Baby Dedication Gift Ideas for a Family at Your Church
A young father in a church foyer holds a baby in a white sleeper, a folded bulletin tucked under one arm. In ten minutes he'll stand at the front and say, in public, that he and his wife will raise this child to know God.
Short answer: a good baby dedication gift is a keepsake that carries the baby's name and a verse, such as a nursery print, or a written prayer the parents can keep.
A baby dedication is different from a baptism. In many evangelical and Baptist churches, parents bring the baby forward, the pastor prays, the congregation promises to help, and baptism waits until the child can speak for themselves. In other churches the baby is baptised instead. If you aren't sure which this family is doing, ask the parents, because a card that says "dedication" lands wrong at a baptism.
What families tend to want is simple. They want something that says this child was prayed for, and they want it to be something they can put on a wall or in a drawer without a lecture attached.
The eight ideas below are in two groups. Three are ours, and I've said where each fits. Five cost little. Our prices were checked on 24 Oct, in Canadian dollars.
Three from our shop
Heritage of the Lord Nursery Print, from $25 (our price on 24 Oct). Psalm 127:3, children are a heritage of the Lord, on a typographic nursery print with the baby's name and birth date. Choose from three sizes. The frame isn't included. We print it to order with our production partner and ship it to you or straight to the family, and you see exactly how it will print before you pay. Best for: the family that wants a plain verse on the nursery wall. Not for: a family that wants a picture on the wall.
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Print, from $25 (our price on 24 Oct). Psalm 139:14, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, with the baby's name and birth date. A little more personal than the heritage print, because it speaks as the child rather than about them. Best for: a gift from grandparents. Not for: a family that already owns a verse print they love.
Family Name Household Verse Print, from $25 (our price on 24 Oct). The family name, the year established, and Joshua 24:15, "as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." It is a gift for the whole household rather than the baby, and it suits parents who think of the dedication as a promise the family is making together. Best for: a gift from the church. Not for: a family that would rather keep the focus on the baby.
Five that cost little
A prayer written out for the baby. Write the prayer you will pray for this child, date it and sign it. Parents tend to keep these.
A board book with a good story. Choose a sturdy one that reads aloud well. Write the dedication date inside.
A scrapbook page from the church. Ask the congregation to sign a page or add a line. Give it to the parents to keep with the baby book.
A meal for the first week. The first weeks are hard. A dinner left on the porch, with a note, is a practical way to make the congregation's promise real.
A promise to babysit. Offer an evening so the parents can have a quiet dinner. Name the date, and be reliable about it.
For churches giving a keepsake to every family
Some churches give every dedicated baby the same keepsake, so no family feels forgotten. We take church orders from 10 to 200 pieces through the quote form on our church page. Tell us which print you want and how many families you expect in a year, and we'll tell you what's possible and what the proof looks like before anyone pays.
What the Scripture says
Hannah's words at the temple are a good set of words for a dedication.
For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him. (1 Samuel 1:27, KJV)
Every parent who stands at the front of a church with a baby knows what that sentence means. The gift only has to agree with it.
How we chose
Three of these are ours. The other five are ideas, not products, because the gifts parents remember are often the ones that cost time. We haven't named other shops, and we haven't ranked anything.
Questions people ask
- What is a baby dedication? A service in which parents and the congregation commit before God to raise a child in the faith. Many churches that practise believer's baptism hold a dedication instead of an infant baptism.
- What is a good gift for a baby dedication? A keepsake with the baby's name and a verse, a children's Bible, a board book, or a written prayer.
- Is a dedication gift the same as a baptism gift? Often, yes, but the card should say what the service was. Ask the parents.
- Can the baby's name and birth date be added? Yes, on both nursery prints.
- How much should I spend? Our prints start at $25. Spend what you would on any other family occasion, and add a note.
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