Families That Worship Together

Parent, God has an amazing privilege waiting for you and your family. He has called and wired you to be the primary discipler of your kids.

While I believe that families regularly worshiping in a local church is vital for the health of every member of the family, I also believe that God calls parents to disciple their kids during the week. Family worship is a great tool to get this process started.

Before we get to the basic elements of family worship, we need to set the stage. First, Scripture, in places like Deut. 6:4-9, Psalm 78:1-8, and Eph. 6:4 provide the imperative and method for parents to be the primary disciplers of their kids. Though we praise God for healthy next-gen discipleship resources like Christian schools, children’s ministry, and youth ministry, the Bible never prescribes believing parents to abdicate their role as primary disciple-makers. Second, parents cannot pass on what they don’t have. One of the most powerful things you can do for your kids is love Jesus with everything you are. Third, discipleship best occurs in the context of a relationship. Do you have a warm, safe, and trusting relationship with your kids? Is your home a refuge for them? Before a set-aside time of family worship can effectively take root, attention needs to be given to growing the bond with your kids.

Now, I would love to share the basic elements of family worship. Family worship typically involves at least three elements: reading the Bible, praying, and singing. Consider gathering your family together at least once a week to walk through these steps:

Read the Bible together. You may feel pressure to be a trained theologian in order to open God’s word with your family. However, God will use you, a Christian parent, to disciple your kids regardless of your background or training. Simply start by reading (not preaching) a few verses with your family. Over time you will be shocked by how much ground you can cover.
Sing together. This may seem like a stretch but don’t throw in the towel too soon. Simply pick a worship song that you’d like your kids to know, pull up YouTube, or grab an instrument and sing together. You do not have to be a musician to walk through this step.
Pray together. Has your spouse ever heard you pray out loud? What about your kids? Praying for and with your family is powerful for many reasons. It shows your kids how to pray. It also provides an opportunity for them to hear you pray for them!

These three steps may seem scary or unrealistic for you. However, God has called us to it as parents. Remember, you will never perfectly adhere to a family worship schedule. However, when good accountability is established, this can become a great tool to help center your home around the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

Frank Trimble
Interim Executive Director
Family Time Training (famtime.com)
frank@famtime.com