Getting together for “Family Talk” – whether you call it family devotionals or family time or even just parenting conversations – is one of the most important habits your family can develop. Here are some tips on doing it using the pursueGOD.org resources:
Tip #1: Schedule it weekly.
Family devotionals don’t just happen. Be intentional about setting aside a day and time for your devotional, and stick to it. Kids might not always be excited about devotional time, and that’s OK. Part of the parent’s job is to teach kids that a pursuit of God takes discipline and effort. Parents should lead by example!
Tip #2: FLEX.
That’s what we call our method for groups and mentoring. “F” means you find a topic – try the resources on our Kids page. “L” means you learn about the topic – try watching the video together as a family (or for older kids you can make it homework before everyone shows up, so the kids can explain the topic to the family in their own words). The “Ex” means you explore it together as a family, using the discussion questions to guide you.
Tip #3: Keep it fun.
Pursuing God is exciting, but sometimes family talk can seem boring. That’s OK! Do your best to have fun together and encourage everyone to share. And don’t worry if your family time barely lasts 15 minutes. That’s a good start! Keep doing it, because pursuing God together will make a life-long difference for your family.
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- What are some of your favorite things to do as a family? Make a list.
- Parents: did you ever have family time when you were growing up? Explain.
- Schedule a time every week to do “family talk”. Write it down and stick it on the fridge.
- Pick a kids series or track to talk about as a family, or try the Bible reading plan together.
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
