New Resource & Training for Church Leaders on Equipping Families to Nurture Faith at Home
I wanted to flag with you an important new resource / online coaching opportunity, linked to churches’ work with children and their families – I have attached the resource and a press release about it.
‘Children’s Faith: A Whole Church Approach to Family Ministry’ is a new resource from the Kitchen Table Project (part of Care for the Family), which focuses on how churches can encourage and equip parents and carers to nurture their children’s faith at home as well as at church. This links with a recent survey which found that 91% of parents do not want the church to be the sole provider of spiritual support for their child, with 99% saying they would like the church to work in partnership with them to nurture their children’s faith together.
The booklet unpacks the Why? What? and How? of this approach, encouraging church leaders to explore how to help children to thrive in their faith through seven key cultural values: Welcoming Church, Empowered Parents, Celebrated Parents, Connected Community, Holistic Mission, Purposeful Prayer, and Value of Children. At each stage of the booklet, there are suggested activities and action points to help to achieve these aims, as well as advice on how to equip and empower parents and carers in ministry at home, and how to encourage the church to support this. Videos hosted by Andy Frost are also available, linked to the resource, as well as discussion questions and other materials.
In April, May and June, the Kitchen Table Project team are hosting three online sessions, where they will explore this resource. Church leaders can join with other leaders from across the UK to share ideas, encourage each other and work through the coaching sessions together. Leaders are encouraged to sign up for all three sessions:
- Session 1: Thursday 18 April 7.00pm-8.30pm
- Session 2: Wednesday 22 May 7.00pm-8.30pm
- Session 3: Wednesday 12 June 7.00pm-8.30pm
Tickets cost £15 (which covers all three sessions) and include a printed copy of the new resource, which will be sent out in advance of the first session. For more details, visit childrensfaith.eventbrite.co.uk. After the three sessions, leaders will be able to take the material away and use it within their own settings. The booklet can be ordered separately at cff.org.uk/product/childrens-faith-guide.
