We care about our children and are constantly looking for ways to connect with them and provide for their nurture and care.  In our congregation we dedicate ourselves to all children new to the community in an annual celebration, with all the parents and children taking part in the service.

     Child dedication is most closely linked to the Christian sacrament of Baptism, but Unitarian Universalism generally does not recognize child dedication to be sacramental in nature.   A sacrament is thought to be divinely ordained and that the grace of God is received through the sacrament.

     The Unitarian Universalist view of this ceremony is that it is the human community which celebrates the hope and possibility inherent in the new life of the child.  The community welcomes the child and commits themselves to the nurture and care of the spiritual and ethical development of this child and of all children who are a part of the religious community.  The community is witness to the promise of the parents and family to provide for the child, as best they can, that which will promote the fullest growth of the body, mind and spirit of the child.

     Often the four traditional elements of earth, air, fire and water are used as symbols of the basic necessities of all life.  Sometimes the child is blessed with water, and frequently a rose is given to the child as a symbol of the beauty and fragility of life.

     Infants, older children and even adults may be dedicated in a ceremony created cooperatively with the minister, or on their own.  A minister need not be present for the dedication, nor is dedication a prerequisite for membership in our churches and fellowships.

     For additional information about child dedication, please contact the minister.