A new thing on Sundays

A few weeks ago Toben and I had lunch with another couple--their kids go to school with our kids, their daughter is in my Brownie troop, he's a professor at Denver Seminary. In the course of our conversation, we decided to have lunch together every Sunday after church to talk theology with our kids.

(He has his doctorate in theology from Oxford. How cool is that?)

Each week we give our kids a topic and they each come prepared with three or four questions. We have lunch, the kids play, and we spend about an hour talking about their questions over dessert. We're done by three o'clock and still have a long afternoon of rest at home.

So far, we've asked questions about God, the Bible, Jesus, and humanity. Tomorrow, we're talking about the Holy Spirit and salvation.

I've been amazed at the questions our kids have asked. And we've had some incredible conversations as a result. 

We ask all the kids what they think in response to their own questions, letting them answer each other's questions, ask more questions that relate. The adults weigh in and even ask our own questions about the topic. 

It doesn't feel like sitting the kids down and preaching to them. It feels like talking about God and our questions and how those things affect our everyday lives--together.

Yes, we want to talk to our kids all the time about spiritual things--as we sit down to dinner, as we drive in the car, as we walk through the neighborhood. But that's sometimes easier wished for than actually lived out. (Just like anything else, sometimes it takes a specific plan to put something into practice!)

It's been so helpful to have a specific time and a specific topic to talk about. And then from that set time and topic, other conversations spill out into our week.

Sound interesting?

Here's what I'd suggest if you want to do something similar. 

• Pick one meal a week and set it aside for this specific purpose. Make dessert!
• Pick a topic--in advance--and actually write down the things you want to talk about.
• Grab a Bible; encourage your kids to grab theirs too.
• Remember it's okay to say "I don't know." Look up the answers together.
• Ask your own questions too.
• Think about including another family.

Do you do something similar already? Leave a comment and share with the rest of us!

Comments

[Cheryl]

That is a great idea!
I am a firm believer in the fact that our children need to be taught a biblical world perspective.
I'm going to talk to my hubby about doing this with our kids.

[Holly B.]

Very cool idea! Love it!

[Kristy]

That sounds so interesting, I'd love to be a "fly on the wall". For some reason, I don't seem to be good at explaining things clearly - so I know I would be afraid of some of the things my kids would ask - especially my oldest - he's our deep thinker (like we are). I don't know why I'm always afraid of just saying I don't know. It would help to have a professor in the family - or at least in the house!

[Sabbath]

Our children are the one that will going to spread the word of god if we pass away. So I think that is a great idea to teach our children the word of God and make them understand it.