Surfing The Wave
This is the last one in our parenting for faith series, but please continue to look on the parenting for faith website for all of their great resources.
You might be surprised that I am talking about surfing the wave when we don’t live near a beach, but it isn’t that kind of surfing. In our faith we can go through phases of being really excited and on fire for God. For example, in the new year we might commit to reading the bible in a year, and set goals of praying each day, but then life can get in the way and we get busy and the commitment we made seems to fade.
Children can be like this in their faith too. One minute they can be so excited about learning about God and who he is, asking lots of questions, and then they can become disinterested and not wanting to engage with church or reading the bible, or their focus can be on watching YouTube videos about something random.
Surfing the wave is about engaging with your children in the journey they are on, so in the moments they are super excited and asking lots of questions, try to engage with this. Sometimes it might be tricky to see or spot a wave of your child’s engagement with God.
From a personal experience of leading kids church, sometimes I think the morning hasn’t gone very well and that no one has listened, but then when I start praying, I am often encouraged that a child that I thought hadn’t paid any attention prays the most amazing prayer! Children sometimes look like they are not engaging but they are taking it all in, in their own way.
Keep doing what you are doing, model what faith and your relationship with God looks like, try new ways of engaging with God as a family and see what works for you.
As a church we are always here to help support you and your family in your faith journey.
Here are some suggestions of activities you could try as a family
Have a family worship party or just have worship music on in the background
Read a bible story or look at a book of the bible together
Pray in new and creative ways - each week on the activity sheet and the kids’ online videos I have suggested different ways to pray.
Go for a walk and see God in your surroundings
Create a prayer jar
Love Lauren