Child Dedications on Father’s Day: Fathers, It Starts with You

Subverting Expectations

Nothing makes a man feel more alive than waking up at 4:00 a.m., covering himself in camo, and sitting in a blind with a weapon in hand, waiting to take down whatever unassuming four-legged creature wanders by. In rural America, that’s often considered one of the hallmarks of “manliness.” I used to joke that where I grew up, that was called a sucker punch. For years, I mocked the idea that this kind of hunting should earn you "man points". I'd be impressed I'd say, if a guy camouflaged himself, hid in a tree, and jumped out to wrestle the beast to the death.

Until I met that guy.

Masculinity can be hard to define sometimes. Different parts of our culture ascribe different qualities to what’s considered “manly.” But let’s talk about something we rarely associate with manhood: faith.

For years, we’ve celebrated moms on Mother’s Day with child dedications, and rightly so. Nothing quite defines the deep, nurturing bond between a mother and her children. It’s beautiful, it’s sacred, and it makes sense that many churches choose to mark that moment with a public celebration. But this year, due to a glitch in our planning software, we missed our usual rhythm. By the time we realized it, Mother’s Day was right around the corner, and there just wasn’t enough time to plan.

And yet, something surprising began to emerge in the silence that followed, a quiet conviction to subvert the script. Why do we only do child dedications on Mother’s Day? Why not Father’s Day? After all, Mother’s Day is one of the most highly attended Sundays of the year, right behind Easter and Christmas. But Father’s Day? Historically, it’s one of the lowest. What if, instead of lamenting that, we leveraged it? What if we used this moment to call attention to the father’s role in the spiritual formation of his children? That’s when this conviction was born.

Somehow, faith has become soft. Sentimental. Emotive. Feminized. In many homes and churches, faith is driven by women while men either disengage or barely accommodate to keep mom happy. But biblical masculinity, real, God-designed masculinity, is defined by its faith. It’s not laziness or loudness. It’s not about domination or bravado that serves to simply mask insecurity.

Biblical masculinity is defined by one thing: responsibility.

The First Man Failed by Doing Nothing

“She took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:6)

Adam’s sin wasn’t ignorance. He wasn’t deceived. His sin was silence. He knew the command; God had spoken to him first. Yet when it mattered most, he abdicated responsibility and followed Eve into sin.

And when God shows up, He doesn’t call for Eve.
“Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)

Why? Because responsibility started with Adam. God held him accountable for the leadership he failed to provide. This isn’t just an ancient story, it’s a spiritual diagnosis for many homes today. When husbands fail to speak truth, guard their families, or step into moments of tension, the echo of Adam’s silence still reverberates.
Adam’s silence lives on in fathers who check out, in husbands who refuse to lead, in men who stay boys by shirking responsibility.

We bury ourselves in distractions, golf, gaming, fantasy leagues, and hobbies. These aren't inherently wrong; in fact, they may even have their place. But when they become escapes from our God-given responsibility, they become idols.

We’ve confused rest with escape.

Dominion Must Be Tempered by Meekness

In Genesis 1, God gives man a purpose unlike any other created being. He grants dominion, not for domination, but for cultivation. Man was made to work, to steward, to reflect God’s rule. Wherever a man has influence, his home, his workplace, his friendships, he is called to represent the just and righteous reign of King Jesus.

But dominion without submission leads to domination.

Biblical masculinity is not about being “in charge.” It’s about being responsible. A man leads not by barking orders but by bending the knee. He uses his strength to bless, not break.

“But whoever would be great among you must be your servant... For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45)

Men were created to work hard, to provide, and to protect, but always as an extension of God’s character, not their own ego. Their strength was never meant to slink into passivity or shift into dominance. They’re called to temper their strength with meekness.

Meekness isn’t often brought up in conversations about masculinity. It’s seen as weakness. But meekness isn’t weakness, it’s strength under control. Biblical manhood doesn’t rage or retreat, it shows up. It doesn’t domineer or disappear; it initiates, protects, leads, and speaks life. Like Peter Pan, too many men refuse to grow up. They demand the benefits of adulthood without any of the burdens. The result? Homes without direction, marriages without sacrificial love, and children without a compass.

Many in our day might define masculinity as being “self-made”. Great emphasis is placed on discipline and independence. Biblical masculinity begins with submission to God. It’s not about independence. It’s about surrender. We’ll never learn to lead if we don’t first learn to follow.

“The head of every man is Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:3)

“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus… his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4)

Real men don’t stand alone, they stand firm under Christ. They obey. They repent. They submit. And because they follow Jesus, they are qualified to lead others in love. Until that happens, any attempt to lead the home will fall short where it matters most. Jesus must first be Lord of your life before you can truly lead in His name.

Leadership begins with Lordship.

Jesus: The Manliest Man Who Ever Lived

Jesus didn’t fake strength, He embodied it. He didn’t bark orders or flex His power. He didn’t posture or pretend. He simply took responsibility. He took responsibility for sin He didn’t even commit.
“Christ Jesus… humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8)

That’s masculinity. Not bravado, but burden-bearing. Not domination, but death to self. Jesus wept. He washed feet. He confronted evil. He loved sacrificially. He endured injustice. He was arrested, beaten, and nailed to a cross. And He never abandoned the mission.

That’s our model.

The most masculine words a man can speak at home aren’t commands, they’re confessions. “I was wrong. That wasn’t Christlike. Will you forgive me?” That kind of man shapes a home. That kind of man raises daughters who know their worth and sons who know what strength really looks like.

The call on every husband and father is simple, sobering, and sacred: lead your home in faith.

“The husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church.” (Ephesians 5:23)

That doesn’t mean superiority. It means sacrificial responsibility. It means dying to self and protecting your wife and children, not just physically, but spiritually. Through prayer. Through the Word. Through repentance. Through courage.

When God came looking in Genesis 3, He didn’t call for Eve. He called for Adam. Why? Because Adam was responsible.

And so are we.

Why Father's Day

Which brings me to Father’s Day.

On the day when fathers should be leading, many check out. And in doing so, we model that leisure is more important than lordship. So this year, we’re doing something different: we’re dedicating children on Father’s Day.

Why? Because fathers should go first.

This isn’t about competing with moms. It’s about reclaiming biblical masculinity, rejecting passivity and pride, and embracing the call to lead with love. Adam failed to protect and provide spiritual leadership. We’re calling men to do the opposite.

We’re calling men to kneel in prayer, open the Scriptures, and lead their families with sacrificial strength.

And that’s why, this Father’s Day, we’re dedicating children to the Lord. We want fathers to publicly commit to spiritual leadership, because your home will follow the direction of your heart.

And the Gospel still needs men to carry it forward. Men who lead with conviction, walk in humility, and demonstrate what it looks like to pursue Jesus with their whole heart.

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