Dedicating our Little One

"Der HERR segne dich und behüte dich; der HERR lasse sein Angesicht leuchten über dir und sei dir gnädig; der HERR hebe sein Angesicht über dich und gebe dir Frieden."

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."

With these words from Numbers chapter 6 our little baby Maya was dedicated on Sunday, January 1. This is a practice that we find very meaningful and important. It is something one only does a few times in life. It is a practice that finds its roots in Mark 10. The people are bringing their children to Jesus, and the disciples don't think that is a valuable usage of Jesus' time. The teacher is, after all, a very important and busy person. The Lord's response is to rebuke his disciples and to take the children in his arms and bless them. 

A baby dedication is also a chance for us as parents to recognize our role. We are not owners of the child any more than we own our own bodies. We are stewards, entrusted by God to raise Maya in a way that honors Him. 

This step also affirms our need not only for God and His gracious work in our family to transform our hearts, but we also confess our need to be in Christian community. It is the same in my own story, as well as in so many other stories I have heard from others. God uses the witness of parents and family members in childrens' lives, but He also uses voices out of his church to speak into young lives and hearts. Church isn't just important to "check a box", but it is a vital community that affirms and works alongside the discipleship that is happening inside the home. We need the examples of others around us and their faithfulness to strengthen our faith and bring the focus back to Christ. We will not be able to raise Maya in Christ without the church.

It was also wonderful to have Bethany's parents present for the dedication. My parents were there when Ellie was dedicated. Even though we live far away, we know the input, help and support we get from both sets of parents is vital. They have shaped us into who we are and continue to shape us. We are very thankful for them.

Dedication Sunday

Yesterday was yet another special milestone and celebration in the life of our church! (We are in an exciting season!) We had a special Sunday service to celebrate the new church building - a "dedication Sunday". The service was held in the afternoon, so that friends, former pastors and many others could join us to celebrate (and still attend their own churches in the morning). There were special messages and thank you from several people, special music performances, and Nate shared the story of the new building and renovation. We thanked God for all that he has done over the last few years and especially since we first visited our new space in December 2014.

The theme of the event was "Many Nations - One Goal". We highlighted that we have 23 countries of origin represented in our church but we are united in Christ. It's wonderful to celebrate our diversity, as well as our unity, together! Everyone brought sweet treats to celebrate, each representing their county of origin (I baked american chocolate chip cookies, of course!). The buffet was very large and well enjoyed by everyone afterwards. People stayed around for several hours to chat and mingle after the service concluded.

Here are a few photos from the day:

Opening musical performance

Bethany sang on the worship team

Nate, sharing the story of the building renovation through photos

The very full sanctuary!

Ellie's Dedication

This morning, we dedicated  Ellie during the church service. It was a very moving ceremony for us to experience, bringing her before our church community here and asking for their and God's help in raising her and modeling Christ to her. We prayed that she would one day come to know Jesus personally and then share his message with the World. We acknowledged that we are very imperfect parents who will (and already have) make a lot of mistakes. We thanked God for the gift of Ellie and the gift of His grace that we depend on.

Here are a few photos from this morning:

Being prayed for by Dieter, representing the church body.

We planned the dedication for when Nate's parents were here visiting. It was so special for them to participate!

Ellie was worn out afterwards and took a nap.

Out to lunch afterwards to celebrate.