All-Age-Talk baby dedications – relay

Aim: to illustrate from scripture that baby dedications/Christenings are focusing on the commitment of the parents to bring up their child before the Lord.

ex. Hannah dedicated Samuel for his ‘whole life he will be given over to the LORD’ 1 Sam 1:28; Samuel lived in the presence of the Lord with Eli. Samuel grew up ‘ministered before the Lord under Eli. 1 Sam 3:1

Illustration talk

Use a relay baton to show the importance of passing on from one to the other, different generations in the relay would be good. A relay race high-lights the importance of passing it on!

Choose / identify three children for each relay part, child 1 runs to child 2 passing on the baton, as they pass on the baton they take out a scripture 1 from baton and read it out. Repeat with child 2 running to 3, and child 3 running to 4. Each segment they pull out the next scripture from the baton.

Relay 1

Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

Psalm 8:2 (NKJV)

Teaching Point: Next time your baby cry’s or screams out! Take heart!  Maybe they’re declaring God’s strength against the enemy! Some translations, say ‘Praise’ wow! Out of the lips of babes, declaring the praises of God the enemy is silenced! Speak out words of life over your child. And when they scream rejoice just maybe they are declaring victory over the enemy!

Relay 2

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:7-9 (NIV)

Teaching point: If you want someone to understand something for life we can learn best buy watching others. From one generation to another, listen to those who have gone before to hear their stories of the goodness of God. Keep talking about the things of God, Passing it on from one generation to another. Tell stories of what God is doing and has done. Find ways to give memory aids to talk about and remind you what God is doing today. Listen to stories of parents, grandparents or if you don’t have such in your family – well you do in your church family!

Relay 3

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

(Joshua 24:15c NKJV)

Teaching Point: J Joshua encourages the Israelites to fear the Lord and serve him. We need to keep on making a daily choice to live for the Lord. God know’s that life is full of distractions! In your house choose daily to make a daily choice to follow Christ. 

And church,  [turn to look at the congregation] you are the house, body of Christ. Your commitment to stand and pray with these families today as they dedicate their babes to bring them up in the way of the Lord is so important. Will you stand with these families, and pray regularly for these new babies as you watch them grow up?

Available Resources to download

Printable sheet of outline with cut-out pieces – download pdf

Scripture images for slides for powerpoint or keynote – relay 1 | relay 2 | relay 3

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