In the fall of 2022, Cedar Heights hosted a Sunday School class on the book “Family Discipleship” by Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin. The book talks about modeling your faith to your kids, and then walks through the three categories of Time, Moments, and Milestones to explore more specific ways of doing that. As the class concluded, we asked parents in attendance to share some of the ways they seek to implement these things in their homes.
Below are some of the ways the parents of Cedar Heights seek to model their faith to their kids.
Ben Nanda
Ages of Children: 6, 5, 2
B: I try to choose service activities that the kids can do with me. I let them see me at work.
J: I do Bible study when they’re awake so they see me in the Word (even tho it’s way easier to do it when they’re asleep).
Megan Roelfs
Ages of Children: 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10
The most effective long term modeling discipline I used is tomato staking. Just as a maturing tomato plant needs support as it grows, require your children stay by your side throughout your day to learn and train. We start our day with family devotions, prepare food, tidy the house, participate in hobbies, organize and host friends and family. We learn and teach task while we grow relationships. All along the way we learn to work with those who are different from us and I am there to teach resolution of conflict.
Eberts
Ages of Children: 4, 6, 8
We use discipline as opportunities to talk about the Gospel. We talk about the fruit of the spirit when siblings fight. We let the kids watch our routines in our faith.
Elizabeth Neely
Age of Child: 11.5
Reading through God’s Word in a year every morning. Conversations about everything including God’s Word throughout day. Awana verses and Bible study
Modeling right behavior.
Praying about stuff in the moment. Keep pointing him to Jesus and God’s Word despite the silliness and lack of interest.
Andrew and Emily Tink
Ages of Children: 13,11,9,6
- Loving and serving others – hospitality, others in our home over a meal, inviting children in need into our home, prioritizing relationships and time together, service projects
- Healthy conflict resolution and discussion – parents modeling those discussions in front of kids
- Money/finances – include kids in discussions and decisions about the costs of living, giving, generosity.