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Baby / Child Dedication 关于献婴 / 儿童礼的说明

What is Baby / Child Dedication?

The Bible tells us that children are a heritage from the Lord, a precious gift from God (Ps. 127:3).
When parents bring their babies or children to church to dedicate them before God and the congregation, they express their desire to treasure this gift and raise their children according to God’s will.

At the same time, the church and congregation pledge to support the parents in the spiritual growth of their children, helping them grow firmly rooted in their faith.

Biblical Basis for Baby Dedication

  • Hannah dedicated Samuel to God as a thanksgiving for answered prayer (1 Samuel 1:27–28)
  • Joseph and Mary brought baby Jesus to the temple to present Him to the Lord (Luke 2:22)
  • Jesus embraced and blessed the little children, saying, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them” (Mark 10:14)

God also entrusts parents with the responsibility of raising their children:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD 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 on 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.”
— Deuteronomy 6:4–8

The Relationship Between Dedication and Our Church Vision

As a church community, we recognize the importance of raising a godly next generation. That’s why we’ve established the “NEXT GEN” vision—to support the faith formation of the next generation through the joint effort of the whole church.

We firmly believe that parents play an irreplaceable role in their child’s spiritual growth. However, this mission also requires the shared responsibility of the church.

To that end, we’ve introduced the role of spiritual godparents as a bridge between parents and the church to assist in raising children according to God’s will.

Spiritual godparents play an important role in church tradition. They offer spiritual support and care to the children and walk alongside the parents so they are not alone in their parenting journey.

The church encourages parents who dedicate their children to seek suitable godparents to partner with them in nurturing the next generation.

Requirements for Becoming a Spiritual Godparent

  • Have accepted Jesus Christ and have a clear understanding of the Christian faith
  • Be willing to invest time and effort in supporting the child and the parents
  • Strive to be a godly example in both life and faith

Commitment of Parents and Godparents

Together, parents and godparents commit to raising the child centered on Christ and guiding them toward becoming future leaders of the church.

Responsibilities of Spiritual Godparents

  • Prayer Support: Pray for the child’s growth and faith, especially during times of challenge or difficulty.
  • Faith Guidance: Walk alongside the parents and help the child explore questions of life and faith using God’s Word.
  • Modeling Values: Be a Christ-centered role model and help the child build godly habits and decision-making skills.
  • Spiritual Community: Collaborate with other godparents to build a nurturing spiritual environment that blesses the next generation.

How the Church Supports Godparents

  • Provide resources for faith development and child mentorship
  • Organize regular prayer and sharing gatherings for godparents
  • Offer ongoing pastoral care and practical support

献婴 / 儿童礼是什么？

圣经告诉我们，儿女是耶和华所赐的产业，是神给人的宝贵礼物（诗127:3）。
父母将婴孩或儿童带到教会，在神和会众的面前献给主，是表明他们愿意珍视神所赐的产业，并立志按照神的心意教养孩童。

与此同时，教会和会众也承诺帮助父母，在孩子的属灵成长中给予支持和帮助，使他们在信仰中扎根成长。

圣经中的「献婴礼」

  • 哈拿将撒母耳献给神，以感谢神垂听祷告。（撒上 1:27–28）
  • 约瑟和马利亚带着婴孩耶稣来到圣殿，献给神。（路 2:22）
  • 耶稣拥抱孩童，并为他们祝福，说：「让小孩子到我这里来，不要禁止他们。」（可 10:14）

神也将教养孩童的责任交托给父母：

「以色列啊，你要听！耶和华我们神是独一的主。你要尽心、尽性、尽力爱耶和华你的神。我今日所吩咐你的话都要记在心上，也要殷勤教训你的儿女，无论你坐在家里，行在路上，躺下，起来，都要谈论。」（申 6:4–8）

献婴 / 儿童礼与教会异象的关系

作为教会群体，我们深知培养敬虔爱主的下一代至关重要。因此我们确立了 “NEXT GEN” 的异象，期待在全教会的共同努力下，为下一代信仰成长提供坚实支持。

我们坚信，父母在孩子属灵生命中肩负不可替代的责任；但同时，这项使命也需要教会的共同承担。

因此，我们特别设立“属灵代父母”的角色，作为父母与教会之间的桥梁，协助他们按神的心意培育孩童。

属灵代父母在教会传统中具有重要地位，他们不仅在属灵上陪伴和关怀孩子，也支持父母的信仰旅程，使他们在养育过程中不孤单。

教会鼓励奉献孩子的家长寻找合适的代父母，一起栽培下一代。

成为属灵代父母的条件

  • 已接受耶稣基督，并清楚明白自己的信仰
  • 愿意投入时间和精力陪伴孩子并支持家长
  • 在生活和信仰上努力作榜样

父母和属灵代父母的承诺

父母和代父母一起承诺，以基督为中心，同心培育孩子，帮助他们成长为教会未来的领袖。

属灵代父母的职责

  • 代祷支持：为孩子的成长与信仰祷告，特别是在他们面对挑战和困难时托住他们。
  • 信仰引导：与父母一同陪伴孩子成长，引导他们探讨生命与信仰的问题，帮助他们更认识神。
  • 榜样培育：以身作则，培育属神的价值观与生活习惯，建立良好决策能力。
  • 属灵群体：与其他代父母彼此支持，营造祝福下一代的属灵环境。

教会对代父母的支持

  • 提供信仰培育与陪伴孩子的资源
  • 定期组织代父母的交流与祷告会
  • 教牧同工提供持续的属灵关怀与实际协助
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