Dr. Matt Friedeman's book "Discipleship In the Home" recommends having a family discipleship and catechism time connected with the evening meal. If you want to create a family Bible time (or family devotions time) at the dinner table or in the evening, this post will help you do that! First, a video overview of the family discipleship tools here in this post:
Family Bible Time: A Practical Plan YOU Can Do
Yes, I know... it can feel overwhelming to establish a regular family Bible time habit. It left me stuck for a long time. But you can do it! Here's one of the secrets I am using... and I'd love to see you join in!
Overview of Family Bible Time Sheets
Introducing families to the Bible in an engaging and meaningful way can be a game-changer for spiritual growth and connection. That's why we've developed the Family Bible Time Sheets, a resource designed for busy families who want to delve into the Bible together, without feeling overwhelmed. Over the course of 12 months, these sheets provide a structured plan to deeply integrate biblical learning and worship into your family routine.
Features of These Sheets for Family Devotions
Here's what your family will gain:
Learn 24 different hymns to enrich your worship experience.
Memorize over 170 verses of Scripture that provide a solid biblical foundation.
Learn 119 Catechism Questions to deepen understanding of faith.
Discover stories and quotes from 12 Christian heroes to inspire and teach.
Memorize 12 great prayers from Christian history to grow in your prayer life.
Benefits of Each Component of Family Bible Time Sheets
Here are what each of these parts of the plan can do for your family:
1. Hymns: Singing hymns together not only improves musical skills but also implants profound theological truths into young hearts and minds. Hymns and songs are powerful teaching tools. Think about it... many of the things you memorized as a child were songs. You know hundreds of them! Why don't you harness this to help your child build their faith.
2. Scripture Memorization: This practice strengthens memory and brings the powerful truths of God's Word into everyday life. Children are sponges, and what they soak up depends on what you bring them into contact.
3. Catechism Questions: Engaging with these questions helps children and parents alike understand their beliefs and articulate their faith. If you want your children to understand what they believe about the Bible, sin,
4. Christian Heroes: Learning about the lives of those who've faithfully followed Christ offers real-life examples of godly perseverance and courage.
5. Historic Prayers: These prayers connect us to the rich history of our faith and model deep, thoughtful prayerfulness.
How Does Family Bible Time Sheets Work?
Family Bible Time Sheets are designed to be straightforward and user-friendly, connecting seamlessly to YouTube Playlists curated by NewStart Discipleship. These playlists include songs, scripture readings, and lessons that correspond to each week's theme, making it easy for families to engage with the material during daily or weekly Bible times.
Each mealtime (or bedtime if you prefer), I simply scan the QR code in that month's devotions sheets, and call the family to the table. You can play the playlist off your phone, cast it to a TV screen, or skip the playlist altogether, if you prefer.
The Creators of The Family Bible Time Sheets
This plan was collaboratively developed by Dr. Matt Friedeman, a dedicated pastor and father of six, and myself, Darrell Stetler II, also a pastor and father of seven. I developed this set of Bible time tools from reading Dr. Friedeman's book, The New Discipleship In the Home, (which I strongly recommend... see my book review here.)
Understanding the challenges and joys of raising a family of passionate Christian kids, we designed these sheets to support other families in nurturing their spiritual growth together.
Family Bible Time Sheets equip families to build a lasting foundation in the Word, making daily devotion both accessible and transformative. Whether at the dinner table or during family gatherings, these sheets offer a clear and concise pathway to training your children.