What is City Kids?
Sunday 9:30am & 11:00 am (6 months - 5th grade)
Our goal in City Kids is that through our age appropriate teaching, worship, and activities your kids will fall in love with Jesus and develop their own personal relationship with Him. Each week our goal is that kids would leave knowing that: God loves them, we believe in them, and church is fun!
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."
Child Dedication
Throughout the New Testament, the Bible talks about baptism as an outward expression of an inner decision made to follow Jesus. In the Bible, we see that Jesus’ parents dedicated Him to the Lord (Luke 2:22-40), then He was later baptized as an adult (Matthew 3:16-17).
No one has greater potential to impact a child’s spiritual development than their parents. Proverbs 22:6 says: “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
At River City Church, the dedication ceremony is intended to be a commitment between parents and God on behalf of their child. Parents are promising to raise their children in the faith until they are old enough to make their own personal decision to follow Christ.
Please contact the church to schedule Child Dedication during an upcoming service.
641-903-5519 or email [email protected]
Water Baptism
Every child can have a personal relationship with Jesus, and in City Kids we encourage them to make a decision to follow Him. Our children are encouraged to not just learn about Jesus, but learn from Him by walking with Him every day.
We advise parents to wait until their child is asking to be water baptized. This is usually a good indication that they are ready to be baptized and that it will be a spiritual milestone in their life.
We absolutely believe that younger children can have a relationship with Jesus, however, we desire to make sure your child understands the significance of baptism and will remember the beauty of the event. If you have any hesitation regarding your child’s preparedness for baptism, we would love to discuss this with you.
As you discern if your child is ready to be water baptized, here are some questions to ask your child. The following answers show that your child understands.
1. WHO IS JESUS?
Your child should have an understanding of who Jesus is in their life. They should be able to pinpoint a time that they made the decision to make Jesus Lord of their life and follow him.
2. WHAT HAS JESUS DONE FOR YOU?
Your child should have a specific memory of when he or she understood what Jesus did, and that he or she needs Jesus in their life. It may have been at church, at home, or even during a time when they were alone. They should be able to give a reason or an example of why they want to follow Jesus.
3. WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE WATER BAPTIZED?
Because Jesus was baptized and he tells us to be baptized also. Because I’m a friend of Jesus and I want to follow Him. It means I’m a Christian and I want to show the world. It’s a picture of what Jesus has done on the inside of me.
Throughout the New Testament, the Bible teaches that baptism is a public expression of worship symbolizing the new life we have when we follow Jesus. In the Bible we see that Jesus’ parents dedicated him to the Lord (Luke 2:22–40), and he was later baptized as an adult (Matthew 3:16–17).
We understand that some churches practice “baptism of confirmation” for children. This ceremony is intended to be a commitment between the parents and God on the behalf of the child. The parents promise to raise their child in the faith until the child is old enough to make his or her own personal confession of Christ. This custom began about 300 years after the Bible was completed and is different from the biblical examples of new believers being baptized to publicly profess their faith in Jesus.
At River City Church we provide opportunities for child dedication and believer’s baptism. To schedule a Parent/Child Dedication, please email [email protected]