Living out faith in
the home –
Why, When and
How?
How can we encourage, support and equip
families to live out faith in the home?
Key points before they start;
Get Started; It is never too late to start exploring, discussing and
living out faith in the home.
Flexibility; There is no set or right way to live out faith in the home.
Flexibility is a key aspect. What works for one family will not be right
for another. It is important to work out what works best.
Build in; It does not necessarily require families to add pressure to
their already busy lives by creating numerous additional hours every
week. It is possible to build faith into those everyday activities they
already do.
Learn Together; Adults do not have to know all the answers. It is more about being
on a journey together as a family. People may all be at different stages but enjoy the
opportunity to explore, discuss and enjoy the journey by learning about faith
together.
No judgement! It is not about measuring levels of faith and does not involve
success and failure. Faith is an ongoing learning experience throughout life.
Include others; Faith in the home does not necessarily restrict it to those living
under the same roof but can also include the extended family, friends and the wider
church. For those in a church setting, inviting those who are single, divorced and
widowed offers a richness and offers important relationships to be established. This
may be even more beneficial if a family does not live near to or see their relatives.
Have fun! Whatever their preference and learning styles, one of the key aspects is
enjoyment! It may take a while but it is worth taking the time to find out what
works best for a family taking into consideration age, time and budget available and
being willing to be flexible and adapt as the seasons of family life change.
Getting started;
Take into account the following factors when offering support and resources to
families;
Appropriate language and content when selecting Bible stories.
Existing experience/knowledge of faith may affect how families choose to engage.
Time and financial constraints
For some families there may be limitations on their time and budget available.
Exploring faith in the existing patterns and routines of family life is important to
make it feel achievable.
Younger children-walk to school can open up conversations about creation.
Older children talking about relationships if issue are raised at school. How does that
connect with faith and what can we learn from the Bible about relationships with
others?
For those with teenagers, the ‘taxi service’ facility offered by parents/carers can
provide a valuable time for talking about life issues and the connection with faith.
Appropriate length of time for attention spans.
Consider different means of exploring faith that will keep the attention.
Ages of children in the family
Make sure the Bible stories or the activities offered are suitable for the ages of the
children. Be open to discussing faith with children of all ages. Start from where they
are at.
Learning styles of family members
Some may prefer a study based approach, some may prefer an activity or discussion
based. Varying the styles will meet these needs and offer a ‘freshness’ of approach
particularly as ages and stages alter.
A selection of ideas that can be used in the home;
Integrating faith elements into daily life –praying before meals or bed, reading a
Bible story before bed or after a family meal.
Using craft, cookery or construction to link into the theme of the Bible story/faith
concept.
Watching films by way of opening up discussion. May be particularly appropriate for
families who have not been familiar with talking about faith together
or with older children who are no longer around for family meals.
Faith/church needs to connect with daily life!
How does faith work out in daily life and its challenges;
Early years – sleep!
Toddler tantrums
Education – applying for schools, coursework/exam
pressures
Teenage years
Peer group relationships – ‘all my friends are’…
Relationships
Finance – loss of jobs
Divorce
Death
Finding God in the everyday
Keep in touch with a child or young person’s world – read
comics/magazines, watch TV programmes – who/what has
influence on them.
TV not always bad - soaps/films often touch on life
issues-they open up a door of conversation.
Connect with times and seasons – e.g. loom bands. During
the craze , creative ways to pray using loom bands became
popular. Be open to creativity as situations arise.
Creating Family Time – uninterrupted time set aside – fun
based. Meal, fun activity, film - include a faith element.
Teenagers – the ‘taxi’ service –no eye contact –easier for
talking. Take the moment-when the door of conversation is
open – step in – whatever the time!
Where can the Bible give insight into daily issues?
Example; relationships - look at David, Saul and Jonathon
Family Film Night – making faith fun!
Pop some popcorn, grab your favourite snacks, enjoy a film together
that helps explore faith.
Younger children;
UP – relationships, young/old, commitment, sacrifice,
dreams/reaching potential.
Ice Age 1,2 – community, relationships, fear, reaching potential.
http://www.faithinhomes.org.uk/7233
Monsters University-friendships, belonging, cheating, outcomes.
Frozen - relationships, fear, being honest, what love really is.
http://www.faithinhomes.org.uk/7367
Prince of Egypt
Older children
Narnia – Sacrifice, Easter
Skyfall – power of technology, betrayal in relationships.
The Matrix-The Matrix Reloaded
Hunger Games –sacrifice, Easter – may need to be watched
first.
What is appropriate for what age?
Rather than providing answers, help families to gain the
skills/confidence to make their own judgement.
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/reviews
US website that aims to improve the lives of children and
families by providing information about the world of
media and technology. It provides information, reviews
and guidance so that families with children of all ages
from birth to17 years can have a choice about the media
they engage with.
www.faithinhomes.org.uk