Intentional Practices - Study

As I write, I am impatiently waiting for June 7th and our first in-person gathering in a long while. But as much as I am ready to get back to “normal,” I have to confess that there are some things I will miss about this time. It has been an opportunity to pause and reflect on what our family’s normal has been and the ways I would like it to be different.
This week, my family has recited the Lord’s Prayer every night at bedtime right along with you. Bedtime is a natural anchor for us and it’s been a precious time of spiritual discussion for my kids. The Lord’s Prayer has helped provide a framework for our typically meandering prayers. It brings up questions about the nature and character of God and teaches our children how to pray like Jesus. I hope that if you’ve been intentionally including the Lord’s Prayer in your daily rhythms, you have also found it to be helpful. In case you missed this suggestion from last week, you can catch up here.
Let’s build on it. Prayer is one of the first ways we learn to connect with God. But without solid theology as a foundation for our prayers, it’s easy to treat God like Santa in the sky, distorting His image to look more like what we want Him to be. The good news is that our children are already laying that strong foundation by memorizing the Catechisms in Sunday morning and Wednesday evening classes. Practice them as a family to reinforce these truths!
Define your anchors. For some families, the daily anchor will be at the same time as the Lord’s Prayer. For others, it will need to be at a different time. Keep your children’s attention spans in mind. Five minutes here and there, sprinkled throughout the day, might be more effective than trying to make them sit still for 30 minutes to an hour at a time. Or perhaps you will find that catechism discussions naturally flow out of your prayer time, or vice versa. You know your family best.
The Second Element: Study
​The New City Catechisms are available with corresponding verses, commentary, prayers and even songs for the younger kids on their free app (Click here). For kids in The Well (4th grade) and below, you will want to enable the “Children’s Mode” by tapping the gear at the top right corner and moving the slider to “on.” This will enable the shorter answers and songs that go along with each question.

• Preschool and Younger - Use the songs to review the questions they’ve already learned. The Bloom (Pre-K through 2nd Grade) class has covered through Q12, though they may know songs through Q32. You could sing the same song all week at the breakfast table, a different song while brushing hair and getting dressed for the day (if you’re still doing that!), one right before nap time, or several during a bath.
• Elementary - The Well (3rd-4th Grade) class has covered through Q32, and as previously mentioned, The Bloom (Pre-K through 2nd Grade) class through Q12 (though may know songs through Q32). Use the songs to review, if they still find them fun. Quiz them by asking a question and see if they can answer from memory. For older elementary kids, begin to ask more questions like, “what do you think that means?” Asking them to explain will reveal what they are grasping well and what holes still need to be filled in. 
• Middle School - The Cornerstone class has covered through Q32. These students may feel too old for the songs, though they may still find them catchy if younger siblings are using them. Ask them a question and see if they can answer from memory. Have them write it out and tape or pin it to a wall or bulletin board in their room. You can also use dry erase markers on a mirror. Ask them to explain it to you, or to their younger siblings. You can also review corresponding verses by tapping the book icon in the bottom left corner of the app, or pray the prayer together in the bottom right corner of the app. 
• High School - Dive deeper by reading the corresponding verses and commentary portion in the app together. Ask them if they have any questions or if they’d like to share their thoughts. If you or your student is struggling with a particular question or doctrine and want further resources, please do not hesitate to reach out to Pastor Jonathan or myself. It can be tough to field questions from this age group. Just remember, it’s ok to say “I don’t know yet,” or “Let me research that.” Teens often respect our honesty and appreciate when we make an effort to not give a rote answer.

Just a reminder... We’re encouraging families to do this together, because we as a church family are doing this together. As you have interactions with one another on social media, via texts and messages, or six feet apart at the grocery store, you can ask one another how it’s going, what anchors the other is using, or which songs are their kids’ favorites. If you feel comfortable, post pictures or encouragement on social media while tagging FPC Siloam. It may help others feel slightly less isolated until we can meet in person again!