Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates. <\/p>\nDeut. 6:5\u20139 NIVTM<\/sup><\/a><\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n All of us as Christian parents want to take these verses seriously. Yet we also go through seasons when it\u2019s hard to live our best intentions\u2014especially when our kids don\u2019t show the faith response we hope for, or when we fear that their hearts will harden as they encounter skepticism in the world at large.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our kids may rebel against Christianity to become apathetic about it. If we are afraid something in them will give way, we may be tempted to try and take control\u2014to insist on how things shall be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But following Jesus is an invitation, not a decree\u2014an act of faith, not force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen we see our children as a gift, our need to control and micromanage subsides,\u201d writes Cameron Cole, a director of children, youth, and family. \u201cCertainly, we take responsibility for the gift, but nobody clutches and chokes a present to make it perfect.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, how do we honor the gift of children entrusted to us, while also helping them discover the wonder of the God who made them and longs for a relationship with them? The answer to this question lies in the culture of faith we create at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following Jesus is an invitation, not a decree\u2014an act of faith, not force.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s take a look at three ways to develop a family faith infused with values and experiences that point the way to Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reminder: Keep it simple.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Doing ordinary things together can add up to a big difference in the faith life of your family. Recent research by Barna Group found a connection between fun, quality time, and meaningful spiritual experiences.[2]<\/a> [3]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Quality time doesn\u2019t need to be fancy. Make a point to eat together as a family every day, whether it\u2019s cereal from a box, rotisserie chicken and instant mashed potatoes, a home-cooked meal, or supper at a restaurant. Take a walk in the park. Play Uno or toss a softball. Read books. Do yardwork. Hold a family meeting, or just take time to talk about how everyone is feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Families that make togetherness a priority are more likely to engage in relational connections that support vibrant faith, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make room for wonder as you continue to find your place in God\u2019s Story.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Reminder: Awkward conversations are better than none.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As your family enjoys togetherness, don\u2019t miss the opportunities to talk about faith. Sometimes a conversation will come up spontaneously. Any moment of curiosity is an opportunity to open the eyes to wonder and the heart to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some suggestions to get a conversation started:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might also create a spiritual topic jar and let kids put suggestions in it; then pull out a topic to talk about on a weekly basis. Or you may want to start a tradition of sharing the \u201clows\u201d and \u201chighs\u201d of each day. Remember, even awkward conversations are better than none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if you aren\u2019t sure about something, don\u2019t feel like you need to know all the answers. Doubt isn\u2019t toxic to faith. Silence is.[5]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t\t Wonder Ink\u2019s 3-year, 52-week children\u2019s ministry curriculum offers kids space to fully find their place in God\u2019s Big Story. Children discover they are Known by God, Loved by Jesus, and Led by the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n Reminder: Practice makes progress, not perfect.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn\u2019t take long for us to realize that our kids watch and imitate what we do. Things are no different when it comes to faith. Our words matter, but our actions often speak louder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not a call for parents to model perfect faith. After all, there is no such thing. It\u2019s far more important to model growing<\/em> faith through spiritual practices such as Bible reading and prayer. These kinds of practice make progress, not perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We will try and fail sometimes. We will need to extend and receive forgiveness. We will face doubt and grief and struggle along the way. But our commitment to an authentic journey with God is exactly what our children need to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, we do well as parents to examine what following Jesus looks like in our lives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider these questions with a spirit of curiosity that makes room for wonder as you continue to find your place in God\u2019s Story. And remember, we need the whole church<\/a> in this. After all, we are all His!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can find more insights and ideas for family engagement in our free guide: What If We\u2019re Failing Kids at Faith Formation? (And How Not To)<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n [1]<\/a> Cameron Cole, \u201cYour Kids Are Not Projects or Burdens. They Are Gifts,\u201d The Gospel Coalition, October 19, 2018, www.thegospelcoalition.org\/article\/children-gifts\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [2]<\/a> Barna Group, \u201cThe Link Between Fun & Faith in Our Homes,\u201d Barna, April 2, 2019, www.barna.com\/research\/fun-faith-in-our-homes\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [3]<\/a> Barna Group, \u201cWhat Makes for a Spiritually Vibrant Household?\u201d Barna, March 5, 2019, www.barna.com\/research\/spiritually-vibrant-household\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [4]<\/a> Barna Group, \u201cWhat Makes for a Spiritually Vibrant Household?<\/p>\n\n\n\n [5]<\/a> Kara Powell and Steven Argue, \u201cThe Biggest Hindrance to Your Kids\u2019 Faith Isn\u2019t Doubt. It\u2019s Silence,\u201d Christianity Today, February 21, 2019, www.christianitytoday.com\/ct\/2019\/february-web-only\/doubt-parenting-biggest-hindrance-kids-faith-is-silence.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [6]<\/a> Trevin Wax, \u201cParents, Take Note of the Spiritual Practices Common to Kids Who Flourish As Adults,\u201d The Gospel Coalition, accessed July 8, 2019, www.thegospelcoalition.org\/blogs\/trevin-wax\/parents-take-note-spiritual-practices-common-kids-flourish-adults\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Consider how your parenting experience can bring insight and empathy to the way you serve parents in your church community. (P.S. You can use this article as your outline next time you give a talk to parents.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2473,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"Developing Family Faith Through Life's Moments - Wonder Ink","_seopress_titles_desc":"Consider how your parenting and family faith experience can bring insight and empathy to the way you serve parents in your church community. ","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"blog_topic":[29],"blog_type":[13],"ppma_author":[22],"class_list":["post-2281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blog_topic-families","blog_type-blog"],"authors":[{"term_id":22,"user_id":1,"is_guest":0,"slug":"wonder-ink","display_name":"The Wonder Ink Team","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/wonder-ink-favicon.svg","url2x":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/wonder-ink-favicon.svg"},"author_category":"","user_url":"https:\/\/wonderink.org","last_name":"Ink","first_name":"Wonder","job_title":"","description":"The Wonder Ink Team is made of ministry volunteers, leaders, and experts who work with David C Cook. We\u2019re passionate about equipping leaders as you empower volunteers, engage families, and inspire children on their journey of faith. Discover more about Wonder Ink children's ministry curriculum at WonderInk.org."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2281"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2281\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"blog_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_topic?post=2281"},{"taxonomy":"blog_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_type?post=2281"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=2281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Following Jesus Is an Invitation: Developing Family Faith<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Value 1: Make togetherness a priority in family faith.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Value 2: Talk to your kids about faith.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Value 3: Live a faith worth imitating.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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More Ideas and Insight for Your Church<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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