So we are about to host another Baby Dedication. It's a wonderful celebration where we, as a church family, stand up and say that we'll stand by the parents in encouraging, equipping and supporting them as they direct the spiritual life of their young child....
And then we don't connect with them - as a family, in our church family - until the child is ready to be baptized. Sometime about 10 years in the future!
What about all the milestones in between? How can we possibly keep our promises if we don't invite families to gather again at various times during their child's spiritual journey? What about worshiping together, learning about communion, serving, giving, discovering spiritual gifts?
The first step toward partnering with parents is to fill in the blanks by developing some shared spiritual experiences for parents and kids:
Family Worship Services
Family Bible Study and Small Groups
Family Dinners
And connect them with resources ... and create avenues where we can check back in with families and find out how they are doing.
So then, we as the extended family, can truly celebrate baptism knowing the joy of planting seeds along the spiritual pathways in each child's life.
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