At VOUS, we believe in the next generation. We can’t make decisions for our children, but we can empower and equip them to stand tall and walk boldly in today’s world.
Healthy churches are built on healthy families. When it comes to raising up the next generation, the age-old saying is true: it takes a village. We are committed to linking arms with the families in our community, choosing to stand alongside each other as we raise future world-changers together.
Child Dedication is an opportunity for parents to bring their friends and family as they dedicate their children to God. In 1 Samuel chapter 1, we see Samuel’s mother, Hannah, dedicate her son to God, saying “‘I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life, he will be given over to the Lord.’ And he worshiped the Lord there.” She committed her life to making sure that he would grow up in God’s presence.
Child Dedication Sunday is a beautiful moment we take as a community to pray for God's blessing, protection, and purpose over the lives of our VOUS kids. More than a moment, it's a posture of worship, surrendering the most precious gift God has given us back to Him.
To honor this moment, we begin preparing for it months in advance. Read below for all of the inside information when it comes to preparing for and executing Child Dedication Sundays.
THE PREPARATION
Hosting Child Dedication once every few months is the rhythm that works best for us in this season of our church. We begin promoting Child Dedication about two months ahead of time via website, emails, personal conversations, and flyers in our VOUS Kids spaces. With 11 different services total across each of our locations, our goal is to honor at least four families per service.
We create an online sign-up form for families to RSVP. Our Kids Department team will schedule a personal phone call with each family to confirm the details and talk through the Child Dedication flow. We finalize their location and service time, what time they need to arrive, the check-in process, and confirm that we have the correct pronunciation of their child’s name.
Once a family is confirmed, we create an informational card for our Child Dedication hosts that includes the parents' names and the child’s age, gender, and name pronunciation.
THE EXECUTION
When it comes to executing Child Dedication on Sunday, we collaborate with different teams to ensure our families have the best possible experience. This day is more than a couple minutes on stage – it’s an opportunity to honor the families in our church and for our church community to pray for children and their parents as they commit to raising their children in God’s presence. We hope that this would be a marking moment for our families.
Our VOUS Kids team collaborates primarily with Production and Guest Relations teams. With each department in a group text, we share a spreadsheet with a breakdown of each family. Throughout the day, we send updates in the chat with updates as families check in or cancel.
This is the flow we follow across each location on the day of:
1. Families check in with the VOUS Kids team and confirm the information on the host’s information card is correct.
2. The VOUS Kids team brings the families to the main auditorium. This should happen 10-15 minutes before service begins. The Guest Relations team will seat them in their reserved seats.
3. During service, the Child Dedication hosts will take the stage and welcome everyone in the room. As guests greet each other and take their seats, the Guest Relations team ushers parents and children onstage and ensures they are standing at the correct mark.
From there, our hosts will lead the Child Dedication moment. Each family is introduced and honored individually. After every family has been introduced, we invite our pastoral team onstage to lay hands on parents and children. We ask the congregation to extend their hands toward the stage, and one of the hosts leads a prayer over the children and their parents, asking for wisdom, guidance, protection, and blessing for each family.
After the prayer, the VOUS Kids and Guest Relations teams will help families off the stage and back to their seats as service continues.
THE JOURNEY AFTER
Following service, families are invited to take family photos in the courtyard in front of the Child Dedication photo backdrop. Each child receives an age-appropriate Bible and certificate, and their family will receive a link to access their family photos.
While Child Dedication happens in a moment, we want to walk with families for a lifetime. Life is better in community — we are always looking for opportunities to connect families not only with our VOUS Kids department, but also with each other. We host family-centered events, get people plugged into Crews, and build personal relationships with parents and their children. There’s nothing better than walking this journey together.
