During this time of year, many church leaders encourage families to conduct some type of weekly devotional that focuses on the birth of Jesus. We may provide a resource we created for this season, or we may point them to a resource like Lifeway’s Family Advent Guide to assist them in conducting these devotionals.
One action we may be encouraging families to consider for 2022 is continuing that weekly time by establishing a family devotional time as a part of their family’s regular routine. We will want to resource them to make that happen. Several good resources exist with there being three viable options found in Explore the Bible resources.
Explore the Bible At Home for families with preschoolers and kids
This one-page item per week includes a snapshot of the kids’ lesson, memory verse for students and adults, family reading plan (follows the student and adult study), and three ideas for the family (called Family Bible Exploration). Here is how it works. You as the leader or teacher provides either a print copy or sends it to parents as an attachment. The family leader can then use the different elements with their family either everyday (the family reading plan) or at a specific time selected each week (using one of the Family Bible Exploration ideas). Depending on the age and routine of the children, we may want to suggest that this weekly time be something they do around a meal as a family or that they set a specific protected time each week.
Where is it? At Home pages are on the CD in the Leader Tool Kits and on Ministry Grid. These are digital files so the leader will need to make copies or send the file as an attachment. See a sample.
Family Connection for families with students
This one-page item per week equips families with students to continue the study within the home. The page includes questions for parents to ask their student in informal settings, a summary of the lesson, and some discussion questions to be used in a formal Bible study setting between a parent and their student. The Daily Devotional passages provided in the Explore the Bible Student Daily Discipleship Guide are also listed on the page. Parents can initiate formal and informal conversations with their student using the information included. Parents may want to provide this page to other adults who interact with the student as well, especially grandparents.
Where is it? In the Leader Pack (print or digital) and in the plus subscription on Ministry Grid. These are digital files so the leader will need to make copies or send the file as an attachment. See a sample.
Talk it Out for couples
In the Explore the Bible Adult Daily Discipleship Guide, we include a feature called Talk It Out at the end of each session. This feature includes directed questions for a smaller group of 3 to 4 people to use each week in an informal setting. These same questions could be used by married couples for a weekly family devotional time as well. These questions are related to the previous week’s study but are not the same questions suggested for use in the group time or in the daily exploration activities. Couples could set aside a regular time on Saturday morning, as a part of a weekly date, or while enjoying some coffee on a selected morning.
Where is it? Look in the Explore the Bible Adult Daily Discipleship Guide (print or eBook) at the end of each session. This resource is also available in Ministry Grid. See a sample.
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