The family is the first community of faith and the most powerful influence on the faith formation of children and teenagers. This page is filled with links to ideas to help you with faith formation at home. We have included some simple resources for parents to use when it works for their family. Consider it a “play list” to read through and select. These are suggestions for the whole family—from the youngest child to the oldest grandparent—to do together. Whatever you do, grow Christ-centered relationships, between one another and with God.
The BLUE titles below are all links to the ideas.
Lent at Home: God’s World Lent
Lent is a designated time for Christians to prepare for the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The forty days of Lent begin on Ash Wednesday (March 2nd this year), and end on the day before Palm Sunday. The forty days do not include Sundays since all Sundays are considered small celebrations of the Resurrection. From the link below, you can access God’s World: Lent –weekly activities for people of all ages—with a session for Ash Wednesday, five weeks of Lent, and Good Friday. You may do one, some, or all sessions. Sessions are designed for about 20 minutes and feature a Scripture reading, a prompt for storytelling, options for hands-on activities, and a blessing. Choose your own Lent at Home day!
Below are videos on simple faith practices from pastor and author Traci Smith. Each one is 3-minutes long and includes three simple practices to use at home.
Serving Others:
Dinnertime:
Bedtime:
Mindfulness:
You may pray some of these prayers regularly and some can be memorized. Some are for before meals or bedtime, and others before an important event (athletic competition) or after a tragedy (death of a pet). They are meant to be prayed together, or for children to learn to say on their own. As you pray together, you will be teaching your child how to pray.
“Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6
Finding alternative ways to pray gives breadth and depth to our prayer lives. Help your children learn that there are many ways to pray—like through movement and through art. Experiment and discover what works well for your family.
“And this is the boldness we have in him: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14
Faith is learned as it is woven into the fabric of daily life. This section offers practical ways for families to live their faith life together through special Christian traditions and practices.
“Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Intergenerational Mission & Service Ideas
Be the hands and feet of Christ together. Check out this page for ideas to serve others.
“And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8
“Faithful Families” and “Prayers for Faithful Families” by Rev. Traci Smith have served as resources for many of the ideas on these pages. Her books are available here.