Mary Jo Zwar

Faith Five* is a simple plan for developing disciples — both children and adults — in the family home. Whether they call it a home huddle, or a family devotion or Faith Fives, whether they spend five minutes or longer, families are finding this five- step plan is a valuable nightly ritual.

1. Share highs and lows of the day

Highs are the good things than happen; lows are the bad things. Some days there seem to be more of one than another. It’s good, even on the bad days to think of good things. Everyone should have a chance to share. Accept each person’s story as a true report and a gift to the rest of you. The ability to identify these aspects of life and verbalise them is a valuable life skill.

2. Read the Bible

Invite God into your family conversation in a way that is appropriate to the age of your children. For young children it may be a Bible story or a Bible song or a single Bible phrase.

For older children it may be a Bible verse. As children learn to read, they may read the verse from their own Bible and highlight it.

For Faith Five it’s better to dig deeply into a single Bible thought than to study large blocks of text.

3. Relate the verse to your highs and lows

Young children will not make the same connections that adults make. That’s OK. God may be showing the younger disciples something that the grown-ups need to hear.

4. Pray for one another

Thank God for your highs, for his love and for his guidance through his word. Ask God for continued guidance, help, strength, patience and courage in the face of the lows.

5. Bless one another

A blessing can include physical touch: hand on head, hug, kiss or making the sign of the cross. Use your own words, words of a Bible benediction or simply: ‘Jesus loves you, and so do I’.

It’s never too early to start Faith Five in a family (or by yourself or with friends), and it’s never too late.

The Faith Five structure morphs with changes in a growing family. Begin when the first child is an infant with just the nightly blessing. Add prayers and stories as the child develops speech. When the child starts school, focus on highs and lows. When the child begins reading, add Bible reading and deeper discussion.

Faith Five at bedtime helps the family to reflect on the day and to deal with issues that might cause sleeplessness. It is a lovely way to send young disciples to sleep secure in the love of God and their parents.

*Faith Five is a component of Faith Inkubators.