INSIDE: the different stages in growing as a family of faith.
My goal with this whole website is to help parents feel confident in their calling as spiritual leaders in their homes, helping you be consistent in a creative, unique-to-you way.
You can be confident in your calling to grow a family of faith BECAUSE God is faithful.
He has promised to begin and continue the good work He is doing in each family.
God says, in Isaiah 60:21, “they are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.”
God created our families. We have all become broken in many ways, but God is constantly re-creating our families through his grace, and for his glory.
And someday, our children will be called “Oaks of Righteousness”, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
But we don’t start out that way. Just like trees outside don’t start their lives by towering over us, our families don’t begin as “oaks of righteousness”!
We start as babies, or, to continue the plant metaphor, we start as SEEDS.
I took a few plant biology classes for my degree, and while I don’t remember everything, I do remember this much.
(1) Most plants start as seeds. Then the seed case cracks, and a little root comes out.
(2) The first little leaf pops out and searches for light, eventually cracking through the surface of the soil.
(3) It grows a few more leaves, but the bulk of early growth in a healthy plant happens under the surface, in the roots.
(4) Once the roots are happily sucking up water and nutrition, the plant is ready for powerful growth. It grows taller, stronger, and wider.
(5) Eventually, it starts to bear fruit.
No two trees are the exact same.
An oak tree grows very slow, but very huge, and it bears acorns. An apple tree grows quickly, and is mid-sized. Obviously, it bears apples. A lime tree has a different growth speed and bears different fruit from a maple tree, which is different from a spruce tree. Even trees that look the same on the outside have branches in different places and grow different amounts of fruit.
But they all start as a seed, then a sprout, then grow roots, then grow bigger, then they reproduce.
Family faith is the same. Your family looks different from mine, with a different growth rate. We’ll bear different fruit and have different things we offer to the world.
But we all follow the same general path.
I have determined 5 stages of growth with regard to family faith, which starts at the Seed stage, and over the years, takes your family to full fruitfulness.
5 growth stages in a family of faith:
STAGE 1: SEED
If you’re in the Seed stage, that means you’re just new at this. Maybe your kids are still really young so you haven’t even had a chance to think about this yet.
Or maybe your kids are older and you’re struggling to find the time and motivation to help your kids connect with God.
But you know what? You’re here, reading this today. So that tells me that you are ready to make some changes and that in your heart, you know that passing on your faith is important.
In this stage, I want to help you crack that seed case and put down your first root.
Click here or on the picture below to see the resource I’ve created just for this Seed stage!
STAGE 2: SPROUTED
If you’re in the Sprouted stage, that means that you know why it’s important to build up your kids in faith, and you know that it’s your calling as their parent.
You’re ready to start a faith habit but are not sure where to start.
You might be overwhelmed with how many ideas there are out in internet-land, or maybe you are just not great at creating new habits.
In this stage, I want to help your first little leaf pop out of the dirt and remain strong.
Click here or on the resource below to see the resource I’ve created just for this stage!
STAGE 3: ROOTED
If you’re in the Rooted stage, you have developed one or two simple faith habits with your kids, but it still feels a little awkward. You want to help your kids become more connected to God.
You might be struggling with getting your kids to focus when you pray or read the Bible or have faith conversations.
It may still seem very surface, so in this stage we’re going to start going deeper.
In this stage, I want to help you put down strong roots. We’ll build habits that may not look like much at first, but will provide the strong foundation you need to grow strong.
Click here to see the list of resources I have created for this stage!
STAGE 4: FLOURISHING
If you’re in the Flourishing stage, you have developed a habit and culture of faith in your home. You feel comfortable modifying devotional books and Bible stories to meet your unique child’s needs.
You might feel unequipped to help your kids get past the basics of faith or share the gospel with your kids. HopeGrown Faith will help you learn to share the gospel with your kids, and clarify your family values and mission.
In this stage, I want to help you grow strong. I will give you tools to help teach your kids without a devotional book, as well as deeper Bible studies to use with your kids.
Click here or on the picture to go through my “40 Days with Jesus” Bible study with your family!
STAGE 5: FRUITFUL
If you’re in the Fruitful stage, you are confident in your ability to show your family how to live in the power of the Holy Spirit and how to share their faith in word and deed. You trust God to carry to completion this good work that He has begun in your family. You are ready for God to stretch you as a family.
In this stage, I want to help you bear fruit beyond your family, planting seeds of faith in others. we’ll talk about sharing the gospel with others, showing hospitality, and using our money to bless the world.
Click here or on the picture to access my Gospel-sharing tools, which will help your family bear godly fruit!
WANT TO KNOW WHICH GROWTH PHASE YOU’RE IN?
Take my handy quiz!
HopeGrown Faith is built on this growth path – all the resources, interviews with authors, and challenges specifically hit at least one of these stages. Registration for HopeGrown faith isn’t currently open, but you get on the waitlist here.
HopeGrown Faith is all about helping parents feel confident in their calling as spiritual leaders in their homes, helping you be consistent in a creative, unique-to-you way.
Need more articles?
0 Comments