3. We Are the Church When We Give
In many churches, every week, the plate is passed and our tithes and offerings are given to the Lord. But we don’t have to limit our giving to the church offering plate. It can be hard sometimes to remember to give from a cheerful heart if we don’t see the need or if our gift is automatically withdrawn from our checking account Maybe your family could talk about ways to support your church or a missionary or provide meals for families in need so they can be a part of the gift of giving. The cheerful heart of giving isn’t only for church.
4. We Are the Church When We Read the Bible
If the only time our children see us open the Bible (or pull up the app on our phone or tablet) is in the church building, the model they see is one where the Bible is only for certain times not all of life. But the writer of Psalms says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” This the perfect time to add some daily Scripture meditation into your family rhythm. The Scripture is for everywhere, every day.
5. We Are the Church When We Fellowship
Let’s face it; a big reason for going to church is to see friends. I had someone tell me the only time they saw their friends was on Sunday morning. It’s really hard for your kids to see the community and family that is the body of Christ if they only see people for 1 hour a week, 4 times a month. Invite people over, even if only by Zoom for now, build and maintain relationships with those you miss and create space for fellowship all week long.
When our children see consistency in who we are and what we do at church and who we are and what we do at home, it will be easier for them to understand the providence of our God who is present with us in the everyday.
When we are consistent, we are authentic, and when we are authentic, we are modeling the truth of Jesus to the next generation, whether we are gathered, or whether the church has left the building.
This article on how the church has left the building originally appeared here.
