Dedication or Baptism?
Families have the option of dedicating their children or baptizing them as infants. We believe that both options are equally valid expressions of a family's desire to honor God with the way they raise their children. Deciding which one is right for any particular family is a personal decision. The process for child dedications and infant baptisms are identical up until the actual service.
Parents who dedicate their children are expressing a commitment to train up their children in the ways of the Lord through teaching the Scriptures and through living the type of lives they want their children to live. When children who have been dedicated trust in Jesus alone for salvation, they can then be baptized as a public declaration of their faith. This is known as believer’s baptism.
Parents who have their infants baptized are expressing the same commitment to raising their children to know and love the Lord. As well, these parents understand infant baptism to be the sign of the new covenant in much the same way that circumcision was the sign of the old covenant. Just as circumcision did not save Jewish boys in the old covenant, infant baptism does not save a child in the new covenant. Rather, infant baptism (sometimes called covenant baptism) expresses the theological conviction that it is God’s desire and design that their children eventually trust in Jesus alone for salvation.
Believer’s baptism celebrates and declares that the person being baptized has already believed in Jesus. Infant baptism anticipates a person’s future faith in Jesus. Whether baptized as an infant or as a believer, all persons are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
We would be happy to meet with anyone who is having trouble deciding. In practice, families with a strong heritage of infant baptism will often choose to go that route. Families who look forward to one day hearing their children tell of their decision to follow Jesus and be baptized as believers will often choose to dedicate their little ones.
Digging Deeper: Why do you offer Infant Baptism?
This is a legitimate question since many protestant denominations practice child dedications but not infant baptism. And those that do practice infant baptism do so with a variety of different understandings.
Our statement of faith articulates the core doctrines which we understand to be essential; we want all members of Faith to be in agreement with these doctrines. We readily acknowledge, however, that godly, Bible-believing Christians have held differing convictions concerning other non-essential doctrines and practices. One of Faith’s values involves respecting differing convictions on these non-essential doctrines and practices that arise from legitimate biblical interpretations of Scripture. Baptism is one such practice.
Down through the centuries believers have held differing convictions about the meaning and modes of baptism. The predominant practice within Faith’s denomination, the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA), is believer’s baptism, but there is also the freedom within the EFCA to practice infant baptism.