Family Worship Idea | Week in Review

By: Amanda Lay

In this simple activity, families take time to stop and evaluate how the week has gone and what we can do different in the week to come. By parents participating, they get to give their kids an idea of what self evaluation can look like. It also provides a safe environment to be vulnerable and admit failures or short comings. Learning to admit that we are not enough on our own can lead to understanding why we need a savior! 

All you need is: 

✏️ A large poster board or piece of butcher paper

✏️ Something to write with

Here’s what to do: 

✏️ Create a simple graph with a space for the names of all the people in your family and 3 columns. At the top of each column draw a happy face, sad face and an upside down happy face. 

✏️ Under the column with the happy face list something that you did well this week. 

✏️ Under the column with the sad face list something that you didn’t do well this week. (Only that person can list their own weaknesses)

✏️ Under the column with the upside down happy face list something that you will do differently next week. 

*This is a SELF evaluation, don’t allow others to speak for others!!

🙏🏼 Pray for one another as a family!

Tomb Words

By: Samantha Szentmartoni

As my children grew to be old enough to understand the story of Easter, they also became old enough to expect an Easter basket. I struggled to make the Sunday morning Easter basket more rooted in the celebration of what Jesus did for us, instead of what cool things they might get. A moment of inspiration led to a new family tradition to help tie the two together. 

Saturday night, after another reading of our Easter picture book of age appropriate images of crucifixion, burial and resurrection, I pulled out their empty baskets. We talked about the sins in our life that separated us from God, like ugly words or hitting our sister or not obeying Mama’s directions. We wrote the sins down on slips of paper and placed them in the empty baskets, burying them in the grass. I reminded them that Jesus took our sins to the cross and buried them in the tomb. When we came back in the morning, the tomb would be emptied of the sin in our life and instead filled with good things, like sweetness of Jesus living in our hearts. After bedtime, I made the switch. 

They excitedly ran out the next morning to discover the dead things gone- and replaced with sweet things. I talked about the BIG switch Jesus made in my own heart. We prayed to thank Jesus for taking away the dead things at the cross and giving our hearts life. 

After doing this, my four year started referring to ugly words as “Tomb words.” I’m thankful for the reminder about not only what our sin did, but also where Jesus left it. It allows for continual grace-centered sin discussions throughout the year, and not just at Easter. 

The tomb is empty. He is risen. My sin is gone. 

Easter | Family Worship Idea

What a great time to start talking with our kids about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus! Honestly, it’s a lot for them to process. They will more than likely have a lot of questions and need to talk through it repeatedly. 

Truths to remember about family worship: 

💥 Keep it Simple. 

💥 You are your child’s first teacher. 

💥 Let them see you living what you say you believe! 

Upcoming important dates to celebrate with your families are Palm Sunday (4/10/22) and Resurrection Day (Easter, 4/17/22). 

• Choose a time for your family that is typically low key. 

• Have your kids pick a couple of their favorite songs that you can sing together or look up on YouTube. I’ve shared the link to one of my favorite Easter songs below. 

• Follow up with reading parts of the Easter story together from your Bible. It’s important for your kids to see you reading from the Bible even if you need to simplify when you are done reading. 

You can find The Triumphal Entry (Palm Sunday) in Mark 11:1-11 and The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus in Matthew 27. 

Hosanna Rock Song: 

Yancy & Little Praise Party - Hosanna Rock [OFFICIAL PRESCHOOL MUSIC VIDEO] Palm Sunday Song

Jesus is Alive song: 

Yancy & Little Praise Party - He's Alive, He's Alive [OFFICIAL EASTER KIDS WORSHIP MUSIC VIDEO]

Video:

He Is Risen: Easter Bible Story for Kids - Matthew 27 (Sharefaithkids.com)

 Post a picture of your family doing family worship and tag @m2lkids!! We’d love to see it!

Door Prayers | Family Worship Idea

The thought of sitting your family of varying ages down for a time of Bible study and worship can seem a bit overwhelming. Thoughts of many parents start with “Where do I start” or “how in the world do I do this?”

First off, let’s simplify! What even is family worship? Glad you asked 😉.

Simply put, family worship is a time that you as the parent choose to intentionally focus on what your family chooses to believe and act on.

What you say you believe + real life action = authentic worship!

For example: You say you believe in prayer so pray with your kids!

You say God wants us to be kind so model kindness!

We want to challenge our families to act on what they believe by integrating family worship into their homes! To help with that, we would like to give our families monthly ideas for family worship!

Door Prayers

Materials needed:

🗒Paper

🖍Writing utensil

✂️Scissors (If you want them to be in the shape of a heart)

🩹Tape

📖Bible/Bible app

What to do:

Read Phillipians 4:6 & 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Ask your kids, what does the Bible say about prayer? Be anxious about nothing but pray about everything.

Show them where it says this in the Bible. (Phillipians 4:6)

(And if you're ever unsure about where in the Bible to find something… google it 🤷🏼‍♀️. )

Hand out 2 sheets of paper per child. (cut in heart if you'd like)

Write “pray about everything” in the middle of the paper. Then ask your kid(s) one at a time how you can pray for them. You may even want to write a prayer for them on the paper.

On the second sheet of paper write “in all things give thanks.” Show them where it says that in the Bible. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) write random things on this paper that you/your kid(s) are thankful for.

Tape them to the front of each other their bedroom door(s) and pray together for some of the things listed and give thanks together too!

This activity is great for kids 4 and up!

If you have toddlers include them too! They can scribble their own pictures and you can write out prayers for them. Let pausing to worship together be their normal!

These hearts will be reminders throughout the week of how to pray for your kids! You might be surprised or enlightened by what they ask for prayer for.

And this is FAMILY WORSHIP! The message you are sending is that as a family, we believe in prayer enough that we are gonna stop and do it and we are also going to trust the Lord enough that we are going to ask Him for what you need!