When I was at Bethel Seminary a few years ago, in my Introduction to Children and Family Ministries class, the professor talked about 3 powerful ways to form faith in our families.
She got this information from the Search Institute:
- Talking with Mom or Dad about faith: These are informal conversations that happen in the course of everyday life.
- Participating in family devotions, bible reading or prayer: This is an intentional time of setting aside time (everyday, 3-4 times per week, or at the minimum once per week) to read the Bible and pray together as a family.
- Being involved in family service projects: Serving alongside of each other as you enact the kingdom of God in our world.
Yes, it works — when you work it. With joy, eager anticipation.
Never, never, never give up!
Getting people to do it… that’s another story. But, yes. we need to be reminded to not give up… even when it looks like our efforts are falling on deaf ears.
Jeremy…great post!
Wondering how to get families to engage, realizing not all families are “created equal”…makes me wonder how the church can try this together and model it for each other as a “family of families”. Still thnking 🙂
Chris
Chris, that is precisely what I’m working toward right now! I’m taking a sabbatical coming up in the next year and that is going to be my focus, however, in the meantime, I’m trying to up the rhetoric in our faith community of the expectations of family-centered engagement in spiritual formation.
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