Parents' Corner
Dri Bayer
FPCSS Director of Family Ministries and Christian Education
FPCSS Director of Family Ministries and Christian Education
If it’s new, having conversations about spiritual things can be difficult. It can feel artificial to simply start those discussions out of the blue. Initiating a Bible study time at home can also seem a little stiff, especially if you’ve never done it before or haven’t done it in a while. But there are some things that can make it less so.
Teachable Moments - You’ve probably heard about teachable moments, or seizing an opportunity when a subject arises naturally. Sometimes a Bible story can be applicable to a specific situation you and your child are dealing with. For example, recently my girls were fighting and worrying very much about what the other person’s responsibility was, rather than their own. It was a perfect opportunity to share Jesus’ words in Matthew 7 about the speck in your brother’s eye versus the plank in your own eye. Afterward, we were able to refer back to that lesson and give language to the situation when it came up again. There have also been times where my children have started the conversation by asking a good question that led to some important discourse. Sometimes we take advantage of these teachable moments, and other times we miss them. That’s ok! It’s part of the process of learning to parent and learning to be like Jesus. Jumping Off Points - Sometimes we have to “manufacture” these moments a little more. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they have to feel manufactured. Similar to the idea of finding anchors in the day to which we can attach spiritual disciplines, we can find jumping off points that allow us to naturally ask questions and get conversation flowing. This is an especially useful tactic when digesting information from a third party, like from church service or Sunday School class, a news story, a book, or a video. The Third Element: Bible Discussing a Bible passage can be a jumping off point if reading passages of Scripture is already well established in your home. If it’s not, using the passage from the weekly sermon as a jumping off point can help to establish Bible study as a normal rhythm in your home.This week, Jonathan examined the story of Peter being restored from John 21:15-25. From there, you may find that your child’s appetite grows and you can nudge your family practice of Bible reading to extend beyond the sermon into stories and passages your family wants or needs to investigate further. Here are some age appropriate ways to revisit this passage and sermon:
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