Looking for ways to incorporate a family bible study time?
Y’all, my family is on spring break this week! Woot!
The kids are home, my husband is home, and mama is doing the happy dance!
Whether your kids are home schooled or public schooled, one thing is sure- we parents work just as hard as our kids do throughout the school year. Can I get an amen?
And so with gusto, the kids and I left the school parking lot on Friday afternoon, singing our own rendition of Alice Cooper’s original hit song, “School’s Out for Summer!” (Only we inserted the word, Springbreak, in place of Summer.)
But our celebration came to a sudden halt when my son asked this serious, albeit, innocent question:
“Mom, now that we’re on break, can we get back to reading the Bible together as a family again?”
Talk about a kill-joy!
I instantly felt a twinge of guilt- and dare I say– actually let out a begrudging sigh…
Don’t get me wrong- I LOVE the Word of God! I read the bible on a regular basis, and we have always encouraged our children to do the same.
Our family has frequent discussions about our spiritual life.
Things like:
- What we are reading in the Bible
- What was gleaned from Sunday’s sermon
- What christian podcasts we are listening to
- What we are passionate about
- What we believe God is teaching us individually right now.
But reading the Bible together? Well that poses a bit of a challenge.
You see, we are a large family. I have 7 children still living at home that range within the ages of 1-20.
We are going in different directions all of the time!
Between work schedules, school schedules, sports, drivers ed, and our personal lives, there just doesn’t seem to be time to read together.
Except in the evening hours.
But y’all, I am TOAST after 6pm. Anyone else?
Oh sure, we started out the school year on the right track. But like anything, it is hard to maintain a consistent routine, and it eventually fell along the wayside.
My son’s request jolted me out of my state of complacency- of simply accepting the status quo. And I spent the first day of our spring break doing some heavy contemplating and praying about ways that we can implement this important habit back into our lives again.
Last week I featured Michele Morin’s article about cultivating habits of holiness throughout our days.
Her post- coupled with my son’s humble request- not only convicted me, but also spurred me on to find ways of making family bible study a regular part of our routine.
Today, I’m sharing with you my newest ideas for making family bible study a success.
Choose an Ideal Time
As mentioned earlier, the ONLY time our family has available for family bible study is during the evenings.
And I wasn’t kidding when I said I am good-for-nothing past 6pm.
After the mad rush to p/u the kids from school, drive this one to his sports practice, and the other one to driver’s ed, and then return home and attempt to slap a semi-healthy meal on the table- I am wiped.
I cherish the evening hours, because it is the only time during the day when I can sit down, take a load off, kick my feet up, and unwind with a hot cup of coffee and a few episodes of my favorite tv shows.
The very thought of taking this time away from me, was daunting.
After some prayer, we decided to start our scheduled bible study time at 7:30pm. This still allows for ample downtime after dinner for some mind-numbing activities before jumping right in to bible study.
It’s also early enough that we wouldn’t have yet passed the point of no return. You mama’s know what I mean, right?
The point in time when it is all you can do to NOT lose your ever-lovin mind, while you silently count down the minutes- the SECONDS– to your kids’ bed time!
Yeah, you get it…
The point is, pick what works best for your family. What works well for you may look drastically different from what works well for us.
Find your sweet spot, and stick with it!
Set an Alarm to Start
I loved this idea that Michele gave in her article last week!
It’s simple, yet effective!
Having an alarm remind us that it’s time to study the Word, is an easy way to get everyone’s attention, regardless of where we are in the house, and no matter what we’re doing at the time.
And what I love most- I don’t have to raise my voice!
Everyone hears the alarm. Everyone knows what to do. Everyone makes their way to the family room.
No fuss, no muss!
Take Turns Leading
We like to take turns reading the bible in our family.
Doing this, serves two important purposes:
- It removes some of the pressure off of the parents from always having to facilitate, (especially with as tired as we are at the end of the day).
- It helps to teach our children the value of leadership skills. Bonus!
It is a beautiful thing watching our children get so excited about volunteering to lead bible study.
And I especially love watching my older boys take initiative, and lead by example!
Taking turns leading helps our children to grow in confidence, and it encourages them to step up in other areas of life, as well.
Win Win!
Keep it Simple
Bible study doesn’t have to be complex. I’m ALL ABOUT simple!
In our home, we read the bible, and we leave time for Q & A afterward. That’s it.
No pre-planned discussion questions. No worksheets to fill out. No videos to watch, or curriculum to follow, or deep theological conversations that would be WAY over their heads anyway.
We keep it simple folks!
We read. We discuss. We memorize. We pray.
Most times we let our children lead the discussions by asking the things that piqued their interest during the reading time. We’ve had some wonderful conversations take place this way.
Other times, we’ve had to provoke some thought, by asking certain questions to get them thinking beyond their scope of intellect.
If you are a parent who finds great joy in creatively adding extra resources to your bible study- then by all means, DO!
I have some wonderful friends who are experts at this sort of thing, and they thrive on it!
Occasionally, I have printed off a coloring page, or a crossword puzzle, that relates to the topic of discussion that evening. The kids always find this to be great fun, but I personally like that it is not an expectation, but rather a surprise!
Do what works best for you!
Set an Alarm to End
My kids have this innate ability to use whatever means possible to try and postpone bedtime. Including bible study!
If we don’t stop them, they would prolong the discussion time, by asking question after question, for the sole purpose of tricking their parents into staying up later than usual.
For this reason, we decided it would be a good idea to limit our time of discussion to one half hour.
This gives us ample time for reading and Q & A time.
Once the alarm rings, our family understands that it is time to wrap up our study with prayer.
If our children genuinely have questions still to ponder, we encourage them to jot them down in their notebook before bed.
We then make a point to revisit these questions at the start of the next days study time. But you’d be surprised at how very few questions there actually are the next day. Go figure. 😉
We have learned over the years of parenting that children thrive within healthy boundaries.
This practice sets boundaries for our bible study time, and helps our children understand what is, and is not, expected of them.
And it helps us parents too, by realizing that there is an end game in place. No run-on study time.
Can I get an Amen?!
Final Words
As a final admonition, I would like to encourage you to drop the mom-guilt.
Don’t compare your family with the family next door. Been there- done that.
Your family dynamics will look different from mine, will look different from the pastors kids, will look different from _____ (fill in the blank).
There is no right way, or wrong way to study the bible. The important thing is that you’re doing it!
And mama’s- it’s okay if you miss a day or two. (Preaching to myself here).
There will be things that come up- crazy schedule conflicts, illness, birthdays, a spontaneous call from a friend in need, forgetfulness…
Life happens. Just get back on the horse! You’re family will thank you for it!
What about you?
How does your family study the bible together?
What would you add to this list?
I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below!
And now for our featured writer!
Meet Rachel Quigley!
When I don’t Get it My Way
Quote Love:
“I am finding myself having to give up what I want and trusting Him with the outcome. It’s the way of brokenness, following and trusting that He’s got this.”
“Sometimes we face obstacles which are not of our making. Boulders fall into the path that we thought we had cleared.”
“There will always be situations when we are not treated fairly. Life is not fair and I’m reminded of that often. Sometimes we are treated better than we deserve — that’s mercy. And at other times, imperfect people bump into us and knock us off course. — And sometimes we do the bumping into others.” ~Rachel Quigley
I chose to feature Rachel’s article this week because- not only is her name AWESOME ((wink))- but her message was rather awesome too!
The hard truth is that life is not always fair. And even when WE do the right things, it doesn’t necessarily mean that others will follow suit.
The question is- how will we walk through these trying times?
Rachel gives some very practical suggestions to help us navigate these challenging seasons, in her honest post.
Hop on over to visit Rachel’s page for a healthy dose of encouragement, and give her some love while you’re there!
Thank you for sharing your inspiring article with us Rachel! Feel free to grab your “featured” button here, if you like!
Friends, because my family is on Spring break, our routine is a little off, and so I am opening up the LinkUp a day early this week.
Next week we will be back to our regular Thursday LinkUp! But for now- let’s get sharing!
Hey friends! It's time to link arms by linking up! Hop on over and share your inspiring posts among your friends! Can't wait to read what God's been teaching you! #linkup #bloghop #faithconnection #writingcommunity Share on X
wow – first off – to have a child request Bible Study is a gift beyond all. These are great tips – practical and simple. I am both. Tweeted and will share.
Sue, you are so right! It is a blessing that my kids actually WANT to do bible study! I don’t take that for granted.
Thanks, sister!
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Hey Rachel, you can certainly get an Amen! Matter of fact, you can get several! So much of this post represents my home. I have six kids who range in age from 10 to 30, of course some don’t live at home, but I remember the days. And yes, I’m toast too in the evenings, but this post was a great reminder to make God’s word a priority. Thank you for sharing and linking up with recharge Wednesdays.
So, you actually DO get it! 😉 Thanks for visiting here today, Tiffiney!
I agree with Sue, the fact that you have a child asking for a bible study says A LOT about you and your husband’s parenting! Beautiful! Yes, bible reading together doesn’t have to be complex. It’s just about reading the Word together and asking questions for clarification or responding to something that struck a cord.
It truly IS a blessing, Melissa. I acknowledge that, for sure. Yep- simple is my way! 🙂
Thanks for the encouragement!
I love the practicality and simplicity of this! I will definitely be trying this with my own family!
Thanks Marinda! I LOVE simple. 😉 Let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear!
Hi Rachel,
Thank you for this encouraging post. Family bible study can be so easy to neglect as our children get older and our lives become more and more busy. It is hard to stay consistent, but what a reward it reaps when we are. Thank God that He is faithful even when we struggle to be and He can take even our inconsistencies and weaknesses and use them for good in our children’s lives. We use many of the tips you listed here, but one thing we have never done is set an alarm for bible study to end. We may have to try that soon! I enjoyed this post so much, I shared it on our facebook page for our readers. Thank you!
https://www.facebook.com/SisterswithaSystem/
Welcome! Nice to see some new faces today. 🙂 It is easy to become complacent, and challenging to stay consistent, but God IS faithful!
Using the alarm truly has been such a benefit for our family. Yesterday, I was upstairs writing (go figure) and the alarm buzzed, and all the kids came running upstairs excitedly! How cute is that! I am enjoying our new system- it seems to be working well.
Thanks for stopping by here today, and sharing this with your readers. What a blessing!
Great ideas! I like the idea of the alarm. We use a chime because yes, I don’t want to raise my voice.
Yes, yay to your kids (and good job Mom) that they would request this!
(I wrote and illustrated 400 story “Bible in Stories” that might appeal to your wide age range?)
Well hey! A chime works great too! Love it.
Wow, Jennifer! I’d be interested in checking that out. What an accomplishment! 🙂
I’m so glad I’m not the only one that struggles with family Bible study. I love your tips! It makes something overwhelming become simple.
Thanks Andrea! Nope- definitely not alone. 😉
Wow, I am impressed you have a range of age from 1 – 20 in your home. You go, momma. What a beautiful example we can add time as a family to read the bible. I especially liked the point to keep it simple. I can sometimes make thins so elaborate we are done before we start. Great post. Thank you!
Thanks Maree! I’m right there with you. I have a tendency to go a little overboard, and it just becomes a thing of frustration instead of joy. I’m learning that simple definitely works best for me!
Great point about keeping it simple! It’s easy to get caught up in thinking we need extravagant lessons or incredibly deep discussion questions. But God just wants us to come before Him with hearts ready to worship and listen!
Exactly, Emily! He cares about our heart- not our skillz. 😉
Thanks for sharing these different ways to do Bible study together. It doesn’t have to look one way for everyone. I’m toast after 6pm too. 🙂
Glad I’m not alone, Lisa! 😉
I’m sooo right there ya—toast by 6pm. (Actually, during the winter, when it gets dark earlier, I’m toast by 5pm!) These are such good tips. How did I miss that you had seven children living at home! What a blessing. — I just have three and only two left at home, and I’m tired! We were on-again, off-again family Bible readers, but I pray the Lord was able to use that time, even still. I always ask Him to fill the gaps because I know I make plenty of mistakes and omissions as a mom. Lovely post, friend. xoxo
Brenda, I come up short in so many ways. I frequently pray that God will make up for our lack. He is faithful like that. Thank goodness it doesn’t all rest on me! We’d be in trouble! Lol
These are some great ideas! We have had different ways of doing it through the years. I now only have one at home yet so glad to see my college age students still seeking the Lord and being in His word. I don’t know that we had a certain system except for living our life in a way to honor Him through our actions, words and conversations. I love the ideas that you have here. Thanks, also for featuring my blog post! You are a blessing. Enjoy your spring break!
Rachel, honoring God through our actions is the best gift we can give our children! Leading by example. How wonderful that your grown children are continuing to walk in the ways of the Lord! That is my prayer.
Thank you for sharing your article with us last week. It was an honor to feature it here! <3
Great tips Rachel! I love this approach to family Bible Study – especially, rotating leaders so children can “learn the value of leadership skills.” Thank you!
Thanks Joy! It’s a blessing to see them flourish as small leaders!
These are excellent tips for a family Bible Study! Keep it simple is the way to go. Just like others who left comments, I love that your son asked to start reading the Bible together, so sweet. God bless you and your family!
Stopping by from Faith on Fire linkup. 🙂
Thank you Connie! I appreciate it. 🙂
Such a great post Rachel! Wish I had read it 20 years ago. Lol Our devotional time with three kids close in age kept being inconsistent. Half the time I was trying to keep them from being silly or interrupting. I like how your plan was simple and timed. Great insight!
Oh do I ever understand that, Gretchen! The silliness is a real thing! lol Thanks for the encouragement!
Family worship (with the whole family) has been a struggle for us as we have a toddler and my husband tends to work at least 60 hours a week. You’ve definitely inspired me to try and find time for a short, weekly time though!
Allyson, I completely understand the struggle! We have a large range of kids in the home, busy schedules, and a husband who works incredibly long hours too. It is hard “making” the time for bible study, which is why I so like the simple & easy approach! It’s what works best for us. I hope you find something that works for your family. Tell me about it! I’d love to hear how it goes! 😉
This is SO good – such amazing advice! Wish I would have read it before my empty nest days. I am pinning this for my daughters-in-law to see!
Thank you Alyson! I pray that it blesses them. 🙂
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