Family devotions revolve around the core milestones and provide a foundation for faith formation in the home. It is best to have family devotions as a regular and routine part of the family’s week. We provide a variety of ways to observe family devotions that vary slightly and give families the flexibility they need in busy schedules.
Devotion Plans
We suggest three different basic devotions. In addition, a general commemoration of milestones is provided to remember special events. Click on the title of each to download a liturgy guide.
- Basic Family Devotions offers a complete devotion that uses the weekly resource Taking Faith Home. This resource is provided in the Sunday Bulletin and can be downloaded through the link in the Email Chimes. It walks through each of the four key faith practices (Caring Conversations, Scripture reading, Service, and Rituals & Traditions). It is designed to be used once or twice a week.
- Short Family Devotions offers a shorter, but more frequent format. It devides the key faith practices up and observes one or two at a time. As a result, this plan is designed to be used three or four times in a week.
- Milestone Devotions provides a simple and flexible plan that centers around the core milestones. Once learned, this devotion is flexible enough to be used while families are eating, driving, or waiting for something else.
- Milestone Commemorations is a special devotion that marks a milestone. It is designed to be a special devotion during the week (or can supplant one of the regular ones). Many of these may have special devotional resources available from the church.
Suggested Family Devotions models
Families are different and have different schedules. It can often be difficult to incorporate devotions into family schedules. Having a routine is helpful, but don’t forget to be flexible. Here are three models that families can adapt to their own needs.
- Busy Families
- Pick a time to do the Basic Family Devotions once a week.
- If doing it early in the week (Sunday evening through Wednesday), use the the Taking Faith Home sheet provided in the Sunday worship bulletin or the like in the previous weeks Chimes Email. This will reinforce what was heard on Sunday in worship.
- If doing it later in the week (Thursday through Saturday) download the Taking Faith Home sheet from the current week’s Chimes Email. This will help prepare the family for what is heard in worship on the comming Sunday.
- Use the milestones devotion to do a quick devotion on one or more days during the week. Once learned, this devotion is simple enough to do in the car while traveling to school functions.
- Set aside a special time to mark any milestone moments that may be taking place in the family.
- Pick a time to do the Basic Family Devotions once a week.
- Enthusiastic Families
- Use the Short Family Devotions on three separate days during the week, spreading out the activities of the Basic Family Devotions in a shorter, but more frequent, manner.
- Choose to use the Taking Faith Home sheet from the comming or previous week (as suggested above)
- Choose to use the Taking Faith Home sheet from the previous week for the first half and then switch to prepare for the comming Sunday.
- Use the milestones devotion on other days.
- Set aside a special time to mark any milestone moments.
- Use the Short Family Devotions on three separate days during the week, spreading out the activities of the Basic Family Devotions in a shorter, but more frequent, manner.
- Families who like it simple
- Use the milestones devotion as often during the week as possible
- set aside a special time to mark any milestone moments with a longer devotion.
Individuals & Extended Family
Families come in all shapes and sizes, from one to many. Some families have children at home and others are all adults. Families may be spread across many locations or all live in one household. Here are some thoughts about devotions for individuals, extended family, and split households.
- Families and households of one. Having a conversation with yourself can be hard. Here are some thoughts and resources for individuals.
- Use a journal as a conversation partner. Write out your thoughts as if you were talking to someone else. As you grow comfortable with this, you may wish to add a time for reading past thoughts into your devotions.
- Talk to yourself (or God). It’s ok to talk out loud when your by yourself. It may be helpful to imagine God sitting in a chair across from you. Tell God your milestone experiences. Share your thoughts.
- Invite a trustred friend or two to join you in devotions. Having a trusted faith group can be a wonderful thing. Building a group that knows each other can allow for honest and authentic conversation.
- Find ways to join in with extended family. If your family members live too far away, try ZOOM, FaceTime, or any of the other ways to be present with them virtually. Devotions can be a meaningful way to stay connected with children, grandchildren, friends, and others who live far way.
- Extended Families. Families change over time. Children grow up. New members join the family through marriage. Sometimes there is a split in the family. These events may make it hard to do family devotions. Here are some thoughts.
- Grandparents. Devotions may be an opportunity to include additional family members. Perhaps you invite extended family members to join the family once a week for devotions. If they live to far away, try a video chat like Facetime or ZOOM.
- College-age family members. Children grow up and move on. You want to respect their personhood and choices by not forcing something on them, but you can invite them to be a part of devotions when ever they come home or by usinging a video chat.
- Grandchildren. You can model family devotions with your grandchildren by doing them whenever they come to visit. Additionally, you may wish to try a video chat to do devotions if they are far away. Remember to respect the wishes of the parents as you offer this. Some families may not be comfortable doing devotions. That’s ok.
- Split families. Divorice or other splits in the family can be very hard to navigate. Trying to maintain a devotion routine that provides time for family members to share can be very helpful to everyone. Every split is different and God will lead you through it. Here are a few possible ideas.
- Continue family devotions with children when they are with you. You may need to adapt the schedule, but the routine will be incredably helpful for children who are learning a “new normal”.
- Gift a set of core milestones and devotion resources to the other household. This may encourage the other household.
- Send a milestone with the children when they are away from you. Remind them that every time they see or feel the milestone, it means you love them and are praying for them.