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 take advantage of everyday moments with their kids.
Dave and Lisa Ebert
Ages of Children: 4, 6, 8
One moment we try to capitalize on is encouraging creativity and slowing down to pay attention to what the kids have been working on.
John and Elizabeth Neely
Age of Child: 11.5
J: I have some very good moments with Z. They take time and are often unplanned. My full focus is on Z and I’m listening to him. I guide him only as it applies to what he is dealing with at that moment. He is much more receptive during these times.
E: Meeting the kid where they are at pointing out right behavior (Fruits of the Spirit) using the words they say to have a conversation about our need for a Savior because there is no way we can save ourselves.
Jamie Oppman
Age of Child: 2
Repeating a memorized verse to reinforce lesson. “Carter will obey because Eph 6:1 says, ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right’.”
Darren and Sarah Johnson
Ages of Children: 7 and 4
We talk through conversation cards at dinner. Talking about life through spiritual lens. We want to start a prayer journal with them to record and track God’s answered prayers. Pointing to God’s forgiveness when needing to forgive others.
Dan and Kate Paredes
Ages of Children: 7, 5, 3, 1
It’s tempting to “always” be busy, where we feel inconvenienced by our children and their questions. Even if it has to do with insignificant imaginary things, I can make the effort to give my kids full attention when they are showing/explaining something to me so in the long run, they know that I am available from the important to unimportant. The way that looks like is putting my phone down, looking them in the eyes, and enjoying what they say beyond the generic “uh-huh” or “mmmh” response that parents give too often.