Why parents shouldn’t give up on faith at home

From memory verses to YouTube worship, Joanne Gilchrist shows that persistence and creativity matter more than perfection when it comes to raising kids in faith 

Can you recall any ‘faith at home’ moments from when you were a child? Did you say grace before a meal, listen to Jesus-songs in the car or read with a grown-up from a children’s Bible?

When I was very young, 5 or 6 years old, my dad would teach me to memorize simple Bible verses. I kind of liked it. Then he stopped because I once hid behind the sofa and refused to come out. Perhaps I was experiencing a kind of spiritual warfare or was it simply a childish mood swing? Whatever it was, I remember thinking “don’t give up on me, just keep trying. I do want to join in, but something I can’t explain is stopping me.”

When my kids were little, any kind of ‘Faith at Home’ activity just seemed like one more chore for a harassed parent to add to their endless ‘to do’ list

Fast forward twenty-odd years and I was the one with two small children and very little time to myself. I used to love hanging out the laundry as it was the only time I got to pray and worship Jesus without children distracting me.

When my kids were little, any kind of ‘Faith at Home’ activity just seemed like one more chore for a harassed parent to add to their endless ‘to do’ list; until the day my friend Ange gave me a ……