Some Christian traditions practice infant baptism, rooted in the belief that baptism is the New Testament sign of God’s covenant, much like circumcision was in the Old Testament. Other traditions choose child dedication, wanting baptism to come later when a person is old enough to personally profess faith in Jesus.

At the heart of both is this truth: whether baptized or dedicated, every child will one day need to choose to follow Jesus for themselves. Neither baptism nor dedication saves a child. Instead, both are commitments made by parents — a promise to raise their child to know, love, and follow Him.

At Riverbend, we practice believer’s baptism, that is, when someone is able to clearly express their faith in Jesus and publicly declare their decision to follow Him. For this reason, we recommend child dedication for infants through young children, and baptism for those who are ready to articulate their faith. Children often begin to meaningfully articulate their faith around 3rd grade, although more mature children may reach this stage earlier.

Because many children become more curious about faith beginning around 3rd grade, our Kids’ Ministry offers a Christ Awareness program once a year, which helps Preteens (3rd-5th grade) understand baptism, what it means, and if it’s their next right step in faith. Please reach out to Traysi Space for more information on the next Christ Awareness class.

Child Dedications are held 3-4 times throughout the year. You can email Barbara Deckers for more information on upcoming dates.

Aside from the Christ Awareness baptism, Riverbend holds four “all church” baptisms throughout the year. If you are interested in being baptized, please sign up HERE for one of our upcoming dates.