FAMILY WORSHIP IDEAS

By Dustin Serns

Did you know?

  • The ValueGenesis Research Study (13,000 young people studied over a couple decades) discovered that the #1 factor in the family to help young people grow up loving Jesus and loving church was “Interesting Family Worship.” Ironically, within the top 5 factors was also “Family Worship” …maybe your experience of family worship has been boring. Nonetheless, statistically it's effective.

But, there's no rule that says you have to do it the same boring way. So, let's do it better! As you begin this practice of family worship in your home, it will become the highlight of your day and give joyful memories you will cherish forever.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Creative Ideas for Family Worship to Help you Get Started:

  1. Take turns having short prayers

  2. Sing songs about Jesus

  3. Draw a Bible story outside with chalk

  4. Build or act out a Bible story with toys

  5. Read a passage from the Bible and talk about it

  6. Read from an illustrated Bible story book

  7. Bible Freeze Tag: say a Bible verse from memory before you can get “unfrozen”

  8. Pray for someone you know who doesn’t know Jesus yet

  9. Plan an act of kindness for one of your neighbors

  10. Take turns sharing what you are thankful for

  11. Play Bible Trivia: Find questions online or come up with your own

  12. Bible Charades: Act out Bible stories and guess the story

  13. Memorize a Bible verse

  14. Share a personal story of how God has worked in your life

  15. Have your kids take turns leading out in family worship

  16. Draw a picture of a Bible story

  17. Share something you love about each of your family members

  18. Find an object outside and explain how it reminds or teaches you about God

  19. Read a devotional book

  20. Share how you have seen God at work recently

  21. Share praises and prayer requests

  22. Tell a story of when you needed to forgive someone and ask any family members for forgiveness when you have been impatient or wronged them in any way

  23. Take turns sharing about what you are excited about doing in Heaven

  24. Bible Story puppet show

  25. Read the chapter in the Bible where your memory verse is found

  26. Have family worship in a different place like under a fort of blankets, on your trampoline, or outside


Family Worship Tips:

 

  • Choose a regular time and place that works for your family (i.e. 8:00am at the Breakfast Table, 7:00pm in the Living Room, Just before bedtime in the bedroom, etc.)

  • Start with as many family members as are willing (Do it by yourself in the beginning if you have to)

  • Use any ideas above or come up with your own. Be sure to include some element from the Bible and a Prayer.

  • Take turns having different family members lead out (i.e. Choose what you will do, who does what, what to read, etc.)

 

Dustin Serns is as pastor of LifeBridge Chruch in University Place in the Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. He is passionate about growing leaders and church planting. He is married and has two children.