The first place that we learn to follow Christ as a disciple is in the home. Unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain. To be Christlike parents, we first need to allow Jesus to be the main author of the story of our family. As he works his redemption in our lives and our marriages, he transforms us at parents to model faith to our kids.

God calls the family to play a vital role in discipling the next generation. Families come in all shapes and sizes - single parent, blended, large and small – so how this is accomplished varies from family to family and is as unique as the DNA of each home. Family discipleship isn’t one-size-fits-all, and it isn’t easy—even the most intentional of Christian parents may find themselves at a loss as to how to begin. We want to come alongside parents to help them craft their own approach to family discipleship. 

936 Weeks 

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” Psalm 90:36. There are 936 weeks in the life of a child from birth to 18. We have a limited amount of time in the discipleship process of our children and we want to be intentional parents to build into them. To give each family a visual of this, at a child’s baptism we give parents a container filled with 936 marbles and a empty container. The idea is that when you count the weeks you have left with a kid, you stand a better chance of making your weeks count. 

Family Rhythms

Parents build intentional time into the rhythm of family life for the purpose of thinking about, talking about and living out our faith. Parents who leverage time prioritize gathering their family in the home regularly to read Scripture, to pray and to learn about Christ together. From bedtime prayers when they are little to at dinner-time discussion when they are older, parents can capture and leverage opportunities for the purpose of Christ-centered conversations.  Everyday moments like an argument between siblings provide opportunities for parents to discuss spiritual truths such as forgiveness and God’s grace. Parents who make use of moments look for ways to connect everyday ups and downs to God’s word. 

Epic will continually offer tools, suggestions and ideas to help parents think intentionally about the “how” of family discipleship and allow Christ to strengthen their home.