Family Resources Archives:
Faith At Home
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"What do you mean my church can’t raise my kids for me?? Family ministry expert Rob Rienow joins Phil and Skye to talk about the importance of discipling kids at home, and gives practical advice for doing just that."
Check out this thought-provoking video on transferring faith to our kids at home. The guys start off with a few other topics, so if you're keen to get straight to the point skip ahead to 34:43. Rob Rienow has written many books on family ministry and has some great ideas. He puts across a realistic view of family worship - admitting that sometimes "God help the kids sleep so I can get some rest" is as much as can be done some days - so don't worry about finishing this video feeling guilty! |
Faith, Doubt, and Questions
We all experience doubt now and then, whether we've been Christians for a few months or for decades. By the time you have a few years under your belt, you tend to be a little more comfortable with the uncertainties of faith. But doubt and unanswerable questions can be very disconcerting for those who do not realize that such things are normal and are just part of the faith journey.
It's important to help our kids understand that having doubts doesn't make them a bad person, and that it doesn't mean they are automatically no longer Christian. Instead we can encourage them to use their doubts to gain a better understanding of God, and what it means to follow Him.
In child development theory, there is a concept called 'scaffolding'. This was something thought up by a guy named Vygotsky. Vygotsky recognized that their comes a point where a child is ready to move from one stage or level of ability/understanding to another, but that they are much more likely to successfully navigate that stage transition if they are helped by someone who has already been through the transition themselves. This makes sense - it would be very difficult to learn how to tie your shoelaces unless someone who already has that skill teaches you how. The person who already has the skill acts as scaffolding to the child, supporting them through the change, giving a lot of assistance at first, and then gradually allowing them to 'bear their own weight'.
So what has scaffolding theory got to do with doubt? Well, when faced with scary doubts a child needs to first see that doubt is normal - to watch someone else process doubt and questions in a healthy way. They need support - someone who will listen to their fears and confusion, and who can then give practical steps for finding helpful answers. The child needs to be walked through the process of doubt, until they are confident in their own ability to face questions head-on.
But what if you, as a parent, don't know how to deal with this stuff yourself? Well the principle of scaffolding doesn't just work on kids - find someone who can help you process your own doubts and questions in a healthy way.
Your 'scaffolds' don't have to just be people you know - you may already have some idea of where you can find answers - books, podcasts, reputable websites. And of course, take your doubts to God. He's big enough to handle your uncertainty - and if you doubt that read the passages below!
The best way to help your kids through the transition from 'born-into-a-Christian-family' faith to 'I-really-believe-this-stuff' faith is to let them question and doubt in a safe environment. Don't be afraid to admit you don't know something, but always be willing to help them find that answer.
Happy doubting!
Bible passages about doubt:
Judges 6:11-24
John 20:24-29
It's important to help our kids understand that having doubts doesn't make them a bad person, and that it doesn't mean they are automatically no longer Christian. Instead we can encourage them to use their doubts to gain a better understanding of God, and what it means to follow Him.
In child development theory, there is a concept called 'scaffolding'. This was something thought up by a guy named Vygotsky. Vygotsky recognized that their comes a point where a child is ready to move from one stage or level of ability/understanding to another, but that they are much more likely to successfully navigate that stage transition if they are helped by someone who has already been through the transition themselves. This makes sense - it would be very difficult to learn how to tie your shoelaces unless someone who already has that skill teaches you how. The person who already has the skill acts as scaffolding to the child, supporting them through the change, giving a lot of assistance at first, and then gradually allowing them to 'bear their own weight'.
So what has scaffolding theory got to do with doubt? Well, when faced with scary doubts a child needs to first see that doubt is normal - to watch someone else process doubt and questions in a healthy way. They need support - someone who will listen to their fears and confusion, and who can then give practical steps for finding helpful answers. The child needs to be walked through the process of doubt, until they are confident in their own ability to face questions head-on.
But what if you, as a parent, don't know how to deal with this stuff yourself? Well the principle of scaffolding doesn't just work on kids - find someone who can help you process your own doubts and questions in a healthy way.
Your 'scaffolds' don't have to just be people you know - you may already have some idea of where you can find answers - books, podcasts, reputable websites. And of course, take your doubts to God. He's big enough to handle your uncertainty - and if you doubt that read the passages below!
The best way to help your kids through the transition from 'born-into-a-Christian-family' faith to 'I-really-believe-this-stuff' faith is to let them question and doubt in a safe environment. Don't be afraid to admit you don't know something, but always be willing to help them find that answer.
Happy doubting!
Bible passages about doubt:
Judges 6:11-24
John 20:24-29
Kids and Spiritual Gifts
“For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.”
(Eph. 4:4 NLT)
When it comes to children there is no junior Holy Spirit. As part of the Body of Christ, our children are empowered by God’s Holy Spirit and, just like with adults, the Holy Spirit equips children to do the work for which they are called.
You may have noticed your child’s particular gift – maybe you’ve seen one of your children patiently explaining another’s homework in such a way that the other child suddenly understands it. Or maybe your child is always touched by ads on tv, which show hungry children, and he wants to give everything in his piggy bank to help. Or maybe you have no idea what your child’s gift is, (which, by the way is ok, some of these things are hard to pick up on).
The advantage of finding out your child’s particular set of giftings is that once discovered you can intentionally nurture and encourage them. We tend to feel the most valued when the things we like most about ourselves are appreciated and encouraged. In addition, talking about spiritual gifts with your kids, and discovering what God has placed inside of them, helps your children to know that they are valued by God – that he has put special things inside of them because he thinks they are valuable enough to be part of his big plan.
There are a few ways to discover your child’s giftings – there are a couple of downloadable tests below, as well as some links to a few helpful websites. You can also just observe your child. What do they get upset about? What kinds of people do they gravitate to – and do they tend to lead their friend group, or hang back? What kinds of things are they passionate about? The tests and websites below are not exhaustive – most have a limit of around 7 gift areas, combining certain giftings to make the tests simpler. You can find more elaborate gift-lists on tests intended for adults – I’ve included some links to those too.
Once you and your kids have explored their gifts, think of some ways together in which you can grow them. Start a service project with your serving or mercy dominated child. Find a charity for your giver to support. Encourage your discern-er/prophet to spend time learning to listen to God and recording what he says. Explore Bible characters and see if you can find one with your child’s gift – how did that character show that gift, and how did he/she use it to serve God?
Talk to you child about what the gifts don’t mean too – for example just because your child scored low on ‘Serving’ doesn’t mean she doesn’t have to do her chores. We can ask God to help us grow in the areas where we are weak, as well as asking him to provide opportunities to develop our strengths. Also, the gifts aren’t for ourselves – God gives them to us so we can help others and so we can worship Him.
Enjoy discovering what God has placed in your children!
Spiritual Gift Test 1 (PDF)
Spiritual Gift Test 2 (PDF) Helpful articles on helping kids discovers their gifts - Kids: Click Here, and Preteens: Click Here Spiritual Gift Game |
Term 3 focus: Technology
This term's family resource is a little different - instead of looking at how to develop a particular Christian value, character or practice in our kids, we are going to look at a few cool apps/websites that are useful for teaching these things. Note - all the apps work offline :-)
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Bible Story Apps:
The Beginner's Bible App (first 6 stories free, $1.99 per extra 6-story pack) 0-6 Years "The bestselling Bible storybook of all time is now available in an iPad app that includes enhanced audio with compelling narration, music and sound effects that help bring 94 Bible stories to life like never before" This app allows children to hear and read along with stories from the Beginner's Bible, and also includes colouring pages, puzzles, and games to help children really grasp each story. Bible App for Kids (Free) 4-8 years "Through interactive adventures and beautiful animations, kids explore the big stories of the Bible. The Bible App for Kids is a delight-filled experience designed to encourage kids to return again and again" The app includes colourful illustrations, fun facts and activities, as well as special challenges that let kids earn rewards. Guardians of Ancora (Free) 8-12 years "Kids will join the other Guardians of Ancora to protect the city, a place where light delivers goodness, peace and well-being. The light has been taken away from the city and your role is to bring it back, as you discover the truths that are held in the great stories of the Saga." In this video-game style app, kids follow the steps of Jesus, gathering stories about him in order to earn points and extra game content. The app also includes a journal where kids can record their thoughts about each story with words or pictures, trivia and personality quizzes, and mini-games. Produced by Scripture Union. The Aetherlight - Online Game click here (First chapter free, need to purchase additional chapters) 9+ "Do you remember the first time you walked through the wardrobe into Narnia? That lion, whom you both feared and loved deeply, had a profound effect on your relationship with God. Why? Because the theatrics of Narnia bought a theology into your hands through those stories. With The Aetherlight: Chronicles of the Resistance we will to do the same thing and recapture a digital generation with the grand story of God. But it's not enough to simply tell this generation a story - you must let them play it. The Aetherlight effectively engages kids in the bible by engaging their imaginations with an epic allegorical story, like the Chronicles of Narnia did for the generations past. By closely following the story of the bible, but in a steampunk inspired land, players are able to make the connections and discoveries for themselves, and see the bible stories in a new light." |
Bible Trivia and Memory Apps:
The Adventure Bible Game App (Free) 5-10 years "Have fun while you learn with Adventure Bible Games for Kids! Learn about people, places and events in the bible...memorise books of the Bible...and quiz yourself on Bible trivia! Includes 6 kid's Bible games." Based on the NIV Kid's Adventure Bible. Scripture Typer (Free) 8+ "Scripture Typer is the only complete, all-inclusive Bible memory system that equips you to easily memorize, organize, and review your verses on your own personalized customizable review schedule. Memorize verses fast by actively engaging 3 separate cognitive areas: kinesthetic (touch), visual, and auditory memory." This is my go-to for Bible memorizing. While aimed at adults, children would quickly pick it up. The app works by taking you through levels - type it: where you have to type out the whole verse as you read it on-screen; memorize it: where every second word is shown on-screen and you must type the complete verse; and master it: where you type the whole verse with no on-screen hints. Once mastered the verse is added to your review list. The frequency of review (where you must re-type the verse at memorize or master level) depends on how often you have practiced the verse - beginning with being prompted to review it again the next day, all the way up to not having to review for a year. Scripture Typer can also be used online at their website here. |
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So there you have it, 6 great apps/sites to help you kids gain an understanding of the Bible and develop spiritual disciplines!
Term 2 focus: Service
"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead...Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds." James 2:14-18
Acts of service are a key component of the Christian faith. Bear in mind, they are not the way we earn salvation, but are the way to prove that we have been saved. We prove to be Christ's disciples through loving one another (John 13:35). The Bible has quite a bit to say about this – serve one another in love (Gal 5:13); work for the good of all (Gal 6:10); serve with a good attitude – because you are really serving the Lord (Eph 6:7); and that even Jesus did not come to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45).
The thing is, humans naturally tend towards self-service and self-preservation; caring primarily about their own welfare and the welfare of their families. Children in particular tend towards selflessness and being blind to the needs of others (not all, of course, some children are very selfless). All of us must learn to deny ourselves in order to serve others; this is not easy – but remember we are not alone in this. As we draw closer to God He enables us to forget ourselves and love others. The Fruit of the Spirit are, after all, primarily relational – enabling us to love, be joyful and have peace in any circumstance, to patiently endure, to be kind to those we do not know or do not like, and so on.
So how do we train our children to become servant hearted? Well, first it helps if they have a relationship with God. It is possible to serve without this relationship, but it becomes a lot easier when we can rely on God’s love and empowerment to help us do difficult things for difficult people! Second, we need to provide them with opportunities to engage in service. Most of the time children enjoy the novelty of doing something kind for friends or strangers – especially if you can make a game out of it and especially if it gives them a chance to do something with you as their parent. Getting them to practice servant-hood at home is often a far harder task – as it is here that they experience the tedious repetition of daily chores, the irritation that can come from living with family, and feeling as though their time to relax and play has been interrupted unnecessarily. As I don’t have any kids myself, I’m reluctant to make any suggestions about how to engage your kids in serving at home. All I can suggest is that you continue to pray that God would grow them in this area; and that you encourage your children to tell God how they feel about helping at home and ask Him to help them.
When it comes to serving people outside of home, there are plenty of ideas around to try. Kids love serving with people – so do things together, rather than just setting them a task to do. Also, the more practical the better – if a child can see that they have improved something or have brightened someone’s day, it encourages them and shows them that serving others is exciting and worthwhile.
I recommend that you check out Pennies of Time. This mother has being doing a small service project every day with her children since they were 3 and 5 years old:
“When we do this, we call it a “Penny of Time” . . . the goal is to do something good for someone else that takes around 15-20 minutes. ..Planning for a something that will take only 15-20 minutes of our afternoon makes it doable in a busy schedule.
Frankly, out of all the experiences that I have had with my boys since they were born, I am quickly finding that it is the moments when I serve with them that I treasure the most. I predict that it is those same moments of helping others that will be my most favorite memories when they are grown men. Serving with your children is doable and will benefit your family and the people you help.
Besides planning for something that will take 15-20 minutes, there are four other elements that help us have a great time while helping others:
1. Find an act that interests my children
2. Plan the act with them
3. Have fun during the act (we don’t force it!)
4. Take the time to reflect on how we helped after the act is over”
She has a few other pages worth looking at too – one about empathy , and one on jump starting serving with your kids
Aside from Pennies of Time, there are plenty of ideas on the net for service projects to do with your kids. Check out our CrossFire Pinterest board for some more ideas.
The thing is, humans naturally tend towards self-service and self-preservation; caring primarily about their own welfare and the welfare of their families. Children in particular tend towards selflessness and being blind to the needs of others (not all, of course, some children are very selfless). All of us must learn to deny ourselves in order to serve others; this is not easy – but remember we are not alone in this. As we draw closer to God He enables us to forget ourselves and love others. The Fruit of the Spirit are, after all, primarily relational – enabling us to love, be joyful and have peace in any circumstance, to patiently endure, to be kind to those we do not know or do not like, and so on.
So how do we train our children to become servant hearted? Well, first it helps if they have a relationship with God. It is possible to serve without this relationship, but it becomes a lot easier when we can rely on God’s love and empowerment to help us do difficult things for difficult people! Second, we need to provide them with opportunities to engage in service. Most of the time children enjoy the novelty of doing something kind for friends or strangers – especially if you can make a game out of it and especially if it gives them a chance to do something with you as their parent. Getting them to practice servant-hood at home is often a far harder task – as it is here that they experience the tedious repetition of daily chores, the irritation that can come from living with family, and feeling as though their time to relax and play has been interrupted unnecessarily. As I don’t have any kids myself, I’m reluctant to make any suggestions about how to engage your kids in serving at home. All I can suggest is that you continue to pray that God would grow them in this area; and that you encourage your children to tell God how they feel about helping at home and ask Him to help them.
When it comes to serving people outside of home, there are plenty of ideas around to try. Kids love serving with people – so do things together, rather than just setting them a task to do. Also, the more practical the better – if a child can see that they have improved something or have brightened someone’s day, it encourages them and shows them that serving others is exciting and worthwhile.
I recommend that you check out Pennies of Time. This mother has being doing a small service project every day with her children since they were 3 and 5 years old:
“When we do this, we call it a “Penny of Time” . . . the goal is to do something good for someone else that takes around 15-20 minutes. ..Planning for a something that will take only 15-20 minutes of our afternoon makes it doable in a busy schedule.
Frankly, out of all the experiences that I have had with my boys since they were born, I am quickly finding that it is the moments when I serve with them that I treasure the most. I predict that it is those same moments of helping others that will be my most favorite memories when they are grown men. Serving with your children is doable and will benefit your family and the people you help.
Besides planning for something that will take 15-20 minutes, there are four other elements that help us have a great time while helping others:
1. Find an act that interests my children
2. Plan the act with them
3. Have fun during the act (we don’t force it!)
4. Take the time to reflect on how we helped after the act is over”
She has a few other pages worth looking at too – one about empathy , and one on jump starting serving with your kids
Aside from Pennies of Time, there are plenty of ideas on the net for service projects to do with your kids. Check out our CrossFire Pinterest board for some more ideas.
Term 1 focus: Worship
Worship is our response to God’s greatness. Many of us think of worship as singing to God, and that is certainly a big part of it. But it is far more than just singing. In fact worship could be summed up by two statements: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength; and love your neighbour as yourself. These are, of course, the two commands identified by Jesus as the most important instructions. But they easily fit as a definition of worship too. Loving God in all these ways (including by loving those whom He has created) is the response we make to the love He has given to us. You might say that singing fits under the heart and soul category, while dancing also involves our strength; giving generously in faith and obedience could be worship from the soul (mind-will-emotions) as well as worship through loving others. Worship is anything done with God’s greatness and faithful love in mind. Worship is loving God.
So how do we transmit the practice of genuine worship to kids? It can be hard to tell if our children are interested only in having fun dancing and singing around; or if they understand and mean the words they sing and the actions they make. How can we tell what is genuine worship and what is only ‘fun’. Not that there is anything wrong with ‘just fun’ – if we can enjoy watching joyful children delighting in life, surely God does too.
Well first up, we can’t tell and we may never be able to – think about the adult congregation – can you identify who is focussed on God’s goodness and who is focussed on lunch? It’s easy to look the part while letting your thoughts wander, and often we do it completely unintentionally. It’s the same with kids – they may not be focussed on God at all, or they may be in the midst of an awesome encounter and we’ll have no idea which it is. Now, there is no cause for judging anyone – kids or adults – for a lack of focus during ‘worship times’. Because worship is so much more than just the musical element sometimes other aspects will lead to a greater connection between us and God. Corporate singing is valuable, but we may find ourselves having more genuine worship encounters outside of the Sunday Service. It may be that our children would benefit from practicing various forms of worship – both musical and not. So let’s look at some ideas:
The Sunday Service:
It is awesome to see the children up the front dancing to God, but what if your child has no interest in singing or dancing? It is important to talk to them about why we sing and dance for a start – ensure they understand that this part of the service gives us the chance to talk to God; to thank Him and to tell Him how awesome He is. Think together about how your child shows love to you – he might be able to something similar for God. Maybe he draws you lots of pictures – he may not like to sing, but would prefer to draw God a picture during this time instead. Make it clear that he is drawing for God, not for his own entertainment. Or maybe he likes physical affection – he could close his eyes and picture himself giving God a big hug. Remind him that in church everyone is trying to tell God they love him, and if we distract others we are not just stopping them from singing a song, we are stopping them from spending time with God. Ask him how he would feel, if he was trying to have an important conversation with you and someone kept coming in and interrupting. This is how other people feel when we distract them during the worship songs in church. Make a point to talk to your child again after the service, to ask about how he felt during the worship part.
At Home:
Worship is our response to God’s greatness. Many of us think of worship as singing to God, and that is certainly a big part of it. But it is far more than just singing. In fact worship could be summed up by two statements: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength; and love your neighbour as yourself. These are, of course, the two commands identified by Jesus as the most important instructions. But they easily fit as a definition of worship too. Loving God in all these ways (including by loving those whom He has created) is the response we make to the love He has given to us. You might say that singing fits under the heart and soul category, while dancing also involves our strength; giving generously in faith and obedience could be worship from the soul (mind-will-emotions) as well as worship through loving others. Worship is anything done with God’s greatness and faithful love in mind. Worship is loving God.
So how do we transmit the practice of genuine worship to kids? It can be hard to tell if our children are interested only in having fun dancing and singing around; or if they understand and mean the words they sing and the actions they make. How can we tell what is genuine worship and what is only ‘fun’. Not that there is anything wrong with ‘just fun’ – if we can enjoy watching joyful children delighting in life, surely God does too.
Well first up, we can’t tell and we may never be able to – think about the adult congregation – can you identify who is focussed on God’s goodness and who is focussed on lunch? It’s easy to look the part while letting your thoughts wander, and often we do it completely unintentionally. It’s the same with kids – they may not be focussed on God at all, or they may be in the midst of an awesome encounter and we’ll have no idea which it is. Now, there is no cause for judging anyone – kids or adults – for a lack of focus during ‘worship times’. Because worship is so much more than just the musical element sometimes other aspects will lead to a greater connection between us and God. Corporate singing is valuable, but we may find ourselves having more genuine worship encounters outside of the Sunday Service. It may be that our children would benefit from practicing various forms of worship – both musical and not. So let’s look at some ideas:
The Sunday Service:
It is awesome to see the children up the front dancing to God, but what if your child has no interest in singing or dancing? It is important to talk to them about why we sing and dance for a start – ensure they understand that this part of the service gives us the chance to talk to God; to thank Him and to tell Him how awesome He is. Think together about how your child shows love to you – he might be able to something similar for God. Maybe he draws you lots of pictures – he may not like to sing, but would prefer to draw God a picture during this time instead. Make it clear that he is drawing for God, not for his own entertainment. Or maybe he likes physical affection – he could close his eyes and picture himself giving God a big hug. Remind him that in church everyone is trying to tell God they love him, and if we distract others we are not just stopping them from singing a song, we are stopping them from spending time with God. Ask him how he would feel, if he was trying to have an important conversation with you and someone kept coming in and interrupting. This is how other people feel when we distract them during the worship songs in church. Make a point to talk to your child again after the service, to ask about how he felt during the worship part.
At Home:
- Try to make a point of explaining tricky words in worship songs that you play
- Set aside time to try out different kinds of worship - singing, dancing, nature walks (where you praise God for the different things that He’s made as you see them), serving others (bake cookies together, to give away; pray for people who are in need; volunteer somewhere– talk about how Jesus said that whatever we did for people we do for him: Matt 25:31-45), Read a couple of psalms that focus on praising God then write a psalm together
- Encourage your child to put effort into their role in the worship team during the week that they are rostered on. Help them to write their pray, find special songs, make up actions that fit with the words or read the Bible and verse and figure out what it means to them. Remind them that helping others to worship is an important job – we want people to be able to focus on God and not on us.
The following articles are aimed at children’s ministry workers, but have key points that can be used by parents also:
One Thing that Unlocks Kids Worship kidzmatter.com/one-thing-that-unlocks-kids-worship/
Necessary Elements of Kids’ Worship
http://www.churchleaders.com/children/childrens-ministry-articles/244982-6-necessary-elements-kids-worship.html
What Worship Does for Kids
http://www.churchleaders.com/children/childrens-ministry-articles/172478-what-worship-does-for-your-kids.html
These two links led to downloadable worship resources for kids – the first is a family devotional and the second is a free kids worship music album
http://www.churchleaders.com/children/free-resources-childrens-ministry/150862-free-kids-devotional-worship.html
http://www.churchleaders.com/children/free-resources-childrens-ministry/146012-free-kids-worship-album-great-worship-songs-for-kids.html
Keys to Leading Preschoolers in Worship
http://www.churchleaders.com/children/childrens-ministry-how-tos/248697-3-keys-leading-preschoolers-worship.html
One Thing that Unlocks Kids Worship kidzmatter.com/one-thing-that-unlocks-kids-worship/
Necessary Elements of Kids’ Worship
http://www.churchleaders.com/children/childrens-ministry-articles/244982-6-necessary-elements-kids-worship.html
What Worship Does for Kids
http://www.churchleaders.com/children/childrens-ministry-articles/172478-what-worship-does-for-your-kids.html
These two links led to downloadable worship resources for kids – the first is a family devotional and the second is a free kids worship music album
http://www.churchleaders.com/children/free-resources-childrens-ministry/150862-free-kids-devotional-worship.html
http://www.churchleaders.com/children/free-resources-childrens-ministry/146012-free-kids-worship-album-great-worship-songs-for-kids.html
Keys to Leading Preschoolers in Worship
http://www.churchleaders.com/children/childrens-ministry-how-tos/248697-3-keys-leading-preschoolers-worship.html
Term 4 focus: The Bible
The Bible is the story of God and what He has done for us. It is one of the main ways in which He speaks to us and reveals Himself to us. So how can we ensure that our children develop a love for, and a reliance on Scripture?
1) Engage in Scripture with your children - let them see you interacting with the Bible - reading it, studying it, memorising it, and integrating it into your life. Most of discipleship is caught rather than taught. If the Bible isn't important to you, your children will not think it should be important for them. And don't just engage with the Bible in front of them - read, study and memorise it together. Ask them questions about what you have read together and how they think it could apply to their lives. Pick out verses to learn together. Pray scriptures over eachother.
2) Teach your children about why the Bible matters and why we can trust it. This article lists 10 reasons why we trust the Bible, as well as a suggested structure to help kids study Scripture. This article gives 8 tips for getting kids into the Bible (it's aimed at kids ministry leaders, but many would easily fit parents).
3) Don't miss the big picture. It can be easy to skip around the Bible, picking out the exciting stories, or those with easily transferable principles, but when we do this we can often miss out on what the Bible as a whole is saying. The Bible is an incredible book, written by around 40 authors over a period of about 1600 years - and it gives a consistant message throughout! When reading the Bible with your children talk about how that story fits into the big story of the Bible. This might be that it shows humans sinning and in need of saving (for example the stories in Judges); or perhaps that God keeps His promises (for example the Israelites entering the land that God had promised to give to Moses); or point out the link between the need for sacrifices in the Old Testament and Jesus's death in the New. If you need help with figuring out the big picture the What's in the Bible series is excellent for making those links and giving an overall view of the story of Scripture (Sarah has the full set, if you want to check them out).
4) Finally, ask your children about what they are learning in CrossFire, and make use of the take-home sheets to help them to remember and understand the story. Reviewing the story at home is invaluable, as questions and misunderstandings don't always surface during Sunday School. Going over the story helps to both clarify and embed it. The same goes for the CrossFire memory verses - the children are more likely to understand and remember their passages if they are encouraged to practice at home; especially if parents are willing to explain difficult words and concepts - which again can be difficult to address during CrossFire.
The Bible is the story of God and what He has done for us. It is one of the main ways in which He speaks to us and reveals Himself to us. So how can we ensure that our children develop a love for, and a reliance on Scripture?
1) Engage in Scripture with your children - let them see you interacting with the Bible - reading it, studying it, memorising it, and integrating it into your life. Most of discipleship is caught rather than taught. If the Bible isn't important to you, your children will not think it should be important for them. And don't just engage with the Bible in front of them - read, study and memorise it together. Ask them questions about what you have read together and how they think it could apply to their lives. Pick out verses to learn together. Pray scriptures over eachother.
2) Teach your children about why the Bible matters and why we can trust it. This article lists 10 reasons why we trust the Bible, as well as a suggested structure to help kids study Scripture. This article gives 8 tips for getting kids into the Bible (it's aimed at kids ministry leaders, but many would easily fit parents).
3) Don't miss the big picture. It can be easy to skip around the Bible, picking out the exciting stories, or those with easily transferable principles, but when we do this we can often miss out on what the Bible as a whole is saying. The Bible is an incredible book, written by around 40 authors over a period of about 1600 years - and it gives a consistant message throughout! When reading the Bible with your children talk about how that story fits into the big story of the Bible. This might be that it shows humans sinning and in need of saving (for example the stories in Judges); or perhaps that God keeps His promises (for example the Israelites entering the land that God had promised to give to Moses); or point out the link between the need for sacrifices in the Old Testament and Jesus's death in the New. If you need help with figuring out the big picture the What's in the Bible series is excellent for making those links and giving an overall view of the story of Scripture (Sarah has the full set, if you want to check them out).
4) Finally, ask your children about what they are learning in CrossFire, and make use of the take-home sheets to help them to remember and understand the story. Reviewing the story at home is invaluable, as questions and misunderstandings don't always surface during Sunday School. Going over the story helps to both clarify and embed it. The same goes for the CrossFire memory verses - the children are more likely to understand and remember their passages if they are encouraged to practice at home; especially if parents are willing to explain difficult words and concepts - which again can be difficult to address during CrossFire.
Term 3 focus: Prayer
Prayer is a vital part of the Christian faith. It is through prayer that we are able to connect with God, to bring our concerns to Him and learn to hear His voice and direction. Therefore it is important that our kids develop a lifestyle of prayer. So how can we develop and encourage meaningful prayer times with our families?
1) The children at CrossFire have been learning various prayer methods and tools, using the ideas provided in the prayer bags we gave out last year (If your child did not recieve one of the bags, let us know and we can get one for them). One of their weekly challenges (outlined on the Take Home Sheets) is to continue to use the 'Prayer Method of the Month' at home. Joining your children in using these different methods is a great way to add a new spark to prayer, as well as encouraging the children to focus on different parts of talking to God - going beyond "God gimmie"!
2) There are some great articles out there about teaching kids how to pray - this one is about helping preschoolers, and this one is for older kids. This link leads to a Parent Prayer Calender developed by another children's minstry - which gives daily suggestions for a month of praying for your kids.
3) Just keep praying. A huge part of developing faith in your children is to live it out in front of them. Do your children see you praying often? Can they tell that prayer is an important part of your relationship with God? Do you pray prayers that expect God to act in your situations, that give God praise, that show you repenting for sins? You are the biggest influence on how your children view prayer.
Prayer is a vital part of the Christian faith. It is through prayer that we are able to connect with God, to bring our concerns to Him and learn to hear His voice and direction. Therefore it is important that our kids develop a lifestyle of prayer. So how can we develop and encourage meaningful prayer times with our families?
1) The children at CrossFire have been learning various prayer methods and tools, using the ideas provided in the prayer bags we gave out last year (If your child did not recieve one of the bags, let us know and we can get one for them). One of their weekly challenges (outlined on the Take Home Sheets) is to continue to use the 'Prayer Method of the Month' at home. Joining your children in using these different methods is a great way to add a new spark to prayer, as well as encouraging the children to focus on different parts of talking to God - going beyond "God gimmie"!
2) There are some great articles out there about teaching kids how to pray - this one is about helping preschoolers, and this one is for older kids. This link leads to a Parent Prayer Calender developed by another children's minstry - which gives daily suggestions for a month of praying for your kids.
3) Just keep praying. A huge part of developing faith in your children is to live it out in front of them. Do your children see you praying often? Can they tell that prayer is an important part of your relationship with God? Do you pray prayers that expect God to act in your situations, that give God praise, that show you repenting for sins? You are the biggest influence on how your children view prayer.