Faith@Home for Advent

The Advent season is approaching, and we think this is a wonderful time to begin cultivating and encouraging all of our Faith@Home practices. We have several families who have been participating in practices at home with their families and are preparing to present you their experiences.

The following online resources are available to help you learn about Faith@Home and incorporate it into your family.

Spark Family is a quarterly subscription designed to help families fit faith into everyday life.

Sabbath in the Suburbs: For one year, a family committed to a practice of Sabbath-keeping. For a whole day each week, they set aside their doing in order to simply be. Work took a backseat to games, walks, Legos, naps, homebrewing, and leisurely contentment. The practice never got easier---the house was a mess, the kids still fought--but Sabbath became the one essential "to-do" each week.”

Daily Online Devotionals are written for young people by adults who work with students. With short scripture and reflections, this is a great site for your own daily devotions.

Forward Day by Day, daily devotionals for adults

Bread, Not Stones is a Presbyterian pastor’s blog about “feeding the spiritual lives of children” also contains articles and thoughts on faith for families.

Candle Press resources assist families with young children, including seasonal booklets for children and families to better understand worship and prayer.

Advent Calendars for families use scripture and images of the nativity to tell the real meaning of Christmas

Vibrant Faith@Home is an app with options for all ages to discover prayer, daily devotions, bible study, and other stories of faith. “unlimited access to easy-to-use tools, tips, family activities and advice” to form “a stronger, more faith-focused family.”

The Pray-as-you-go Podcast turns your MP3 player into a mobile mini-retreat, with daily music, scripture readings and reflection question to engage your senses and support your prayer life.

Several children’s books can help children and families better understand worship and faith in your daily life:

• Water Come Down by Walter Wangerin Jr.
• Psalms for Young Children by Helen Marie Delval
• Give me Grace: A Child’s Daybook of Prayersby Cynthia Relant
• A Child’s Yearbook of Blessings by Cynthia Relant
• Jesus the Word by Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones