Faith and Family
Dear Cinnamon,
What is the best way to get reacquainted with faith and include my family in the process? My five year old has been asking who Jesus is and I’m not sure what to tell them. Help!
Dear Reader,
Jesus is the best thing that has ever happened to me. That being said, I love this question! Not only the fact that you are looking to get reacquainted yourself but that you are also interested in incorporating your family as well. That is what the church is all about actually….a family with different strengths and interests so that we can all learn and grow together. #winning.
You say reacquainted…so I’m going to assume this means you have some base level knowledge from when you were a child? I really am making a lot of assumptions here, but I’m going to just go with it! I’m also going to make the assumption that the faith you are referencing is Christianity since you also mentioned Jesus. He is the central figure in Christianity so I’m really trusting that I’m barking up the right tree here!
I will also say, you have come to the right place because I loooove sharing resources! It is one of my all time favorite things to do. When we feel like we have to have all of the answers, remember this…you don’t! Sometimes the best answer for someone is pointing them to a killer resource and letting them come to the answer themselves.
There are so many ways you can go about getting reacquainted so what I’m going to do here is list out a bunch of things in no particular order and feel free to jump into one or all of them that seems the most interesting to you!
Start attending church.
Some people are hesitant to begin visiting or attending church because they may feel like they don’t know what to do or they don’t think they will fit in because they aren’t a part of “the club”. Here’s the trick to defeating that right away - go up to the information desk or booth (or find someone who looks like they work at the church if there is no booth) and tell them you are new.
Churches will almost always have resources, classes, or people to help you get acquainted. If you are brand new to learning about Christianity, they will have resources for you. If you are looking to find out more about what the church teaches, they will have resources. If you want to get plugged into a life or small group, they will have resources. If you want to meet with the pastor, you will likely be able to do that as well.
Churches are very friendly places but you have to do some of the work as well. They won’t automatically know your whole life story the second you walk through the door and greet you knowing exactly what to say based on where you are at in your faith journey. Meet them halfway, let them know where you are at, be honest - they can handle it! Plugging into any community is a two way street.
Get a good Bible
The one I linked is the one I use and has been my favorite so far. The Bible is the Word of God. It is a privilege to be able to have them so freely as in some other countries they are outlawed. God speaks to us through his Word and let me tell you the study of the Bible is a fascinating one. Get ready!
Watch/look up The Bible Project - YouTube or YouVersion app
The Bible Project is a nonprofit organization that produces 100% free Bible videos, blogs and other various resources. Their goal is to provide resources that help people experience the Bible in a way that is approachable, engaging and transformative.
Paul and I read through the Bible in a Year twice using their app and it is so great. The videos are entertaining while also being informational in a way that is easy to understand. We both highly recommend.
Books/Read
For Adults - Mere Christianity by CS Lewis and Fundamentals of the Faith by John MacArthur are great places to start!
For Kids - I asked a good friend and teacher for some recommendations since I don’t have small kids myself so I haven’t read these but I trust her opinion!
The MOST important thing is to get a Bible, start reading it and start attending a church. Here is a good post about what to look for in a Bible believing church.
I am very excited for your journey into getting reacquainted with your faith. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the greatest event to have ever happened in human history as we are ALL sinful and deserving of death. Jesus paid the price for us and it is the greatest gift I have ever received. I pray you know come to deeply know this grace and hope as well!
~Cinnamon
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