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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 (DraftPs. -127:3).
BasedWhen 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 Guidanceyour fromhearts. PastorImpress Stephen)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

Becoming

The Godparents:Relationship RaisingBetween FutureDedication Leadersand 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 Churchnext generation through the joint effort of the whole church.

AsWe Christianfirmly parents,believe wethat allparents desireplay toan seeirreplaceable ourrole childrenin growtheir upchild’s healthy,spiritual havegrowth. strongHowever, faith,this andmission becomealso futurerequires leadersthe shared responsibility of the church.

Sometimes,

To that end, we’ve introduced the role of spiritual godparents as a bridge between parents alone may find this challenging, which is why our church encourages having godparents as spiritual companions.

What are Godparents?

Godparents are Christian brothers and sisters invited by parents during a child dedication ceremony. They commit to supporting the child’s spiritual growth and assisting parents in nurturing their child's faith.

While this practice is relatively new in Chinese churches in Canada, it is gradually becoming an essential strategy for developing the next generation.

Currently, godparents are not a mandatory requirement for child dedication, but strongly encouraged by 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 of believers.generation.

Important

Requirements Rolesfor of Godparents

AsBecoming a godparent,Spiritual you will:

Godparent
  • Explore important life questions with the child: Spend time discussing faith, hope, and love, guiding them on living a Christian life.
  • Model and encourage Christian values: Teach through your actions and words how to be kind, generous, and how to stand against injustice and suffering.
  • Pray regularly for your godchild: Commit to pray consistently, supporting them through the ups and downs of their faith journey.
  • Guide them in making wise decisions: Share practical wisdom about staying healthy, resisting harmful temptations, caring for God's creation, and handling peer pressure.
  • Work together with other godparents: Attend church activities with them, discuss Bible stories, and teach them how to pray, building their personal relationship with God.

Qualifications for Godparents

  • You should haveHave accepted Jesus Christ and clearlyhave understanda yourclear faith.understanding of the Christian faith
  • Be willing to dedicateinvest time and energyeffort toin supportsupporting the child and parents.the parents
  • Strive to setbe a Christiangodly example throughin yourboth faithlife and daily life.faith

Commitments

Commitment fromof Parents and Godparents

BothTogether, parents and godparents commit to Christ-centered partnership, working together to nurtureraising the child tocentered becomeon aChrist and guiding them toward becoming future leaderleaders inof 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

Understanding this role can be challenging, the church provides:

  • ResourcesProvide resources for spiritualfaith guidancedevelopment and development.child mentorship
  • RegularOrganize regular prayer and sharing gatherings for sharinggodparents
    • experiences
  • Offer ongoing pastoral care and mutualpractical encouragement.
  • Ongoing pastoral and community support.support

A New Beginning

Raising the next generation is a shared mission. Although the role of godparents is demanding, it is incredibly meaningful and blessed. God will surely be with us, blessing our efforts.

Our church continues to learn and grow together, witnessing the fruitful results of godparents' dedicated service. May you become an important blessing in the lives of children, helping them grow into leaders who please the Lord!

作为基督徒家长，我们都希望看到自己的孩子健康成长，拥有坚定的信仰，成为教会未来的领袖。但单靠父母的力量，有时是不够的。这正是为什么教会鼓励有属灵代父母（Godparents）的陪伴。

献婴

什么是属灵代父母？

/ 儿童礼是什么？

属灵代父母是指在婴孩或孩子的奉献礼上，父母邀请的弟兄姐妹。他们承诺在属灵成长的路上陪伴孩子，支持父母培养孩子的信仰。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。

在加拿大的华人教会中，这种安排还比较新颖，但却逐渐成为教会发展下一代的重要策略。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。

目前属灵代父母并非婴孩或孩子奉献礼的必备条件，而是教会积极鼓励的一个安排，以支持父母更好地培育下一代信徒。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。

属灵代父母的重要使命

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。

作为属灵代父母，你会：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

  • 与孩子一起探索生命中重要的问题代祷支持：你愿意花时间和孩子讨论信仰、希望和爱的意义，帮助他们理解如何以基督徒的方式生活。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。
  • 树立和鼓励基督徒的价值观信仰引导：通过你的言行，教导他们如何对人友善、如何慷慨助人，勇于抵制社会上的不公和苦难。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。
  • 为孩子祷告榜样培育：无论孩子成长过程中面临怎样的挑战，你都要持续地为他们祷告，陪伴他们经历信仰的高低起伏。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。
  • 教导他们做智慧的决定属灵群体：分享实际生活的智慧，包括如何保持身心健康、拒绝诱惑、爱护神所创造的世界，并在成长过程中妥善应对同龄人的压力。
  • 与其他代父母合作，一起帮助孩子认识信仰：例如陪他们参加教会聚会，讨论圣经故事，教导他们如何祷告，培养他们与上帝的个人关系。与其他代父母彼此支持，营造祝福下一代的属灵环境。

成为属灵代父母有什么条件？

教会对代父母的支持

  • 已经接受基督，清楚明白自己的信仰。提供信仰培育与陪伴孩子的资源
  • 愿意花时间和精力陪伴孩子，支持家长。定期组织代父母的交流与祷告会
  • 在信仰和生活中愿意树立基督徒的榜样。教牧同工提供持续的属灵关怀与实际协助

父母和属灵代父母的承诺

父母和属灵代父母双方要一起承诺，以基督为中心，同心合意培育孩子，帮助他们成长为教会的下一代领袖。

教会如何支持属灵代父母？

教会了解这是一项重要且有挑战性的服事。因此，教会会提供以下支持：

  • 为属灵代父母提供信仰培育和指导的资源。
  • 定期组织交流和祷告聚会，让属灵代父母之间能够彼此鼓励和分享经验。
  • 教会牧者与同工随时提供帮助和属灵支持。

迈向新的开始

培养下一代是教会的共同使命。属灵代父母的角色虽然挑战不小，但同时充满意义和祝福。神必与我们同在，赐福我们所做的一切。

教会也将继续学习和成长，一起见证属灵代父母的服事带来的美好果效。愿你也能成为孩子生命中重要的祝福，帮助他们成长为主所喜悦的领袖！

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