One of the milestone events in the life of a child at Houston’s First is the Parent Commitment ceremony – a celebration where parents of children under 12 months old can publicly express their desire to raise their child in a Christian home that is committed to the Truth of God’s Word, values the role of church community, and seeks to model Christ to their child. While the May 2020 parent commitment ceremony at The Loop Campus was cancelled, Brian and Kendall Friday decided to still celebrate their commitment to be godly parents to their son, Brian Jr.

“We did the Parent Commitment ceremony through the church with our daughter Emerson, but held our own backyard ceremony with Brian Jr. when COVID-19 prohibited his ceremony from happening as planned,” Kendall shares about their decision to have their own ceremony. “We have a special dedication gown in the family that is made from my grandmother's and mom's wedding dresses that we used for Emerson and if we waited any longer, Brian Jr. would not fit in it. It was more of a sentimental reason to hold our own ceremony as we wanted to continue the tradition with Brian Jr.”

Many elements in the backyard ceremony held special meaning for the Friday family.

“It was a sweet, simple yet impactful time with family. We gathered under an oak tree in our backyard. We loved the symbolism of this coming from Isaiah 61. My husband, Brian, gave a quick message where we committed to do our part in raising our son to know and love the Lord and we asked the family to pray for him and his walk daily,” Kendall says about the ceremony. “We also read the Bible verse we picked for Brian Jr. before he was born — Joshua 1:9. We shared the biblical meaning of Brian David's name which is similar to what is done at the church’s Parent Commitment ceremony.”

What is Parent Commitment?

The Parent Commitment ceremony at Houston's First is a way for parents to publicly express their desire to raise their child in a Christian home. This special occasion is for children 12 months old and younger, and for parents who have personally demonstrated a commitment to God through salvation in Christ and church membership, and who have demonstrated a commitment to each other through biblical marriage.

Parent Commitment is not a "baby dedication" and is not related to the child's salvation or subsequent baptism. Our prayer is that parents will disciple their child with support from the church, leading one day to when the child can personally make the decision to accept Jesus Christ as his or her Lord and Savior. When that important decision is made, the church can then walk the child and the parents through the process of baptism — the child's public declaration of their faith decision.

To learn more about Parent Commitment, contact the Preschool & Kindergarten Ministry at your campus.