We have finished the sermon series on Faith Everyday. We have said that we would be wise to build a home environment that makes Jesus central and actively teaches the faith and spiritual values. Some of us have done this in a big way, and others may have arrived late in the game and therefore not really made much of an emphasis on this. So, I'm going to ask you...
1. What faith practices in your home have proved effective in teaching spiritual values to your kids? Have you done anything different or unique?
2. Were there faith practices that you tried, but didn't work out with your family?
3. What faith practice would you like to try, or wish you had tried in your parenting?
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One of the things that worked was that we read Bible stories every night before bed to our boys, sometimes inserting our kid's names into the story in place of the Biblical hero. That is, that story of how Bryan slayed Goliath or how Brent parted the Red Sea.
ReplyDeleteFamily devotions around the supper table did not work for us. I know it works for some.It never felt natural.
If I had to do it again I would do more service projects and try to foster a sense of helping people in need.
Michael has learned by my example from a very young age. I have taught him to say his bedtime prayers from a very young age. I also made sure that we were always part of a church family. We moved frequently with the military when Michael was age newborn thru age 5yo. I taught Michael's Sunday School class when he was 3.
ReplyDeleteAs Michael has gotten older, Michael has become involved with FCA- Fellowship of Christian Athletes. This has been a wonderful way for Michael to express his faith! Michael and I have begun to pray and recite the Shema at breakfast each morning. We forget sometimes! Michael has a reminder on his I-POD to recite the Shema again at night.
If I had to start over in my Christian examples for Michael, I would have read the bible more!
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that worked for me was also reading Bible stories to my kids at bedtime. Actually, they each have responded differently to different practices. My daughter enjoys talking about events & miracles in which God has worked in our lives (really "cool stuff"). My son is my little prayer warrior. When a need arises, it's "mom let's pray" or "mom, can we pray?" He knows prayer works.
ReplyDeleteSometimes when I try to give them instruction or a "lesson" in certain situations, they don't want to hear it, so sometimes I back off (sometimes not).
One thing I wish I had done more of is continue with the Bible stories & teachings. I feel they need to widen their knowledge base quite a bit.
I think service projects are an excellent idea that I would like my son to get involved with. He needs it. My daughter already volunteers at one of the nursing homes in Canandaigua periodically, which has proven to be beneficial.
What seemed to have worked for us, was saying grace at meals, even when guests are dining with us, and eating dinner together. Also, when given the chance or opportunity we site examples from the bible of things people have done there that relate to current situations in life. I am reminded of something I learned as a mentor to children in 4H, you have to "seize the teaching moment".
ReplyDeleteToo much "preaching" seems to be a fine line. Although our children seem willing to learn, if done in a disciplinary or obsessive way it seems to fall on deaf ears sometimes.
I wish we all spent more time learning the bible, as a family. Understanding it more I think would help in a strong faith for us all.
We have not really done anything unique or different in our home with teaching spiritual values to our kids. Nightly prayers have always been consistant and saying grace before dinner has really been nice, especially when the kids have a friend over and the friend says "what is grace" and it gives our children a chance to explain to their friend why we say grace.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of doing a service project, especially the idea of serving dinner to those less fortunate at the holiday time. I do wish we read the bible to the kids when they were growing up. We read children's bible stories but never really studied the bible with the kids.
Singing songs that were actual scriptures in the car was a fun way to teach doctrine. Also much prayer together during troubled times and then seeing God's help showed our children that God does hear us. Elizabeth wanted a two-wheeler bike, money was tight. She had $13.00 and change saved. We prayed. Not too long after we stopped at a yard sale "by chance" and there was a nice bike and a deal was made for $13.00. God heard her prayer and directed us to the answer. Steve painted the bike red, it looked great!
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, one of the most influencial things I witnessed in my parents' faith was their constant sacrificial giving. Although I never knew the exact amounts they gave to the church, I knew they gave a significant amount, and even put their financial future on the line to guarantee the mortgage of the church building. They never seemed to waiver in this, and I knew from an early age that giving was an important faith practice.
ReplyDeleteWe're new to the parenting thing, but a habit we've started practically from birth with our son is to read Bible stories at bedtime. I've also starting praying outloud with him before bedtime (he can't participate yet, but he's still hearing!).
We've talked about doing family worship together as our son gets a little older. My husband and I are both musical people, and it'd be a fun way to honor God together as a family, and hopefully also instill a love of music in our son as he grows up. We'll see how it works!