As parents and carers, we long for our children and teens to love and know God – to live in a vibrant, two-way relationship with Him and know how deeply He loves them. But in the midst of our busy days, with kids who have their own likes and dislikes, is there a way to help them find and know God for themselves?
Parenting for Faith says there is. Not by cramming more into our schedule, or by planning spiritual activities, but by simply sharing our faith in and experience of God with our kids.
God’s plan for children’s discipleship is in the everyday bits of life, at home with you. It can happen in the supermarket, on the journey home from school or whilst making dinner, and Parenting for Faith exists to help parents and carers find their natural way of helping their kids see and know God, just as they are right now.
The five Key Tools are at the heart of the Parenting for Faith resources and are for you to explore and use in your home or ministry. They don’t need a theology degree, any preparation, or a cupboard of craft resources. Once you’ve learnt them, you can apply them to all sorts of different situations and contexts; parenting spiritually as naturally as you do in every other area of their lives.
Creating Windows – This tool builds on the way God has designed our brains to learn best – by watching and trying things for ourselves. Allow kids glimpses of what your relationship with God looks like, so they can learn how to have a real two-way connection with Him themselves.
Framing – Framing is all about explaining – what God is doing, why things happen, who He is. Show kids how God works in all of life, show them how to explore the Bible well and work through any questions they might have.
Unwinding – This is an important tool for helping kids to grow a balanced and healthy view of God. It can be easy to slip into a lopsided view, and this tool helps to gently unwind misconceptions, building in a broad and balanced understanding of who God is.
Chat and Catch – This tool encourages children in prayer and hearing God’s voice – chatting to Him about everything that is on their hearts and catching His response, however He chooses to speak. Help children to connect directly with God at any time, in all circumstances, wherever they are.
Surfing the Waves – This tool helps us spot what God is doing in a child’s life. All children are different, and God’s purposes for them are different. Learn to identify their ‘waves’ and support them as interests and passions come and go as they discover their unique journey with God.
‘I feel a lot less panicked and pressured that I have to absolutely nail all the “God-chats” with my kids or I might hinder their relationships with God! Instead I’ve found a new freedom and a real joy when I think about the future of adventuring with our kids and their journeys of faith.’
Parenting for Faith is part of BRF, a registered charity. You can find out more at parentingforfaith.org/tools or get in touch at parentingforfaith@brf.org.uk