NURTURING FAITH – CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
VISION:
The task of the church is to nurture faith in the lives of individuals, households, congregations and communities.
- The primary focus of the particular emphasis will be how the family is nurtured for ministry with children from birth to Age 10.
- The aim is to refocus our ministry in a way that parents, care givers, and/or whoever is that primary home nurturer sees his/her role as THE teacher/sharer of the faith.
We have primarily put our focus on Sunday Church School – Bring your children to us and we will educate. Parents are seen, and see themselves, as chauffeurs and time managers. That needs to change and these are some of the reasons to consider:
a. Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 everything we do – everywhere we are – daily life – knowing the faith so well that it permeates all we do.
b. Return to the premise that Christianity is first and foremost a lay movement supported by the trained and committed leadership of clergy.
c. Faith is formed through personal, trusted relationships. Research shows that parents are the number one influence in the faith life of children.
d. Households, not the church, are the backbone of faith nurture.
e. Congregations are to equip the household to do their ministry and to provide supports for that ministry.
f. Parents have not been expected to do this ministry, parents have not been equipped to do this, parents are afraid, parents are often embarrassed, parents may feel they do not know enough……
g. The church continues to have SCS, VCS, Family nights, etc. but these become resources TO the family – not substitutes.
h. Home is the domestic church. Home is the living church.
WHAT IS FAMILY:
“Any network of two or more people linked over time emotionally and usually biologically and legally, sharing such things as home, spiritual and material resources, interpersonal care giving, memory, common agenda and aspirations.”
A New Day for Family Ministry, Richard P. Olson and Joe H. Leonard, Jr. – New York: The Alban Institute, 1996 p. 25-26.
Martin Luther – “Most certainly father and mother are apostles, bishops, and priests to their children, for it is they who make them acquainted with the gospel. In short, there is no greater or nobler authority on earth than that of parents over their children, for this authority if both spiritual and temporal.” Luther’s Works, Vol. 45, The Estate of Marriage, 1522. P. 48
It is not a question of whether or not parents influence children in their faith formation. That is a given. The question is how that influence will take place and what messages, what beliefs, what values are conveyed to children and youth. This is privilege and responsibility.
FOUR KEYS FOR FAMILY MINISTRY SUPPORTED BY THE CHURCH:
1) Caring Conversations
a. Personal
b. Intentional/ specific conversation re. Christian Faith (not just, “they will know we are Christians by our love’)
c. The Holy Ground of their lives....
d. Silence
e. Time-Ecclesiastes 3; Ephesians 1:10; Luke 12:21
f. A Spiritual Agenda
2) Family Devotional Life
a. Practice being in the presence of God
b. Learn/ experience the language of prayer and faith
c. Attitude of thankfulness
3) Family Service
a. Service on behalf of one’s neighbor is the calling of all who follow Jesus Christ
b. Service that is done as a family establishes this as a value of the family. Family service projects have a life-long impact on children.
c. Service creates an emotional bond of those working together.
d. Talking about the service, refection, articulating learning give the service meaning and vitality.
e. We act our way into believing. Faith is caught more that taught.
4) Family Rituals and Traditions
a. Rituals and Traditions are already apart of everything we do from the way we get up, greet one another, share meals, celebrate birthdays, etc.
b. How do we more consciously name and identify what we are doing?
c. How do we intentionally name the God moments and action in our life?
d. Joshua 4:6-7....When your children ask, “ What do these stones mean to you? How will our families be prepared to answer?