God’s plan is for you to be the primary spiritual nurturers of your child’s faith.
This resource is designed to allow your family to share time in God’s Word
before your child attends youth group. HomeFront Weekly is meant to inspire
you toward a deeper personal relationship with Jesus Christ, equip you to be the
primary person to present these biblical concepts to your child, and support you as
you connect and grow alongside your son or daughter.
CONNECT AS A FAMILY: SHARE & ASK
Faith can flourish in the context of healthy and intentional relationships. Start by sharing your life and
then asking your child about his. Without judgment, model honesty and let him know you want to hear
about his life.
Share: While Christmas is typically thought of as a joyful time full of family fun and
marked by words like love, peace, and joy, it can easily be a time of anxiety, sadness, or
even fear. Things like financial stress, sickness, divorce, family conflict, or death can
leave big holes in our happy holidays. Some people just put on a happy face and a
Christmas sweater and grind through it. Others try to escape all together. However, the
Bible says that true fellowship comes from living in the light. This week take some time
to consider where your Christmas holes are. After praying through these, share them with
your family and making them a matter of prayer together. Don’t dwell on the negative or
speak ill of anyone but rather focus on the peace that Jesus brings and the hope we have
in Him.
Ask: Once you’ve led the way for authentic sharing, ask your children about the holes
there may be in their Christmas season. You might be surprised at what you hear and how
they have processed the struggles in their lives. Be sure to take time to truly listen to both
their words and their hearts. Give them the freedom to express their feelings and own
them. Don’t try to fix things, just listen and affirm their feelings. When they’ve shared
their holes, take time together to pray for them and ask God to grant them and your
family peace this Christmas.
CONNECT WITH YOUR CHILD’S LEADER
In this section, we’ll provide you with creative ways to inspire, equip, and support the leader who is
intentionally pouring into your child, guiding him or her to a closer relationship with Jesus. Your child’s
leader should be leading with your encouragement and input.
Each day this week we’re going to pray one letter of the acronym PRAYERS for the
leader in your child’s life. Feel free to call him or her to ask for their requests.
Power of the Holy Spirit to guide and guard them.
Relationships in their lives: family, work, friends and ministry.
Activities they engage in: home, work, leisure, volunteer, etc.
Yield to God’s Word in obedience.
Evangelism opportunities to share their faith in verbal and tangible ways.
Requests they may have (Call, tell them you’re praying, and ask!).
Strength in physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
READING GOD’S WORD TOGETHER
During this series, we challenge your family to commit Isaiah 9:6–7 to memory. Consider how your family
will celebrate learning this passage together.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be on his
shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and
forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6–7)
WHERE WE’RE HEADED NEXT TIME
PEACE: The Shepherds and You, Luke 2:8–20
Next week we’re going to explore the shepherds’ experience in the Christmas story. And
angel visited them in the middle of the night and they were dreadfully afraid. But the first
words from the angel were “do not be afraid.” While fear would have normally been the
proper response to an angel from God, this circumstance was different because what they
had to say was “good news.” God had sent a Savior into the world and they got to have
front-row seats, backstage passes, a premier showing for one of the greatest moments in
human history—the moment when God would step into our world and offer forgiveness
and peace to all of creation.
MIDDLE SCHOOLERS are not unfamiliar with fear. Fear often comes from the
unknown and there’s a lot of unknown in middle school. There are new responsibilities,
new rules for social interactions, new temptations, new risks, upperclassmen, and a lot of
uncomfortable changes. The one thing middle schoolers need and crave is stability—a
safe place to be themselves and not worry about what others think, how they might fail,
or what they’re missing. How are you creating those safe places for your son or
daughter—especially this Christmas?
BLESSING
A blessing can be a spoken prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words of encouragement and
guidance over your child. For more information about blessing your child, see the Blessing section in
HomeFront Magazine: A Spiritual Parenting Resource (www.HomeFrontMag.com).
(Child’s name), may God fill you with His Peace. May His peace, which transcends all
understanding, guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. May His peace grant you
confidence to be and do all that He has planned for you. (Adapted from Philippians 4:7.)