Family Worship

Family Worship

Filter By

Scripture

Topics

Sections

Authors

Series

March 9, 2011
|

Jason Helopoulos
Brothers, Don’t Underestimate the Value of Ministerial Fellowship
Pastor, Include More Prayer in Your Church Service
6 Ways to Celebrate Reformation 500 This Sunday

The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Please make sure all fields are filled out.

Copyright © 2022 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. Learn more .

Copyright © 2022 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. Learn more .

Get your free copy of 'Digital Discipleship'
This is the second half of Jason’s series on family worship. Check out the first half, “ 11 Reasons to Worship with Your Family .”
Few of us who grew up in homes that practiced family worship. So let’s look at a few practical helps that may aid our families in this new journey.

This is trial and error, but most families function better at certain times during the day than others. Some children (and parents!) do not do well in the early morning hours. They are tired and grouchy. If that is the case in your home, then don’t try and do family worship at that time. Try different times of the day and see what works best for everyone. Every family is different.
I usually schedule out my week. I have different activities appointed at different times and inevitably have “family time” penciled in for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. or something similar. When my wife is feeling a little neglected she will say, “You have to schedule your family?” She is joking, but if she was serious I would have to reply, “Yes.” Otherwise, other things begin to encroach upon this time. There are many good things that can and will fill our schedules. Therefore, if we don’t pencil in the things that matter the most, they often get neglected and suffer at the expense of other things in our life. Family worship must be scheduled. That does not mean that it has to be at 6 p.m. every night. It is a “semi-fixed” time. There are some nights that dinner isn’t over by 6 p.m. Don’t be rigid, but do have a consistent and routine time that your family knows they will be gathering for worship.

Some families gather around the kitchen or dining room table. Others may choose to sit in the living room or on the back porch. It doesn’t really matter where you do family worship. It just helps if the “where” is consistent in your home. This is especially helpful for young children. My children know that when we say it is time for family worship we are gathering in the family room. Children thrive in the known and regular.

We are beginning the process of returning the church to this necessary discipline. Hopefully our children will be able to take it a step farther, but for most of us this is a new thing. Therefore, do not expect too much too early or even expect too much from your family in the long run. Many heads of homes (especially fathers) will be convicted about the need for family worship and begin to lead their families in it with too much zeal. Fathers, don’t ask your children to start memorizing Leviticus in the first few weeks of family worship! Just start by reading a small portion of Scripture, praying a short prayer, and singing a hymn. As everyone in the family grows in worshiping together there will be the ability and desire to make it fuller.

Family worship should not be a burden, and many times we make it a burden by making it too long. Young families especially need to keep this in mind due to their children. Those just beginning family worship would also be well-advised to keep it short. It is amazing how much quality worship can take place in 15 or 20 minutes. The length of time of our family worship is not a commentary on our family’s maturity in the faith. Longer doesn’t always mean better.

It must be a priority in the home. This means that we can’t allow other activities to fill our schedules. A family that is seldom home together is a family that cannot worship together. Reading the Bible on the way to gymnastics or soccer practice does not count! The modern-day Christian needs to hear this: busyness (even with church activities) does not equal godliness.

Having argued for the importance of establishing a time for family worship, we must underscore the importance of being flexible in our approach to family worship. There will be days when it just doesn’t work. If this is a regular occurrence, then we may need to adjust when we are having family worship or where we are having it. However, some days it just won’t work at all. That is fine! It is a means of grace, not a burden that our family is to struggle under.

Our attitudes have a lot to do with our experiences. And others are always watching our attitudes. Husbands should model the right attitude before their wives, and parents should model the right attitude before their children. Children are incredibly intuitive. They know when mom and dad are going through the motions or begrudgingly calling the family together in worship. It is quite another thing altogether when mom and dad talk about looking forward to worship and exercise a consistent joy and desire for family worship.

Maybe the most important advice for family worship is to persevere in it. There will be moments and even weeks where it seems like a chore and that little fruit is being born: your toddler has trouble sitting still, your teenager complains every night, or the tune keeps getting lost in the middle of singing. Just keep going! You are not alone, and your situation is not unique. Just keep gathering with your family in worship. Perseverance is the best remedy for all these ills. Over the course of time, most of these struggles will be overcome, and fruit that was invisible at the time will begin to show itself in the future.

Jason Helopoulos is senior pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan, and is the author of a number of books including A New Pastor’s Handbook: Help and Encouragement for the First Years of Ministry (Baker, 2015) and A Neglected Grace: Family Worship in the Christian Home (Christian Focus, 2013). Jason and his wife, Leah, have two children, Gracen and Ethan.
LGBT-supporting ‘evangelicals’ should be ashamed of having corrupted our faith tradition by embracing the politics of LGBT+ activism.

Gene Edward Veith Jr. ,

Mary J. Moerbe

R. Kent Hughes ,

Barbara Hughes

Crossway is a not-for-profit Christian ministry that exists solely for
the purpose of proclaiming the gospel through publishing
gospel-centered, Bible-centered content. Learn more or donate today at
crossway.org/about .

Shop
Books
Bibles
Custom Bible Program
Tracts
Authors
Donate

Accounts
Retail Partners
International Distributors
Church Accounts
Ministry Accounts
Crossway+

ESV
About the ESV
Read Online
Mobile Apps

Resources
Podcasts
Press Room
Crossway Review Program
Exam Copies
Catalogs
Tools for Evangelism

About
Who We Are
History of Crossway
Statement of Faith
Jobs
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service

Support
Contact
Live Chat
Orders
FAQ
Submissions
Permissions

Jesus likely owns your Sundays, but does he own your home? Making worship a part of the family routine is an essential part of having a spiritually vibrant household. If we don't get into the Word daily as a family, children can learn to view church (and the Lord) as simply a nice, weekly excursion. Faith can become more of a show than a deep-seeded lifestyle. Having regular family devotionals is a way to make faith a daily, integral part of life, rather than a Sunday habit. Voddie Baucham Jr. offers seven steps to implement family worship in your home.
Family worship must be born of conviction. As parents, you must be convinced that this is something you need. Without this conviction, follow through will be next to impossible.
Family worship begins with the head of the household. Wives, don't demand that your husband start family worship. It needs to come from him.
Family worship must be scheduled. If we don't plan a time to worship, we'll skip it. It takes about 30 days to form a habit, so forming a worship schedule will help ingrain it into the family pattern.
Family worship must be simple. It doesn't need to be a big production. No power points necessary. All you need is commitment to gather together with the Word of God. Keeping it simple makes it easy to spice up or simplify when you want to.
Family worship must be natural. Don't try to be something you aren't. This is not the time to pretend or be extravagant. Choose songs that your family loves to sing and study materials that fit your situation in life. Your children can detect a lack of authenticity.
Family worship must be mandatory. Nobody gets to skip out, including sulky teenagers. Rebellion and family worship belong in different realms and require separate attention.
Family worship must be participatory. It is not a performance by one gifted member of the family that is simply observed by everyone else. Invite your children to join in singing, choosing songs, reading Scripture, praying, discussing issues, etc. Participation will help your children grow, and can even touch the heart of the rebellious teen.
Learn more about surrendering your home to God in Family Driven Faith .
Voddie Baucham Jr. (DMin, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean of the seminary at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia. The author of a number of books, including Family Driven Faith , The Ever-Loving Truth , and Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors , Baucham is also a pastor, church planter, and conference speaker.

Apply
Now
Donate Today

About

Purpose

Beliefs

Accreditation

Reformed Tradition

Chancellor

Trustees

Contact

Administration

Campuses

Jackson

Orlando

Charlotte

Washington D.C.

Atlanta

Houston

Dallas

New York City

Global

Resources
PUBLICATIONS

Faith & Practice
Ministry & Leadership

Browse

Articles

Bible Studies

Books

Interviews

Lectures

Sermons & Messages

Admissions

Financial Aid

Tuition

Schedule a Visit

Contact Admissions

Faculty

Residential Faculty

Adjunct Faculty

Lecturers

Academics

Degrees

Upcoming Classes

Library

Transcripts

Catalog

Updates

News

Calendar

Giving

Development
Four Ways to Give

Alumni

Update Info

Alumni Stories

Vocational Services

Job Listings

About Vocational Services

Work at RTS

Prospective Students

Apply

Campuses

Faculty

Visit

Current Students

Account Payments

Canvas

Master Calendar

Self-Service

Alumni

Events
Submit Updates
Vocational Services

About

Administration

Contact Information

Give

Purpose Statement
Work at RTS

© 2022 Reformed Theological Seminary.

|
Communications
|
Employees
|

We use cookies to provide you with a great user experience. By using our website, you accept our use of cookies. Accept Privacy policy
Dr. Craig Sheppard | April 6, 2021
In her biography of her martyred missionary husband, Elisabeth Elliot captures the biblical foundation Jim Elliot received in his growing up years. She writes that his father “read the Scriptures daily to his children, seeking to show them the glory of Christ above all else….[He] prayed with them as well as for them.” 1 God used this early spiritual nurture to lay an indispensable foundation for Jim’s life and ministry,
and through him to call a new generation of missionaries.
Early in our marriage, my wife and I were impressed with the importance of building this same foundation in our family. Our great challenge, however, was figuring out how to do it, having had no models from our own families. Now, more than 33 years and five children later, we can testify to the twin values of simplicity and consistency as the keys to our sweet family times together with Christ.
The twin values of simplicity and consistency [are] the keys to our sweet family times together with Christ. My wife and I serve with RTS in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world. Besides teaching, I have the privilege of preaching to hundreds of students, families, and Christian workers each week. By and large, even those who come from Christian homes have little understanding of the Scriptures or how to nourish their faith. This challenge has only grown more difficult with the COVID-19 restrictions placed on our community by governmental and living-community authorities. However, this context has also provided a golden opportunity for a “spiritual recalibration” for many families through family worship.
Perhaps you desire the same for your family, but, like us, do not know how to begin. With the typical hectic pace of life now interrupted by the pandemic, there may never be a better time to get started and establish new patterns. I prepared the following ideas for our church in Jakarta, based on our experience and lessons through the years. I begin with eight principles then suggest a plan.
I have often heard fathers say, “My wife leads devotions because she knows the Bible better than I do.” She may indeed know the Bible better, but that does not mean that the husband is disqualified or should abdicate his spiritual responsibility. What qualifies him to lead is his love for Christ and his God-ordained role of headship in the family. It also encourages him to be diligent in his own walk with the Lord.
With these concepts as a foundation, I suggest the following simple plan:
Pick a book of the Bible to study, for example, John, 1 Samuel, or the book your pastor is currently preaching at church. You may also select a book relevant to a particular family need. For example, you may realize your family needs growth in godly living and the power of the tongue and consider the book of James. You may observe that your family needs help with godly decision making in the midst of strong peer pressure and consider Proverbs. Set aside 10-15 minutes for your family devotions. If you are having devotions around a meal, wait until the end of that time, since stomachs are full, forks are quiet, and everyone is calm.
On the first day of a new study, introduce the biblical book you are studying. A study Bible is a conveni
Mature Leg Stocking
Girls Pee In Panties Porn
Travesti Solo Porno

Family Worship

Report Page