Are you looking for family church service ideas? Then you’ve come to the right place. Many congregations now try to incorporate times where families can stay together to worship and learn about God. I’ve gathered five suggestions below.
These family church service ideas come from a variety of church backgrounds and traditions. So they may not all work for your ministry context. But chances are one might strike a chord. Then you’ll be able to work toward more times where families experience faith formation together with their church community.
Family Church Service Ideas: 5 Starting Points
1. Family Worship Sundays
Many churches now offer times of Family Worship, often once a month or on fifth Sundays. In these services, family members stay together and worship as a unit. These Sundays should not be confused with Children’s Sundays or times where kids perform for the church. While these are special times as well, they’re more focused on children than on families.
A Family Sunday incorporates ways for the family to experience worship together. This includes communion, corporate prayers, worship songs that everyone knows and can sing, and a sermon appropriate for all ages. Elements of the service invite participation of parents, caregivers and children, such as Scripture readings by families and prayer as families. For ideas on how to include families in Sunday worship, check out jensfrontporch.org.
2. Family Worship Experiences
A few subtle differences exist between a Family Worship Sunday, where the family joins with the whole congregation in a regular service, and Family Worship Experiences, which specifically targets and ministers to families.
Often these experiences take place at a time other than Sunday morning. They typically incorporate a variety of interactive activities, worship and teaching. Some great examples are posted at www.dandibell.com.
3. Family Faith Formation
For some churches, inviting the family to stay together works best in a midweek experience. This is what our church does. We’ve had lots of fun using these nights to explore the Bible together. We write our own curriculum in five-week blocks based on what families indicate they want to learn.
Each family sits in a circle and explores Scripture. Then we offer activities and a time of affirmation and blessing. Topics have included Prayer, Salvation, The Bible, God as Creator, and Service.
Kids absolutely love spending this time with their parents. Of all the church programs we offer, this one gets the highest praise from children.
