Helping our children connect with the gospel is one of our most important jobs as parents. So what holds us back? Maybe the idea sounds good to you, but you haven’t been able to put it into practice yet. Maybe you’re waiting for that perfect evening when everything aligns to give you the opportunity, and that never seems to come. Maybe you’re not sure how to help your children understand how important the scripture is to you. Whatever the reason, let this episode be what helps you get Family Bible Study started in your home.
Donald’s 3 Tips for an Engaging Family Scripture Study
Be consistent. Find a day and time of the week that works for all members of your household, and stick to it. While you may have to make some sacrifices, remember that this is an opportunity to connect with each other and the Lord. If you approach it with gratitude and joy, your family will learn from this (and, as Donald says, “If you treat it like a chore, they’re going to think it’s a chore”).
Get everyone involved. Offer your children the opportunity to participate in the lessons. Older kids may have topics they want to cover as they navigate new challenges in their lives. Giving them a chance to be involved in deciding on the content may also give you some insight into the things they are going through, so you know how to show up and support them. Even the little ones can be given responsibilities - Donald gives a few examples from his family.
Use pictures for the younger kids. In this section, Donald brings in a “young expert” who uses paper cutouts with pictures on them to act out the stories in the Bible. You can hear how engaged he is, and how he remembers the story, as young as he is! The important thing here is to help your child be an active part of the process so that he or she engages, rather than just sitting and listening passively.
“The fact that they’re engaged, that they’re involved, helps them to build a relationship with God. And also helps them to be able to consistently participate in this activity, which then leads to them building long-lasting habits way after they leave the house. - Donald Kelly
We hope this episode inspires you to start a new routine for your family that will set them up with great habits they can continue as they get older. You might know a parent who would benefit from this message, too - consider sending them this episode and subscribing to this podcast. If you liked what you heard, leave us a rating or review on iTunes. If you need someone to talk to and you’d like to reach out to Donald, e-mail donaldckelly09@gmail.com, or find him on Twitter or Instagram.