In Jeremiah, we learn that God’s design for His children begins even before their birth. God says, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you” (Jer. 1:5). If we believe this promise, then faith formation is something to consider even before birth.
Family ministry efforts usually begin a pivotal moments or milestones in faith formation. We engage parents at baptisms or baby dedications, when a child starts Sunday School, when a child is presented with a Bible or a variety of other built-in moments when it is easy to engage families. However, by the time these moments come along, routines and habits are already engrained for many families. Amidst the hectic life of child rearing, initiating new family faith practices can seem daunting.
One need only imagine the sleep deprived lives of parents of a 2 month old, a common time for baptisms or baby dedications, to recognize that this is probably not the moment when parents are in a place to thoughtfully structure their efforts for their child’s faith formation. They are tired, overwhelmed and quiet time to reflect is a distant memory. Yet just a few months before, these parents were filled with anticipation and eager to prepare in every way possible for the birth of their child.
The evidence is clear that parents’ role in faith formation is unmatched. Why not take advantage of the time before a child arrives to come alongside expectant parents and help them to prepare for their child’s formation as a disciple? We in children’s ministry have the opportunity to help families start off on the right foot creating rituals and traditions from the beginning that form faith. We can help parents understand that they have a crucial role in passing on the faith to their children even before they begin to bring them to church sponsored activities like Sunday School or VBS. We can let parents know that they can instill values and faith habits in their child as early as infancy.
Undoubtedly, expectant parents are already dreaming about the kind of life they hope to offer they child. They are imagining how that child will grow. Help them to explore the ways that they want to instill faith in their child from birth through young adulthood.
Most parents in our churches readily agree that teaching faith to their child is a priority, yet so many admit that they aren’t sure how to do it. We as church leaders can equip them with the tools and instill in them the confidence they need for this often daunting task at a time in their life when they are filled with dreams, hopes and expectations. We can help them put in place the goals and routines from the beginning.
Think about offering a class or small group for expectant parents and guide them as they imagine the routines, priorities, beliefs and traditions they hope to instill in their child. Teach them about faith development and encourage them to pray for the faith of their child. Provide activities for reflection and action. For example, give parents the opportunity to write letters to their child to be shared when the child is older expressing how they hope they will seek God in all of their decisions. Allow the parents to pick a Bible verse that they hope will guide their child and create a piece of decoration for the nursery with that verse. Present them with a journal and encourage them to write prayers in it that can one day be presented to their child. Encourage parents to think about how they might incorporate family devotions into their weekly schedule.
Young children learn a lot through routines and traditions. Not only does repetition make them feel comfortable, but it gives them confidence and some ownership of their daily activities. Help parents to create faith forming routines that can grow with the child such as a bedtime routine. As an infant this may be singing a hymn as the child goes to sleep. As they grow, the parents may read out of a child’s story Bible and teach them a prayer. Every family’s routine will look different, but the key is to give parents the time and space to pray about and develop the methods to help their child’s faith grow. Practicing faith will then be part of their child’s life from the very beginning, just as God knew that child before he or she was even born.
Putting the groundwork in place before the chaos of a new baby begins will set the family up for success and help the parents fell empowered as a critical part of their child’s faith development. These groups or classes can also connect couples together with to other expectant parents who have the same hopes and dreams for their child’s faith. This support network can help parents to feel that they are not alone in practicing faith with their child at home. The families that meet before their children are born can continue to encourage each other and share ideas as their children grow up.
At a time when parents are filled with dreams, what better thing could be do as ministry professionals than provide an opportunity for them to dream of the ways that their new family can share faith together.
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