For the parents in your church, there is nothing more important than knowing their children understand the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. They want to teach them the importance of biblical principles and walking in righteousness according to God's Word. Partnering with parents in their child's spiritual formation will lead to healthy families who are disciples of Christ and represent Jesus in your community.

But how do you reach mixed ages and demographics and teach them all of the biblical truths and foundations of the faith? By gathering the families together and spending time in the presence of the Lord. (See Psalm 16:11)

“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world ”

— 1 Peter 1:7 NLT

For years now, I have been holding family services called Family Encounters. Wherever you gather families, at church, camp, or a park, good things begin to happen. Here are the guiding principles for Family Encounters based on 1 Peter 1:7:

Authentic Faith – "…faith remains strong..." (v7)

It is essential to have parents be authentic with their kids in their faith walk. Kids should be witnesses to a faith in God that remains strong. Share short testimonies of how God has been faithful to families through difficult circumstances and then allow families to spend time together to talk through the situations they are facing right now in their lives.

Genuine Relationships – "These trials will show that your faith is genuine." (v7)

Kids can sense when something is happening in a household. When they have genuine relationships within the family, they will be open to asking questions about their concerns or fears. Teach your parents to be genuine and honest in the tough times, discerning how many details they need to share with their kids. This will help kids experience their genuine relationship with a faithful God.

Real Conversations – "As a fire tests and purifies gold…" (v7)

Keeping these principles in mind, Family Encounters are a multigenerational gathering of family and friends where kids, youth, and adults learn God's Word in an interactive fun way and hear the Bible come alive. You need to have fun activities where families interact with one another and then gather close to listen to God's Word and have time to talk together. Include sensory items in your teaching points to make the lesson stick.

It's possible to pray, plan, prepare, and have families participating in a Family Encounter next week – honest! You can see how two of us planned a Family Encounter at the park in one week in the summer of 2020 here!

Here are four theme ideas for a Family Encounter.

1. Power of 3

Using the number "3" as your theme, incorporate as many activities with the number 3. Have a 3-legged race and serve ice cream cones with 3 scoops. Teach a short message on the Trinity using an object lesson with an apple and giving an apple to each family group. Ask 3 generations (grandparent, parent and child) of one family to share a three-minute testimony each of how they came to know Jesus as their personal Saviour. Have them interact and do the illustration along with you.

2. H2O

Water is a fun theme for all ages. Use your church property and get out the water hoses, sprinklers, buckets, and sponges for a fun hour with families laughing and interacting. Gather everyone in the sunshine and give the families water with ice cubes to drink and be refreshed as you teach them about Jesus as the living water.

3. GLOW

For this theme, we are focusing on the fact that we are all to Go Light Our World. With a few black lightbulbs and some glow sticks, you turn your sanctuary into a GLOW party that will captivate the kids. Turn the lights on to have families use glow-in-the-dark paint on rocks to create a family game like dominoes or tic tac toe. While you let those dry, turn the lights off again and hand out little battery-operated tea lights. Talk about the passage in Matthew 5:15, have families discuss what it looks like to see "light" in the dark place of the world and then pray together about how they can be a light to the world. Be prepared on Sunday for visitors to your church as your families reach out into their neighbourhoods.

4. Church's Got Talent!

This Family Encounter will bring out the best in people of all ages! I don't suggest any judges or a winner to the talent contest but instead, lead your families into conversations around Ephesians 2:10 and how uniquely God has made them. Finish the Family Encounter with moms and dads speaking words of affirmation over their kids. I can already hear the laughter and giggles that come with the unique talents you will discover in your church families.

Thank you, Pastor, for making every child, youth, and adult a disciple to reach your community for Christ. I have watched relationships healed and broken hearts mended when we make space to bring our families together before the Lord. What a witness to those in their neighbourhoods to see the heart of Jesus in the families who are living out their faith authentically, developing solid and genuine relationships and having real conversations about life. If you'd like some more information on how to run a family encounter, email me at handlewithcaremin@gmail.com.

Find out more about Family Encounters and Kid Encounters.

Guest Author, Leann Woelk
Leann is a passionate leader who enjoys using everyday items to teach biblical truths through whimsical creativity and thrifty practicality. She is a speaker, writer, and Certified INCM Coach. As the Founder of Handle with Care Ministries, she provides training, support and care to Children’s Ministry Leaders and their church families.