on them the things we know they need, so why don't we include our faith in that category? It could be that parents themselves are unconvinced about the necessity for church involvement and spirituality. Kids aren't stupid; they're quick to see hypocrisy when their parents force them to do things they themselves don't want to do. So parents, where is your commitment?

#2 -- "Sunday is our only day to sleep in." I sympathize with those who have to work on Saturday evenings or even 1st shift on Sunday morning, but those are the minority. Most of us can get up early if we want to. If we would see worship and Christian education as necessary spiritual disciplines -- as important as eating -- then we won't put sleep ahead of them. Parents, your children will not suffer if you make them get out of bed for church. YOU might suffer a little -- especially at first -- but typically everyone's OK once they get to church. I'm convinced Satan loves to attack us on Sunday mornings to keep us away from church. Don't let him get away with it.

The Church is here to help parents spiritually train their children (schools certainly won't do that), but we can't do that if parents don't bring them.

"What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done. ... Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands." -- Ps. 78:3-4,7