Family Devotion Ideas
November 18, 2008 at 4:33 pm 3 comments
This is by no means an all inclusive list, but here are a few ideas and resources for family devotion and worship times:
A book for Parent/Teen Devotions: Fuel: 10-Minute Devotions to Ignite the Faith of Parents & Teens
Creative ideas for Parent/Teen Devotions: Teen-Proof Devotions
A guide to help parents facilitate discussion with teens about their media choices (I am ordering these and will have them available soon): How to Use Your Head to Guard Your Heart: A 3(D) Guide To Making Responsible Media Choices
Take the John Newton Challenge
Probably one of my favorite ideas for having devotional times with teens is to throw out a current news topic or controversial theme (i.e. Proposition 8 in California) and use that to start a discussion. I would warn parents to make sure that teens know their thoughts and comments are going to be heard and valued. Teens need to know that they are “safe” before they truly open up. Make sure the discussion ultimately points towards understanding what the Bible says about the issue. Sometimes the Bible doesn’t directly speak to an issue…do your best to discover what biblical principles apply. This type of discussion provides an avenue for open conversation with your teen, provides an opportunity for you to get to get a glimpse into the worldview of your teen, and provides a time of digging into scripture together with your teen.
What other ideas have you used for your family devotion times?
Entry filed under: Family Ministry, Parenting. Tags: Family Ministry, Parenting.
1. Rick Lawless | November 18, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Thank you for all that you do for our church and our youth. May God give you wisdom and peace as you continue to lead the complexities of youth in its ever-changing enviornment. love ya man
2. Sharon | November 19, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Sam, thanks for taking the time to share some family devotional ideas. I’m anxious to get to Mardel’s and see if I can find that Fuel devotion book. Also, I’m really excited about the John Newton Challenge. I downloaded the 52 week reading plan, and I hope our family can try to follow that in the coming year. Thanks again!
3. Amber | November 22, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Hey Sam,
It’s my first time browsing through this site…it’s AWESOME.
The thoughts and links you shared are paving the way for some potentially wonderful, Biblical world view parenting to take place. Common sense has told us that what we have been doing is not working…and now we have the data to back that up. Thank you for going beyond interpreting the data to put another tool in parent’s hands that will get us closer to the goal of raising disciples.
Thankful for you and trusting in Him,
Amber