Parent Commissioning
Movement Church Next Steps
What is Parent Commissioning?
Parent commissioning is an opportunity for the parents or guardians of children to stand in front of the church family, and make a public commitment to teach and disciple their kids to follow Jesus. It is also a time for parents to enter into an agreement of honest community with the church family, and for the church family to pledge their commitment to support and walk with and support the parents and kids as they grow.
- As part of the process, parents will meet with our Family Ministries staff, to explore the ways that Movement Church can support and partner with them.
- Members of the church body will commit to praying for your family for a year.
- Parents will be asked to commit to living in honest community with their church family, striving for ongoing growth in their own faith as they make every effort to be a Biblical example of a disciple for their kids to follow. If this is something you desire - to more closely align your life with God's Biblical plan, and you are willing to invite your church family to help you do this - then this process if for you!
Is this like child dedications?
In traditional “child dedication” ceremonies, the emphasis is on the blessing of a new child, and an opportunity to show this new family member to the church body. This can be a sweet & special occasion! However, we want to do more than celebrate with each other. We want to emulate the Biblical picture of a faith family, spurring each other on to continue growing in faith, and working together in honest community to lead our children into loving, life-changing relationships with God.
To do this, we are flipping the focus back onto the parents, not the children! Our goal is to form a partnership with the parents who are ready to commit to growing their own faith so that they can lead their children well. Through this process, parents are asked to take an honest look at their lives, see what needs to be changed, and invite the church family to help them do that through friendship, accountability, and sometimes – difficult conversations that lead to life change!
When is Parent Commissioning?
At Movement Church, parent commissioning is available on the LAST Sunday of the month, during the months of February, April, August, and October. It is done during the worship service, and is available at each service time.
- The deadline to sign up is 4 weeks before the parent commissioning. If you’ve missed a deadline, we encourage you to sign up for the next parent commissioning opportunity!
- Parent commissioning can be done after your family has grown through a child’s birth or adoption. It can also be done as a step of growth after parents/guardians experience salvation, as they determine to now lead and disciple their family members to believe in and follow Jesus Christ.
- As part of the service, others in the congregation will be asked to accept the responsibility to pray for your family over the next year. Therefore, we encourage you to sign up for a time during the service time that you usually attend, so that the church family who see and interact with your family each week can have the opportunity to commit to a deeper relationship with you.
How Do I Start?
Fill out a simple form to let us know you are interested, to provide your contact information, and to tell us a little bit about yourself and your family. A member of our Family Ministries staff will contact you! The first step in the process is an in-person or Zoom meeting between parents/guardians, and our Family Ministries staff. We can’t wait to connect with you, and look forward to partnering with you!
