Ministry-to-Children.com » Mother’s Day Ideas

Mother’s Day Sunday School Lesson

Tony Kummer — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:36:52 +0000

This is a simple lesson plan I’ve written for our kids church on Mother’s Day. My target length is about 20 minutes during the children’s church service. It can also be used for a Mother’s Day Sunday school lesson. I’ll list additional resources at the end of the lesson plan.

Learning Objectives / Indicators: After this lesson, children will . . .

Demonstrate an understanding of what it means to honor their mother, by choosing from potential responses the ones that will most honor their mother.
Demonstrate an attitude of appreciation toward their mother by writing a “what I like about you” letter.

Key Points:

Parents are gifts from God to help kids.
God expects us to have right attitudes and actions toward our parents.
We should be thankful for our parents.
Even parents need Jesus to forgive them, we must love parents even when they are not perfect.

Target Age Group: 5 – 10 years old {U.S. Kindergarten – 3rd Grade}

Bible Story: Ephesians 6:1-3 ESV Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (2) “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), (3) “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

Teaching Setting: This lesson was first taught in our children’s church on Sunday morning to about 25 children. Before the lesson, the children participated in several songs and group Bible memory exercises. Target length of this lesson is 20 minutes.

Items Needed:

Print out this lesson plan. Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Special parchment or premium paper cut in half sheets. (Regular paper will do in a pinch.) Pencils, crayons or markers
Optional: Polaroid film and camera, or digital camera with the ability to print immediately.
Display of Ephesians 6:1-3, this can be on a poster, marker board, or PowerPoint. If possible, have it on a format where you can underline the action verbs while discussing the passage. See “Review Action Words” below.

Explanation: This lesson is designed to be used in Children’s Church or Sunday School on mother’s day. It has two learning objectives. First, I wanted the kids to understand what it really means to honor their mothers. Second, I wanted to help them develop an attitude of appreciation for their mothers.

Special care should be taken for children who do not have mothers in their life. In such cases, be sure to emphasize these truth apply to any parent or guardian that God has put in the child’s life.

Related Resource Links: Here are links to other websites that feature free lessons plans and learning activities realated to Mother’s Day: Bible Verses About Mothers | Craft Projects fror Mother’s Day | Preschool Mother’s Day Songs| Mother’s Day on MSS Crafts| Kid’s Sunday School Place | DLTK Mother’s Day | Mother’s Day events | Sunday School Ideas for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day Sunday School Lesson

Teaching Plan: Honor Your Mother
(a special children’s church lesson for mother’s day)

Introduction / Hook: Ask the children to close their eyes and try to picture the person you describe. Say, “Think of a woman in your life that has spent more time helping you than any other person.” Allow several volunteers to answer. If needed, ask follow up questions to help them see that their mom is a very important person in their life.

Say, “Today, we are going to learn what kind of attitude God wants us to have toward our parents. This is true for moms and dads, or foster parents, or grandparents who take care of you. But we are going to talk a lot about moms today because it is mother’s day.”

Active Listening: Say, “In just a minute we are going to read a Bible verse that teaches us how God wants us to treat our parents. While we read it, I want you to listen for any action words (verbs) that you hear. Then we’ll review to see how many you could find.”

Bible Passage: Display Ephesians 6:1-3 or have the children look it up in their Bibles. Read the Bible verses to the class; be sure to emphasize the action words discussed below. Then read it a second time to give the children a “second chance” to hear the action words.

Say It: Ask the children to repeat the Bible verse after you several times.

Review Action Words: Ask volunteers to explain which action words they heard in the passage. For each response, ask the children to explain what the word means. They may need help from the class. After each word, clarify what the word means. Here are the words they should have heard, with meaning in italics.

Obey – Doing what a person wants you to do
Honor – Heart attitude about a person’s importance
Go well – Living a good life
Live (NIV says “enjoy long life”) – Staying alive a long time

{Objective #1} Is This Honoring Your Mother? Say, “Honoring means having a right attitude about someone and showing their importance in how you act.” Read the following statements, and have the children agree or disagree. If the statement is something that honors your mother, the children should stand up. If the statement is not honoring, the children should sit with arms crossed.

Doing what mom says right away {True}
Throwing a fit if you don’t get what you want {False}
Eating your dinner with thankfulness {True}
Complaining about what mom cooked for dinner {False}
Telling your mom that you love her {True}
Praying for your mom {True}
Telling other people your mom is not nice {False}

{Objective #2} What I like about you . . . Have the children write and decorate a letter to their mother (or caretaker) that answers this question. If you have many younger children present, they will need help writing. Encourage them to draw a picture that goes along with what they like. It may be helpful to write common words or phrases on a marker board to help the children write their letters. Some possible examples:

I like the way you read to me
I like the way you help me when I’m hurt
I like it when you pray for me at bedtime
I like it when you hug me
I like it when you take me shopping

Share It: Ask for several volunteers to share what they wrote to their mother.

Optional: You can add a picture of the child to the card using a Polaroid camera or digital camera.

Optional: Show the Ruth Story video clip from Jelly Telly and talk about how it relates to mothers.

Closing: Lead the children in prayer …

Improve This Lesson: If you notice any typing errors, or think of a way to improve this lesson plan – please leave a comment below. Your help is important and makes this website more useful for everyone.

Video: Preschool Songs For Mother’s Day

Tony Kummer — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:14:32 +0000

If you are teaching preschool children on Mother’s Day, then you will love these songs about moms from Cullen’s ABC’s. They are all three set to familiar tunes, but have special words for mother’s day.

Watch the videos below to learn the songs. These would make excellent learning activities for preschoolers at church or at home. Be sure to see all of Cullen’s videos on Youtube.

“Happy Mother’s Day To You” Song

This preschool song is set to the tune of “Happy Birthday.”

“I Really Love My Mother” Preschool Song

This one is set to the tune of “Have You Ever Seen a Lassie?”

“Mommy Is The One I Love” Song for Preschoolers

This song is set to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

Song “MOMMY is Her Name”

This song is set to the tune of “B.I.N.G.O.” but changed for mother’s day.

Need More Help? Then browse these Bible verses for mother’s day, or watch how-videos for mother’s day crafts, or get ideas for Mother’s day events.

Video: Mother’s Day Craft Projects

Tony Kummer — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:51:46 +0000

When I’m looking for craft projects online, I always check with Cullen’s ABC’s craft website. She has these great step-by-step video demonstrations that make craft projects easy.

Now to make things even easier, she has grouped all her videos for Mother’s day into a playlist on Youtube. I wanted to post a few of my favorites here, but right now she has 10 videos on that page!

These projects and songs are not religious, but would be very appropriate for Sunday school on Mother’s day or even children’s church. Especially if you incorporated a Bible verse about moms.

Mother’s Day Gardening Project For Kids

Sunflower Craft For Children

Mother’s Day Events: What Is Your Church Doing?

Terry Delaney — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:49:29 +0000

At my church, we celebrate Mother’s Day by hosting Muffins with Mom. This is usually an hour before Sunday School begins. We invite all mom’s and their children to celebrate her special day with muffins, juice, milk, and coffee. We finish by taking a picture of Mom with her children and either make a bookmark or a small magnet to give her the following week.

What does your church do to celebrate Mother’s Day? Does your church even celebrate Mother’s Day? Please share your comments, thoughts and ideas below.

Bible Verses For Mother’s Day

Tony Kummer — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:56:16 +0000

Here is a list of Bible verses and quotes I’ve put together for Mother’s Day. These could be used in writing mother’s day greetings cards, mother’s day sermons, mother’s day Sunday school lessons or crafts. Leave me a comment if I’ve left off your favorite scripture for mother’s day.

Jesus Arranged For His Mother’s Care Before His Death

John 19:26-27 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” (27) Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Bible Verses & Quotes About Mothers From Jesus and The New Testament

Mark 10:29-30 ESV Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, (30) who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

Matthew 10:37-38 ESV Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (38) And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Need More Help: Here are some other posts on this website about Mother’s day. Craft Projects fror Mother’s Day | Preschool Mother’s Day Songs| Mother’s Day events | Lesson Plan for Mother’s Day

Matthew 12:46-50 ESV While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. (47) (OMITTED TEXT) (48) But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” (49) And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! (50) For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Matthew 15:4-6 ESV [Jesus speaking] For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ (5) But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is given to God, (6) he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.

Ephesians 6:1-3 ESV Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (2) “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), (3) “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

2 Timothy 1:5 ESV I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

Old Testament Scriptures About Mothers

Exodus 20:12 ESV “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Deuteronomy 5:16 ESV “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Leviticus 19:3 ESV Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

Verses From Proverbs About Mothers

Proverbs 1:8-9 ESV Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, (9) for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

Proverbs 6:20-22 ESV My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. (21) Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. (22) When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.

Proverbs 10:1 ESV The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.

Proverbs 15:20 ESV A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother.

Proverbs 19:26-27 ESV He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach. (27) Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Proverbs 20:20 ESV If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

Proverbs 23:22-25 ESV Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. (23) Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. (24) The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. (25) Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.

Proverbs 28:24 ESV Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, “That is no transgression,” is a companion to a man who destroys.

Proverbs 29:15 ESV The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Proverbs 30:11 ESV There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.

Proverbs 30:17 ESV The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.

Proverbs 31:1 ESV The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

Proverbs 31:10-12 ESV An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. (11) The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. (12) She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

Bible Definition For Mother’s Day

Mother From Fausset’s Bible Dictionary

Honored in Israel as she is not in the East generally; one superiority of Judaism over other contemporary systems (1Ki_2:19). King Solomon rose up to meet and bowed himself unto Bathsheba, and set her on his right hand (Lev_19:3). Figuratively, a city is mother of the surrounding villages its daughters (Jos_15:45; 2Sa_20:19). Ezekiel (Eze_21:21) uses “mother of the way” for the parting of the way into two roads which branch from it, as from a common parent; however, Havernick, from a Arabic idiom, translated it as “the highway.”

**These Bible Verses are from the ESV (English Standard Version)

Mother’s Day Sunday School Ideas?

Tony Kummer — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:08:11 +0000

Mother’s Day is one of the biggest dates on the church calender. Christians have a strong tradition of honoring women on Mother’s day. We expect increased attendance in both Sunday school and Children’s church. So, I’m working ahead, looking for Mother’s Day Sunday School Ideas.

Need More Help: Here are some other posts on this website about Mother’s day. Bible Verses About Mothers | Craft Projects fror Mother’s Day | Preschool Mother’s Day Songs| Mother’s Day events | Lesson Plan for Mother’s Day

What are you doing at church for Mother’s Day?

Our church has a tradition of doing baby dedication service on Mother’s Day. We have one scheduled for this year too. There will also be a time of recognition for mother’s. Many churches will give Mother’s Day gifts, read Mother’s day poems, or present gift cards to the Mother’s in attendance. What about your church? What are you doing on Mother’s Day?

Mother’s Day Sunday School Crafts?

You can begin your search for Mother’s Day Sunday school crafts by looking through the resources I list for Sunday school crafts. Many of these websites have whole sections devoted to Mother’s Day.

I’ve always liked it when the kids made a special card or project for Mother’s Day over several weeks. It can be something as simple as a series of coloring sheets bound as a “MY Favorite Mother” book. By producing something more substantial, Mother’s are more likely to save it in a scrapbook or memory box. Too many really simple Mother’s Day crafts find to the waste basket. Leave me a comment if you want to share your Mother’s Day craft ideas.

I’ve prepared a list of Bible Verses For Mother’s Day. You can use these to turn generic Sunday school crafts into focus with Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day Sunday School Lessons?

Many Sunday school curriculum publishers provide a special lesson for Sunday school on Mother’s day. If not you might want to browse my resource page that links free Sunday school lessons online. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, why not build your own Mother’s Day Sunday school lesson around one of these Bible Verses For Mother’s Day.

Please leave a comment if you’ve found a great source for Mother’s Day Sunday school lessons.

Heart Craft For Children’s Sunday School

Tony Kummer — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:40:58 +0000

Here is a craft idea that you can use in your children’s ministry around valentines day. Basically you will use two pieces of red construction paper and some ribbon to sow together a heart pocket. This can be used to store Sunday school Bible verses. You can even write something like “I love learning God’s Word” on the outside of the heart craft. Watch the video demonstration for the details.

One suggested time to use this lesson would be around Valentines day for an easy Sunday school activity. You might also find it useful around mother’s day.

To make it even more biblical, you could add a Bible verse from Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” You could actually build a whole Sunday school lesson around this theme. This Bible lesson craft was created by http://www.sundayschoolsample.com/

Bible Verses About Parents, Children, Mothers & Fathers

Tony Kummer — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:11:21 +0000

Here is a long list of Bible verses that talk about parenting, child instruction, mothers and fathers. Leave me a comment if I’ve left off your favorite.

Ephesians 6:1-4 ESV Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (2) “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), (3) “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (4) Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Proverbs 23:13-14 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ESV “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. (5) You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (6) And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. (7) You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (8) You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. (9) You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Luke 2:48-52 ESV And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” (49) And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (50) And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. (51) And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. (52) And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

Luke 18:28-30 ESV And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” (29) And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, (30) who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

John 9:3-5 ESV Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. (4) We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. (5) As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

2 Corinthians 12:13-15 ESV For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong! (14) Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. (15) I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

Colossians 3:20 ESV Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

1 Timothy 5:3-4 ESV Honor widows who are truly widows. (4) But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. (2) For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, (3) heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, (4) treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (5) having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Colossians 3:20-24 ESV Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. (21) Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. (22) Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. (23) Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, (24) knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Proverbs 1:8-9 ESV Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, (9) for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

Proverbs 30:17 ESV The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.

Proverbs 7:1-3 ESV My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; (2) keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; (3) bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

Leviticus 19:3 ESV Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 21:18-21 ESV “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, (19) then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, (20) and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ (21) Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

Exodus 20:12 ESV “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Exodus 21:15-17 ESV “Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death. (16) “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death. (17) “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.

Titus 2:3-5 ESV Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, (4) and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, (5) to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Deuteronomy 4:9-10 ESV “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children– (10) how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’

Deuteronomy 11:19 ESV You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Joel 1:2-3 ESV Hear this, you elders; give ear, all inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers? (3) Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.

Psalms 78:2-8 ESV I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, (3) things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. (4) We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. (5) He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, (6) that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, (7) so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; (8) and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Psalms 103:13 ESV As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.

Proverbs 10:1 ESV The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.

Psalms 112:1-2 ESV Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! (2) His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Baby Dedication Service – Some Ideas For The Ceremony

Tony Kummer — Thu, 31 May 2007 07:48:50 +0000

On mother’s day, our church had a Baby Dedication Service. Many churches dedicate infants and babies because of tradition rather than theology. We want more for our families. We want them to have a Christian vision for their children. We want them to see parenting as a divine responsibility. We believe every child is a gift from God.

Pastor David Michael at Bethlehem Baptist Church has given us some great ideas for baby dedication. David and his wife Sally are behind the Children’s Desiring God curriculum. Their approach to baby dedication emphasizes parental promises and includes a mandatory parenting class. So before the ceremony, parents are challenged to have a God-centered vision for their children. Here is what we are planning at our church:

I invited parents to meet with me about baby dedication. These are families from our church that have added new children since last year. I take the initiative to contact them.
We have arranged a training meeting several weeks before the dedication. We will use this as a teaching time to explain the dedication service and reinforce a biblical vision for Christian parenting. We discuss specific scriptures about parenting. We invite them to define their vision for their children. We challenge them to dedicate themselves as parents to raising God-centered children.
At the dedication service the parents stand before the congregation with their children and are asked the following questions:
- Do you today recognize these children as the gifts of God and give heartfelt thanks for God’s blessing?
- Do you now dedicate your children to the Lord who gave them to you all, surrendering all worldly claims upon their lives in the hope that they will belong wholly to God?
- Do you pledge as parents that, with God’s fatherly help, you will bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, making every reasonable effort, with patience and love, to build the Word of God, the character of Christ and the joy of the Lord into their lives?
- Do you promise to provide, through God’s blessing, for the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs of your children, looking to your own heavenly Father for the wisdom, love and strength to serve them and not use them?
- Do you promise, God helping you, to make it your regular prayer that, by God’s grace, your children will come to trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins and for the fulfillment of all his promises to them, even eternal life; and in this faith follow Jesus as Lord and obey his teachings?
The congregation will have these same promises as a bulletin insert. We want this time to reinforce a biblical vision of parenting for the whole congregation. We invite parents to silently re-commit to being intentionally Christian in their parenting.
After the parents have affirmed the promises the senior pastor will pray this prayer of dedication: (child’s name), together with your parents, who love you dearly, and this people who care about the outcome of your faith, I dedicate you to God, surrendering together with them all worldly claims upon your life, in the hope that you will belong wholly to God for ever .
After the ceremony, each child will receive a gift. We usually give them a Children’s Bible. They also receive a certificate. We have discussed writing a pastoral letter to the child.

We are careful to make this a time of commitment and prayer. I think the approach I’ve described removes the “sacramental” feel that accompanies infant baptism (which we cannot practice in clear conscience). What are your thoughts? Does your church have a similar process? Leave a comment and let me know. We are always eager to learn.