Next Steps

Take a next step toward becoming the person God created you to be.

Sign Up to Volunteer

Serve

Join a Growth Group

Growth Groups

Become a Member

Membership

Get Baptized

Baptism

Have a Child Dedicated

Child Dedication

Online Giving

Give

Baptism

Baptism is going public about your faith in Jesus and communicating
to the world your commitment to follow him.
Sign up for baptism

Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. It’s a public declaration of how Jesus changed your life. Being baptized shows others that you’ve decided to follow Jesus, and allows them to celebrate this decision with you (Acts 16:31-34).

Obedience to Jesus shows we believe and follow Him. (1 John 2:3). Because Jesus went public about His love for us, we can go public about our love for Him. Being baptized shows that we turn away from a life of sin toward Jesus, the only one who can change us (Acts 2:38-41).

For everyone who decides to follow Jesus, baptism is the next step. Anyone who commits his or her life to follow Jesus is ready to be baptized (Acts 8:12).

Most importantly, we think it should be the child who initiates the step. Beyond that, we recommend 10 years old as a general guideline, but we rely on the judgment of parents (or guardians) to determine the appropriate age. As parents, we can help point our kids to Jesus, but just like they are the ones to decide if they will commit their lives to Him (Romans 10:9), it should be the child who initiates the step of baptism. Baptism follows a person’s decision to trust Jesus for his or her salvation and commitment to follow Him (Acts 10:47-48).

If your child isn’t ready to be baptized think about dedicating them where You get to stand in front of your church family and commit to raising your child alongside your church family.

There will be seasons of growth and greater periods of spiritual maturity – but if you have made a decision to follow Christ and been baptized, there’s no need to be baptized again.

Child Dedication

Being a parent is one of the greatest joys in life, but it’s no easy task. Often, you feel that nagging feeling in your gut that makes you wonder, “Am I doing this whole parenting thing right?” But, there’s good news! You don’t have to parent alone. That’s where child dedication comes in. You get to stand in front of your church family and commit to raising your child alongside your church family.

Why Child Dedication?

We know that, as a parent, you’re the most important influence in your child’s life. But you’re not the only influence your child needs. That’s where your church family comes in. Child dedication is an opportunity to invite others to develop and influence your child as they grow in their faith. It can relieve a lot of parenting pressure because you get to partner with people who will love and lead your child well.

Your kids begin following Jesus by accident. When you dedicate your child, you are deciding that you’ll raise your kids knowing who Jesus is.

Check out what Deuteronomy 6:4-7 NIV says about this:

We love God with everything in us, and we model that for our kids because we know that our example is far more powerful than our words. We teach our kids what it looks like to follow Jesus. And we talk about it and think about it often. Leading kids to live like Jesus isn’t a checkbox on a parenting to-do list. It’s an intentional, ongoing conversation that shapes who they are now and who they’re becoming. 

Sign up for dedication

Child dedication is a great step for your family, but it’s certainly not the same thing as salvation. Salvation is what happens when your child decides to start a relationship with God, and baptism is when they decide to go public with their faith. Child dedication is less about your child’s choice now and more about setting them up for those choices later. When you dedicate your child, you’re committing to raise them in an environment where they hear about Jesus and have an opportunity to accept Him. It’s a great practice, but it is optional. 

Child dedications are a spiritually significant milestone for your whole family. When you dedicate your child, you’re choosing to make some parenting decisions that honor God, like finding trusted relationships through a Growth Group, modeling what it looks like to be planted in the church through serving, and showing your kids an example of what an irrationally generous life looks like. And while it sounds like you’ve got more things to do, you’re actually lightening the load because you’re committing to do these things in partnership with the church.

That’s your decision. You can dedicate your child whether they’re three days old or 13 years old. The age doesn’t matter as much as the principle. Child dedication is an important step in your family’s faith life because it’s setting a foundation that your family will be known for following Christ. So, consider choosing a family verse, picking family values, or finding friends that will help you grow in these values and become the people God has called you to be.

Parenting doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Let’s parent together—trusting that with multiple voices and collective influence, our kids will be trained up in the right ways they should go.

Church Center

Get the app on The App Store or Google Play

Church Center is your hub for staying connected at First Wesleyan. With the free Church Center app, you can register for events, join a Growth Group, check your children into Kids Ministry, give securely, update your contact information, view the church calendar, and stay connected throughout the week.

Sign up for Church Center
Ask for Prayer

Ask for Prayer

We would love to pray for you

Prayer Requests
Request a Hospital Visit

Request a Hospital Visit

Let us know how we can support you

Go to the care center