dedication or baptism? August 13, 2007

Last weekend Ezra was dedicated. It was a very special day for us as a family. Most of our siblings were there. We were disappointed that it didn’t work out for Corey’s parents to be there, and some of my siblings, but there will be more children and more dedications!

The week before the dedication, we took a class at which the group of parents were divided in their plans- some would baptize their children, some chose to dedicate. One would think that it would be difficult to be in a situation like that, however, I was surprised- refreshed- moved- and challenged to reconsider my preconceived ideas about what child dedication and infant baptism truly mean.

I grew up with a family background of dedication. Corey grew up with a background of infant baptism. So how would we decide what was best for our children? Initially it was a decision of who feels the strongest about “their way”? I came away from the class with an entirely different perspective. Both dedication and baptism in their core essence are the same thing. One who follows Christ knows that their child is not their own, but a gift from God, which should be offered back to Him as a sign of surrendering to His will, and a recognition of the gift received. The act of both dedication and baptism is also to allow the child to receive the gift of grace which God gives to all people who open themselves to Him. Whether a child is sprinkled with water or simply receives the laying on of hands, they are still receiving the same gift of grace from God.

Yes there may be some technical differences. Those who are sprinkled as infants or children do not also participate in “believer baptism” at an age where they can understand what it means to be”saved by grace” and become a follower of Jesus and publicly announce that through dunking/baptism. They do however take time to study scripture, learn of Jesus ways, and make a decision to confirm their faith publicly in the presence of their church community. A child who is dedicated should also go through that same education, growing learning period and when ready to declare their faith in Jesus, they go through believer baptism. Both ways recognize that an individual must personally receive the gift of grace from God, and both ways encourage a person to publicly announce that to their church family.

By dedicating Ezra last weekend at our church [Quest] Corey and I are recognizing him as a gift, just as Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple. We also dedicated him in order that he might receive the gift of grace from God, and walk in that knowing he is a child of God all his life. And we dedicated him in our church community because we know that raising a child is not an endeavor we can take on alone. As pastor Eugene would say, we are not an island and if Corey and I ever think we have it all together, we are the perfect parents, or as I used to say, I can do it ALL by myself, somebody please rebuke us! We need the love, care, wisdom and encouragement of our family, friends, and church.

And when Ezra chooses to receive the gift of grace that has been offered to him, but asking Jesus into his heart, we will REJOICE! And when he chooses to publicly announce his faith, we will REJOICE! And we rejoice with the people who have helped us along the way.

children’s ministry reflections July 1, 2007

This is an article that I wrote- which was never published, but will be the beginnings of my reflections on children’s ministry, now that I am staying at home and participating in the ministry in a new way. It’s been 4 months since I completed my time at Quest, and with the [wonderful] distraction of caring for my son, I haven’t had the time to fully process my thoughts about my work, of the last 4 years of my life.

“One summer, a mom came up to me after a few days of kids’ camp and said, ‘last night my daughter prayed a prayer that was so real and sincere, she spoke like Jesus was her best friend sitting right beside her’. Tears filled my eyes and my heart warmed when I thought, yes! Nurturing a child’s faith is so worth it…a connection was made. In my time as children’s pastor, through relationships with parents, teachers, volunteers, and kids who love God, my faith has been challenged and strengthened in ways that inspire me to action. Seeing the need to nurture faith in children has only ignited a deeper sense of purpose and calling to my faith. In a world where kids are bombarded daily by messages from media, the web, pop culture- to live a certain way, learning what’s ‘cool’, what’s ‘important’, what’s ‘valued’- what little time we have to teach love, compassion, faith, mercy and justice is crucial. In my own life I battle those same things daily to stay on track in my commitment to a faith-filled life.

One of the first things I learned about teaching children about faith was to keep it simple. A cornerstone of our kids’ ministry is to ‘love God and love each other’. As much as I teach it to the children week in and week out, I am reminded of that truth for me too. The many ways I see love modeled in kids’ ministry (by adults and children) have encouraged me in my faith and passion to simply love God and love others.

I have realized through serving as children’s pastor how much I have to learn about faith in Jesus Christ. I received a letter from a little girl that read, dear God- thank you for healing my egg allergies. Oh, to remember that God is in the details of our lives! And another day two children came to me to share that their great-grandfather had died. Before I could share any sympathy they reassured me that it was okay because their grandpa was in heaven. Oh, to have peace and joy in the face of death! When I am frantically running around to put last minute details together for kids camp or another event someone will remind me, ‘Katey, you don’t have to do it all on your own,’ and then they take time to stop and pray with me. Oh, if only I could always remember to put my trust in God alone rather than try to carry everything on my own shoulders!

The time I have spent learning, through experiences, studying, and researching in preparation to train ministry leaders and teach kids- my faith has deepened as my view of God’s kingdom has expanded. In my feeble attempts to empower people to teach kids the love of God and His creation, to share passion and vision- God has revealed much to me. I am learning about calling and purpose for all people- even kids- and how God works through all of us. As we explore scripture beginning with creation, Adam and Eve, seeing the faith of God’s people like Abraham, Moses, Esther, and young people like David, Samuel, and Miriam and see it all through the eyes of a child- I am moved once again because I see eager anticipation to learn who God is.

The hope and trust that I see children demonstrate on a regular basis brings me to my knees in humble recognition of God’s greatness. As I am challenged to share my faith with children and adults I realize the important of this calling, and I pray God would continue to expand my worldview, help me see His simple truths and remind me to have a teachable spirit. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1, tNIV). I desire to live a faith-filled life that demonstrates certainty and hope, passion and purpose, because I serve a great big God.