When people hear I’m a pastor and about my background in theology, I can almost read their minds.
I’ve heard comments like “I bet your kids know a lot about the Bible!”
Or, “I’d disciple my family too if I knew what you know!”
Or, “I bet the conversations in your house are amazing!”
Funnily enough, the conversations are amazing – but not for the reasons you might expect.
Most of our theological conversations happen when a certain someone is supposed to be sleeping.
Our intentional moments of discipleship – like devotions – don’t always go according to plan.
There’s usually crying, screaming, the insistence of a 2-year-old on singing “The Cat Came Back” as our worship song, and theological answers that make me cringe inside, sometimes.
Despite all that, I continue to be so passionate about cultivating Jesus followers in my home – and in the homes of the families I serve.
My heart is to see kids grow into lifelong followers of Jesus – with a faith that’s alive and active.
So how do we do that?
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing about some ways we can cultivate followers of Jesus, and today I want to start with what might be the simplest, but also the most profound – with everyday conversations.
If we want our kids to become followers of Jesus for life, we need to show them that Jesus impacts every part of our lives – not just a few moments of family devotions or at church on Sundays.
That’s why, if we want to cultivate followers of Jesus, it needs to happen (and perhaps, happens best) in everyday conversations with our kids.
Here are some practical ways you can make it happen:
- Find 3-5 times a day where you can incorporate faith into the conversation. I think the most natural times for this might be the morning, after school or daycare, and at bedtime. All you’re doing is looking for ways to chat about faith. It could be something as simple as – “Remember, God loves you!” – as your kid walks out the door. It could be a question like “Did you feel God’s love sometime today?” or “What can I pray for about tonight?” when your kid comes home from school or at bedtime.
- Any time is a good time to teach theology: You don’t need to wait until you have a lesson prepared to teach your kids the truth about who God is. In fact, sometimes the most powerful theological teaching can happen in spontaneous moments. If your kid notices something beautiful in nature, take the time to remind your child that God created everything! If your kid really messes up and needs to ask for forgiveness, talk some time to teach them about grace. If a goldfish dies, take the time to teach your kids about death and eternity. Having your “radar up” to look for those moments where you can teach your kids can provide you with beautiful moments.
- Take the pressure off. A conversation about Jesus doesn’t have to be a perfect conversation. You don’t need to have every Bible verse memorized, a catechism in your back pocket, or a Master’s Degree in Theology to teach your kids about Jesus. The most powerful witness to our kids is to show them that Our faith in Jesus impacts every part of our lives. It’s better to have an imperfect conversation than nothing at all.
- Have some go-to questions: Here are some of our favourite go-to questions to cultivate conversations about faith. Pull these out anytime to start a conversation.
- What can I pray about for you today?
- Can you think of a song you’d like to sing to God this morning?
- Did you get a chance to show God’s lo
- ve today? Tell me about it!
- Did you notice God at work anywhere today?
- Was there a moment today when you needed to follow Jesus?
- Was there a moment today when you didn’t do the right thing?
- What did you notice that God created today?
- Have you thought about anyone from our church this week? What do you think that means?
- How can we show God’s love as a family?
Making faith a part of your everyday life – and your everyday conversation – can help cultivate a love for Jesus, and a heart to follow Him – in your kids. No matter who you are, or what your life looks like, you can do this. God has positioned you to cultivate a love for Jesus in your family.