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Thoughts on Family Focused Faith (Part 6)
Posted by John Stickley in Bible & Theology
As I continue this series on family focused faith, I want to address an obvious topic of importance to raising faith-filled kids… Biblical instruction in the home.
As usual, we start with a quote from Voddie Baucham Jr.’s book, “Family Driven Faith”.
Just a few generations ago a man was considered spiritually responsible if he led his family before the throne of God in prayer, read and taught the Scriptures at home, and led family devotions (among other things). Today parents are considered responsible if they find the church with the best-staffed nursery and the most up-to-date youth ministry. In fact, there is a rule in church growth circles known as the 3 P’s: If you want to grow your church, concentrate on parking, preaching, and preschool. I am not suggesting that previous generations accomplished their parenting roles perfectly. On the contrary, had they done their job we wouldn’t be in the mess we are now. However, the paradigm seems to have shifted away from parental responsibility, and the standard has been lowered considerably.
Voddie’s point, whether completely on target with his generalisms or not (I suppose if you want to debate that issue, feel free), is that if we desire to raise our children in the faith, we can’t abdicate that responsibility to others. We have to teach the Word at home to our kids.
It’s not a controversial topic by any means, but if I’d venture a guess, it’s one that many Christian parents struggle with.
What I want to do today is simply to ask you share a bit:
– How do you go about teaching the Word to your kids at home?
– What books or other resources do you use to provide guidance for your teachings?
– What does your daily routine of family Bible time look like?
– How has you approached things differently depending on the age of your kids?
– Anything else that might be helpful to other families?
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Thanks John. You’ve asked about the procedures we use to disciple our kids. But Baucham’s quote addresses a bigger issue: the legitimacy of the joint-venture model, where the church “helps” the parents in their biblical role. I believe the church should not have children’s programs where the children drop off their kids for some one else to teach.
First, I think it is unbiblical. I’ve found many passages about bring up children in the Lord, it every time the Bible say it is to be done specifically by the parents. The only exceptions are orphans. (and maybe Titus 2 where older women to younger women, but I think that is probably young women learning godly womanhood from the church).
Second, over the long haul, if someone else is willing do to the job, men will gradually say “okay.” Sometime I think men decide to lead their family in family worship but find little room. With all the kids programs who’ve already dictated the time, subject and Bible verses, what’s left? It’s like he’s a Sooner who rushed out to claim his land only to realize someone (the church) has beaten him to it (his children).
Third, parents are so busy. Between the multiple church activities and children’s extracurricular activities, who has time? Church activities are my biggest obstacle in discipling my family. For others, it is soccer or band or whatever. Did you know that none of these things are required (except for church fellowship of course, but even that should does not have to get in the way of family discipleship).
John and fellow men of Jesus, please stop all the children’s programs (except for orphans)! Yes, I know; many people benefit from them. But, if we return to the biblical model, and actually give the man “permission” and in fact the requirement to disciple his family, we’ll be much better off in the long run.
BTW, if you want to excite men, take away Sunday school and other programs and say: “It’s your job!” You’ll see excited men. Men were born to led. I’m afraid Christ’s beloved bride has gotten in the way of that.
If we could do the joint-venture model, I’d be up for it. But the reality is that most men will not rise to the occasion until everything is dependent upon them. Furthermore, there just is not enough time in the day for the church and the parents to raise the kids in the Lord. And most importantly, we should stick to the Bible’s direction on this.
Okay John, to your question about procedure. It’s easy!
- Dad reads the Bible passage for his morning devotion.
- Right after dinner, kids clear the table and everyone goes to the living room.
- Sing 1 Song (get the hymn books with CDs from homediscipleship.org)
- Recite memory verses
- Dad piques the interest of the children before the reading by asking, “Let’s count how many times the angel of the Lord came to Joseph” For me, I don’t use a picture Bible because the kids would be in an out of their seats looking for the pictures.
BTW, you can train you kids to sit still (even the young ones). And since you’ll be practicing every night, you’ll be able to keep them with you in church, like the Bible says in Ps 22:27-31 and Duet 31:12.
Lead men lead! Encourage church encourage! (and please don’t do it for them)
Shalom,
Ray
Sorry about all the misspellings in the above post. I have a paper due at midnight and I’m trying to write fast.
This nation has no future unless fathers start discipling their children. God help us.
John, thanks for your diligent ministry and bringing Dr Baucham’s book to us. I hope I didn’t hi-jack your entry.
Shalom,
Ray
Please allow me to comment about my comment. (I’m having a conversation with myself).
For those out there who have poured their hearts and souls into discipling children through Sunday School, praise be to God and thanks be to those men and women.
My kids are in AWANAs, which is a very good program. The way AWANAs is built, at least one parent has to disciple their child at home. I only pray that fathers, and not just mothers are doing that, because the father is specifically commanded to (Eph 6:4).
I guess I’ll modify and soften my tone a little and just say the church’s primary job in raising children is to equip and encourage the parents.
Shalom,
Ray
My wife homeschools our 4 and 5 year old daughters and has a Bible story each day.
I read to them every night, mostly out of the Bible, but sometimes out of Bible Story Books.
Our 2 year old son is also included in the nighttime routine.
We read out of a children’s Bible translation mostly and it has some built-in questions. It has readings broken up into “lesson-size” passages and has prayer suggestions and occasionaly questions in it.
One of our most enjoyable “curve-ball” events is when we go to the Bible Storying cloth (used my missionaries around the world) hanging on the wall near the kids’ rooms. I normally take my grown-up HCSB and just read the story they pick off the wall. (I pick the Bible reading most nights, but they get to pick when we use the storying cloth.)
We have multiple maps and globes in our house, so we normally let the 2, 4, and 5 year olds each pick a country and pray for missionaries and lost peoples in that country.
We sing three or four songs normally. We have some additional “God-centered” verses added to some traditional songs. (I’ll post a couple in a moment.)
Then I bless the kids. Each child has a special verse that I have selected for them. It relates to their name which we have given to each of our children as an intentional blessing.
For Zoe Abigail–Zoe is life in Greek: John 3:16-17 and I tell her that she is my joy (Abigail is father’s joy in Hebrew)
For Karis Naomi–Karis is grace in Greek: Ephesian 2:8-10 and I tell her that she is my precious one (Naomi is precious or pleasant in Hebrew)
For Hudson Taylor–He is named after the famous missionary to China and I tell him the great missional verses Ps 67:1-3. THen I tell him that he is my son and I love him and that he is my legacy. (This always makes me do some self-reflection!)
Sophia Ruth is 14 weeks old and she is not in the routine yet, but we have a verse for her (on the wisdom [sophia] of God) and her blessing is that she is my little friend (Ruth is friend in Hebrew).
Occasionally when we are running late or in a strange mood, we let the kids bless each other. They have made up blessings for each other that are way too cute!
It’s a tongue twister but I highly recommend it:
Jesus loves the unreached children,
all the unreached children of the world,
Buddhist, Muslims, Hindus,
Unreligious, Tribal, too,
Jesus loves the unreached children of the world.
Another:
The B-I-B-L-E,
Tell ALL of God’s story:
to reach the nations with His love,
the B-I-B-L-E.
And Hudson normally yells “Bible!” at the end.
We make up verses to “God is so good” that have to do with the day or what we see outside or in the house.
God made the sky,
God made the sun,
God made the trees,
He’s so good to me.
God gave us Zoe,
God gave us Karis,
God gave us Hudson,
He so good to me.
I hope these ideas help you point those little arrows of yours in the God-ward direction!
Shane