During worship, invite children to watch for:
• Lighting of the candles.
• The pastor or procession of ministers.
• Songs sung each week.
• Hymn numbers they can look up.
• The sign of the cross being made.
• How many times the pastor says a certain word, such as faith, peace, Jesus.
Ideas for home devotions:
• Light candles.
• Teach them to make the sign of the cross and say, “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
• Recite a portion of the catechism together.
• Say the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer.
• Invite everyone to offer a prayer, especially for others.
• Sing a hymn or song from Sunday school.
John attended Sunday school through the eighth grade. He was an average student, though quiet in confirmation class. His classmate Daniel was popular and often raised his hand to answer questions. But in high school Daniel seldom came to church—except for Christmas and Easter. John attended even when his parents weren’t able to. He volunteered to usher and expressed an interest in going into church work after college. Why the difference?
There may be many reasons, but one stands out: good family habits.
“Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” Proverbs 22:6 rings as true today as it did centuries ago.
First among those habits is regular worship attendance.
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