Parenting and Grandparenting for Faith

This page contains curated links to resources for parents, grandparents and caregivers as well as content and suggestions from the staff and friends of Trinity United Methodist Church.  With gratitude, we freely share content created and provided by Parenting for Faith (PfF).

The Parenting for Faith® name and logo are registered trade marks of Bible Reading Fellowship, a charity (233280) and company limited by guarantee (301324), registered in England and Wales.

What is Parenting for Faith?® Click here!

Below you will find tips and tools we’ve shared in previous learning sessions and discussions.

October 29, 2023

At last week’s Pop Up, we learned another key Parenting for Faith tool: Unwinding. This is an important tool for helping kids to grow a balanced and healthy view of God. It can be easy to slip into a lopsided view, and this tool helps to gently unwind misconceptions, building in a broad and balanced understanding of who God is. Questions like, “Why did Grandma die?” “What is heaven? What is hell?” can be tough! For information, support and resources, let’s connect! Jacki@Trinitymp.org

Join us on Sundays beginning October 1st: Parenting for Faith Pop-ups.  While children’s Sunday school is wrapping up, parents and grandparents are invited to gather in the glass hallway for this week’s Parenting for Faith tip.

August 27, 2023

Spirit: Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. (Psalm 37:7 NLT)

Me:  But, I’m already late. And I have too much to do! I’m hungry. And it’s really hot outside!!

What are the things that make it so hard for us to be still? What are the things we start thinking about when we begin to pray? Sometimes I’m so distracted, I just stop and promise to try again later. Jesus’ friend Martha made a better choice. When she was annoyed with her sister and felt overwhelmed, she went straight to Jesus with her complaint. And he was there for her.
(Luke 10:38-42) He’s here for us, too.

When “be still…and wait patiently” just isn’t happening, maybe it’s time to let someone else take the lead. Consider “Distracted!” a short audio devotion from Lectio 365 for Families (available only on the app). Just press PLAY and listen with the kiddos!

Find Lectio 365 for Families here.

I Wonder Questions (there are no right or wrong answers!)

• What is the most peaceful time you ever had?
• How does God help you?

August 20, 2023

Seize Opportunities: Respond with Prayer
Preparing for a new school year is both exciting and stressful. New teachers, new classes, new clothes, and new friends. Concern about grades, performance, trying out for sports teams and other competitive activities might be intimidating for your student. Jess Bielman offers a guided meditation on responding to new opportunities with prayer.

I Wonder Questions (there are no right or wrong answers!)

• If you could change one thing about our church, what would it be?
• If you could change one thing about school, what would it be?
• If Jesus was online, what would he post on social media?

August 13, 2023

I Wonder Questions  (there are no right or wrong answers!)

• If Jesus lived on Earth today, I wonder what job he would have?
• Who is the bravest person in the Bible?
• If you could ask God to change one thing about you, what would you pick?

August 6, 2023 – Pray as You Can, Not as You Can’t

It’s August already! How did that happen? Wasn’t it just May, and school was almost out for summer and we were imagining how nice it would be to finally relax a bit? Aaargh!!

If you’ve been busy living life at full speed, you might be thirsty for a few moments of stillness, and rest in God’s presence. Need help getting started? Allow yourself to be guided through that age-old challenge of how to settle down into prayer with Spiritual Director Damian Jackson SJ who invites us to “pray as you can, not as you can’t” Click here. 

Create a Window for the kids to watch how you connect with God. Invite them to settle in, too, or just be in the room with you.

I Wonder Questions  (there are no right or wrong answers!)

• What would you like to ask God?
• How do you know God hears you?
• Does God have favorite things?

July 23, 2023 – WHY is Grandparenting for Faith so important? 

As you explore the links and videos in this section of the newsletter, you can discover quite a lot about WHAT Parenting for Faith is. Last week in worship I shared a Children’s Message especially for grandparents to answer the question: WHY is Grandparenting for Faith so important? Click here for the message.

Ask I Wonder Questions  (there are no right or wrong answers!)

• if you could spend a day with Jesus, what would you do?
• what do you think God likes about our church?
• was Jesus ever scared?

July 14, 2023 – Invite God into the Chaos 

Summertime is funtime in many ways. It can also bring a new set of stressors for families. Routines are disrupted, siblings have more opportunities to disagree, and let’s be real, family vacations can be a lot of work! What would happen if we invited God into the chaos? 

In the car or the middle of a fight in the family room, catch everyone’s attention by doing something completely different. Pause for 2 minutes and let the kids watch as you listen to the Serenity Prayer with Carol Wilke / Insight Timer.  https://insig.ht/s1JSlyOcpBb )

Parenting for Faith calls this “Creating a Window” Read more in Tips and Tools (below)… 

Tips and Tools

Creating Windows

Open yourself to a moment of grace while offering children a peek at the power of your God-connection. Parenting for Faith calls this Creating a Window. Click here to learn more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q__Iq5LEim0&t=7s&ab_channel=BRF

I Wonder

Simple questions about faith can stimulate curiosity about God. Asking faith questions can be especially fruitful during the summer months when we might not be attending church or regularly connecting with a faith community. There are no right or wrong answers! 

I Wonder…Questions about God

• why did God create smells?
• what does God do at night?
• is God ever in a hurry?
• what makes God angry?

If you missed the first Bite Size Parenting for Faith session, “Getting Going,” you can watch the video and check out the takeaways below:
June 6, Session 1: Getting Going
 Video Babies & Toddlers 1: Getting going
 Takeaways (click here)
 The first Key Tool: Creating Windows | Showing kids an imperfect, real relationship with God

If you missed the second Bite Size Parenting for Faith session, “Keeping it Real,” you can watch the video and check out the takeaways below:
June 13, Session 2:  Keeping it Real
Video  Babies & Toddlers 2: Keeping it real
Takeaways (click here)
Key Tool: Framing | Seeing God in the big and small of life

If you missed the third Bite Size Parenting for Faith session, “Connection and Communication,” you can watch the video and check out the takeaways below:
June 20, Session 3:  Connection and Communication
Video Babies & Toddlers 3: Connection and communication
Takeaways (click here)
Key Tool:  Chat and Catch