Milestones are designed to help you prepare for and fully engage in significant moments in your child's life. You are your child's most important spiritual leader! Take full advantage of these moments to help your child follow close to Jesus.

DEDICATION OF CHILDREN

THE COMMITMENT TO FOLLOW JESUS
- Asking God to forgive you of your sins.
- Believing that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, died to take the punishment for your sins.
- Confessing that you want Him to be the Lord of your life.

BAPTISM
- Baptism shows we are followers of Christ. It symbolizes the salvation that you already have received (1 Peter 3:21; 28:19,20).Â
- Water baptism is a visual testimony of our spiritual birth. It is a pledge and promise to always live our lives for Jesus (Romans 6:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; John 3:4-6).
- It shows that one has chosen to serve God, not self (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3,4,11-14).
- It is a symbol that a person’s sins have been washed away (Psalm 51:7; Romans 6:3,6). Water baptism isn’t the removal of dirt from the body, but it reminds us that God has removed our sins
- Water baptism shows one is now dead to sin and alive to Christ (Romans 6:3-11).
Parents often wonder at what age a child should be baptized in water. The answer isn’t an easy one because each child is different. Many children are ready to be water baptized by seven or eight or nine years of age. When a really young child asks if he can be baptized, especially after he has seen it being done in church, we recommend that the parents talk about it and then wait for that child to ask a second time. That is typically a clue that God is dealing with his heart and that the child is recognizing his need for this step with God.Â

COMMUNION
Parents, we encourage you to monitor when your child is ready to take communion. Once they have a clear understand of what it represents and why we do it, have them sit in a communion service with you to see how it is done. We encourage parents to take the lead on when their children take their first communion.Â
