Infant Dedication and Thanksgiving As Baptists we understand from the Scriptures that Baptism is for believers only, and we do not, therefore, baptise infants. We do, however, recognise that children have a place within the family of God and, indeed, the Kingdom of God. In fact, Jesus indicated that children show us the way by which we, as adults, should enter God’s Kingdom.

An “Act of Thanksgiving and Dedication” provides the opportunity to welcome a child into the church family whilst at the same time inviting the parents and congregation to give thanks for the gift of a child, to pray for God’s blessing upon the child and its parents, and to dedicate ourselves, as parents and as a church fellowship, to play our part in nurturing the child in a Christian environment.

The Act of Thanksgiving and Dedication usually takes part during the first part of a Morning Service and includes the following promises:-

Promises of Parents
Do you promise, with God’s help, to be good and loving parents to N?
Do you also promise to bring N up in the spirit of the Gospel?
Do you promise also to remain faithful to N whatever the future may bring, respecting him/her wherever (s)he may go, remembering always that your child is a gift of God?

Promises by Members As the members and congregation of this Church, do you also acknowledge that this child is a gift of God, and do you promise that you will always stand by N and his/her parents in love and friendship?