Family Faith Formation with Three Generations |
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Read Chapter Five
"Family Faith Formation with Three Generations" for the complete presentation. |
A family is the first community and the most basic way in which God gathers us, forms us, and acts in the world. The family is the primary mechanism by which Christian identity becomes rooted in the lives of young people through the day- to-day religious practices and the ways parents model their faith and share it in conversation, collaboration, and exposure to outside religious opportunities. Through the processes of religious socialization, young people with seriously religious parents come to think, feel, believe, and act as serious religious believers, and that that training “sticks” with them even when they leave home and enter emerging adulthood.
Churches that make families a priority equip parents and grandparents with practices for forming faith at home (celebrating rituals and milestones, observing the seasons of the church year, praying, serving, learning the Christian faith, reading the Bible). They provide the knowledge and skills for parenting and grandparenting today. They provide experiences for the whole family that pro- mote growth in faith and discipleship, and resources to strengthen the connection between what happens at church and Christian practice at home. Churches also involve families in congregational activities. Churches can create a plan for family faith formation designed around the specific life stage needs of families with young children (0–5) elementary school children (6–10), young adolescents (11–14), and older adolescents (15–19). Chapter Five describes five strategies for enhancing family and parent faith formation at home and church:
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Application: Serving, Equipping, Supporting, & Resourcing the Family
Reflect on how well your church and faith formation serves, equips, supports, and resources parents and the whole family. Download the article with the reflection tool to use with your church staff and team.
| Family Faith Formation Reflection Tool.pdf |
Lifelong Faith Training Videos:
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Video: Family Faith Formation with Three Generations
Exploring research, programming, & strategies from the Lifelong Faith book
These three video programs were originally created for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2020.
Part 1. Research
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Part 2. Programming
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Part 3. Strategies
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Family Faith Formation Resources
Book: Families at the Center of Faith Formation
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We know that parents and the family are the most powerful influence for virtually every child and youth outcome—personal, academic, social, and spiritual-religious; and that parents are the most important influence on the social and religious lives of children, youth, and emerging adults. Families at the Center of Faith Formation proposes a new comprehensive approach to family faith formation that places families at the center of faith formationand develops the family as a community of faith and school of discipleship while equipping parents (and grandparents) to transmit the Christian faith at home. Families at the Center of Faith Formation includes seven chapters rich in foundational insights and practical application:
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Articles
Family Faith Formation Toolkit
(Faith Formation Ministries, Christian Reformed Church NA)
This toolkit will help you develop a vision for family faith formation in your congregation and equip parents and caregivers with family faith practices and resources.
www.crcna.org/FaithFormation/toolkits/family-faith-formation-toolkit
(Faith Formation Ministries, Christian Reformed Church NA)
This toolkit will help you develop a vision for family faith formation in your congregation and equip parents and caregivers with family faith practices and resources.
www.crcna.org/FaithFormation/toolkits/family-faith-formation-toolkit
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Family Faith Formation: Practices and Approaches
Download the Family Faith Formation Journal Collection
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Researching Families
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