Practicing Our Faith as a Family
Introductions
Discussion
Discussion about the text on back
Closing
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Topic Introduction
“Many parents are searching for ways to nurture their children in the life of Christian faith. They come with honest questions and look to the church for answers. Others, realizing their lack of biblical and theological background, turn their children over to the church and the church school – the professionals, so speak – because they want it done right, by the experts. Still other parents, realizing that they have more questions than answers, wonder what kind of help they can be to their religiously curious kids… but the time between church school and worship becomes critical in nurturing children in their faith, and making a home for faith for yourself and your child requires intention and a willingness to live in the in-betweenness of knowing and not-knowing, yet trusting always in God’s presence.” [1]
“Faith is learned as it is woven into the fabric of daily life. I don’t intend to ever sit down with my children and “teach” them about the importance of God, but they will grow up with that belief as a part of their everyday experience.” [2]
Sure, the above quotes sound good in theory. In the real world, though – the world of sports practices, after-school activities, homework, school admissions, clubs, and carpools – church and faith is often the last thing on our minds, right? Who’s got the time??
But while ‘weaving faith into the fabric of our daily lives’ may sound intimidating or even completely unrealistic, many of the practices recommended by both church professionals and parents themselves are simple, quick, and easy – once we’re in the habit, that is…
Some ideas recommended by Seamless Faith and Making a Home for Faith:
Don’t feel like you need to practice all of these – but if any sound appealing, give them a try!
[1] From Making a Home for Faith by Elizabeth Caldwell, Professor Emerita of Pastoral Theology at McCormick Seminary
[2] From Seamless Faith by Traci Smith, Pastor of Northwood Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, Texas
- Before the discussion begins, take 5 minutes to talk with a neighbor about how your week has been (highs, lows, etc.).
- Invite everyone to read the short topic introduction at the bottom of this page.
- Go around the circle and invite people to answer this question, as well as sharing their name if the group is new: What family rituals do you remember from when you were growing up? (It doesn’t have to be religious – just any regular practice!)
Discussion
- The first quote on the back of this sheet from Elizabeth Caldwell emphasizes the importance of parents helping to nurture their children’s faith rather than just relying on the church… but many parents, or perhaps even most, don’t feel comfortable in that role! What causes you the greatest hesitation in thinking of yourself as one of your child’s primary faith examples?
- Do you have any memories about how your parents shared their faith with you? Were they vocal about their faith, or did they largely let their actions speak for them?
- What did you think about faith and church when you were growing up? Was church a place that you hated going to, or was it a second home? Did your attitudes change as you grew up and/or become a parent?
Discussion about the text on back
- The back of the sheet offers several suggestions from various authors about practices that you can do with your family – many of which are fairly simple and are not even overtly religious. Why do you think these types of practices are connected with spirituality? Are there ways to make them more explicitly so, or would that not be necessary?
- Are there any routines or rituals that you practice with your family that you’ve found to be particularly helpful or meaningful?
Closing
- When you feel good about finishing your discussion, have everyone close in prayer – someone can pray for the group, you can split off into pairs and pray for one another, or you can just take a quick 10 seconds of silent prayer.
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Topic Introduction
“Many parents are searching for ways to nurture their children in the life of Christian faith. They come with honest questions and look to the church for answers. Others, realizing their lack of biblical and theological background, turn their children over to the church and the church school – the professionals, so speak – because they want it done right, by the experts. Still other parents, realizing that they have more questions than answers, wonder what kind of help they can be to their religiously curious kids… but the time between church school and worship becomes critical in nurturing children in their faith, and making a home for faith for yourself and your child requires intention and a willingness to live in the in-betweenness of knowing and not-knowing, yet trusting always in God’s presence.” [1]
“Faith is learned as it is woven into the fabric of daily life. I don’t intend to ever sit down with my children and “teach” them about the importance of God, but they will grow up with that belief as a part of their everyday experience.” [2]
Sure, the above quotes sound good in theory. In the real world, though – the world of sports practices, after-school activities, homework, school admissions, clubs, and carpools – church and faith is often the last thing on our minds, right? Who’s got the time??
But while ‘weaving faith into the fabric of our daily lives’ may sound intimidating or even completely unrealistic, many of the practices recommended by both church professionals and parents themselves are simple, quick, and easy – once we’re in the habit, that is…
Some ideas recommended by Seamless Faith and Making a Home for Faith:
- Over breakfast, have a stack of index cards with different words listed on them: Love, Grace, Peace, Joy, Friendship, Patience, Courage, Honesty, Energy, Calmness, Self-Control, Compassion, etc. Have each member of the family share one thing they need for their day and why.
- Make a “grace meal” for another family – essentially doubling a recipe once per month and delivering it to a family in need (either at church or elsewhere)
- In addition to a bedtime prayer, share a bedtime “blessing” reminding your child they are loved: ‘May God bless you and keep you, may God be kind and gracious to you, may God give you peace tonight and all nights. Amen.’ or some other routine language.
- Ceremonies for the first day of school, or welcoming a new sibling, or even for sad situations like the death of a grandparent or pet.
- Affirming character growth as much as academic success or athletic success – rather than only celebrating ‘A’s or ‘goals’, try to praise your children for moments of great character!
- Create a routine conversation space – a time when your child knows that they are safe to ask any question of you and you can ask big questions with them. You can even write some questions down ahead of time and draw them out of a hat if it feels like too much pressure to come up with questions on the spot.
Don’t feel like you need to practice all of these – but if any sound appealing, give them a try!
[1] From Making a Home for Faith by Elizabeth Caldwell, Professor Emerita of Pastoral Theology at McCormick Seminary
[2] From Seamless Faith by Traci Smith, Pastor of Northwood Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, Texas