There are six practices that form faith at home best. In Families at the Center of Faith Formation by Lifelong Faith Associates, a survey of the research suggests these six. Each practice is named and introduced below.
Can you find all six illustrated in the banner at the top of the page?
Parents and Caregivers, choose the practices that you will focus on first. Start with one or two you think will be simple and easy for your household. Celebrate your first successes!
Congregational leaders, share the practices with parents and caregivers and find ways to support and encourage them as they do them at home.
Talk together.
Encourage conversations about things that matter. Talk about things related to faith as they come up in daily life. Talk about God and what God is like. Talk about church and why it’s important. Eat meals together. Take walks together. Use conversation card decks.
Pray together.
Pray in ways that fit your life, such as at meals or bedtime. Say a prayer or blessing as the children leave the house. Pray together about concerns and celebrations. There are many reasons and many ways to pray together. See pages 338-347 in The Peace Table.
Celebrate together.
Create traditions and rituals for milestones and holidays—children love them! Celebrating Christian holidays at home nurtures Christian identity. Think of ways to celebrate happy moments and milestones in your family’s life.
Serve others together.
When families serve others together, they build their shared experience and faith grows in everyone. Join a service project from church. Take food to someone and make it a family activity. Opportunities will arise if you are watching for them.
Learn about your faith and do things that grow your faith.
It takes a lifetime to learn to be like Jesus, and it requires commitment, curiosity, and learning. Adults who model these qualities will naturally create an atmosphere of learning and growing for children.
Worship together at church.
Families that go to church together are the most successful at growing faith in their children. Parents and children alike are encouraged and challenged to grow in Christian maturity. The church provides support, friendship, and inspiration.
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