# Family Worship



## Grillsy (Mar 15, 2011)

Most of us agree that we should practice family worship in our homes (WCF 21.6).

1. How do you organize your family worship? 
2. What is done during your family worship?
3. Did you practice family worship before having children?


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## nwink (Mar 15, 2011)

Directory for Family Worship.

Check out the link above for the Directory of Family Worship from the Scottish Church in the Second Reformation


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Mar 15, 2011)

1) This book was helpful in teaching us how to "organize" family worship.

2) Pray, Sing a Psalm(poorly), read the Bible/discuss, and Pray. Takes 15-20 minutes.

3) No. (Though that has more to do with us not being Reformed than anything else)


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## Grillsy (Mar 15, 2011)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> 2) Pray, Sing a Psalm(poorly), read the Bible/discuss, and Pray. Takes 15-20 minutes



Would you say this in the normal amount of time set aside for a typical Reformed family?


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Mar 15, 2011)

I have no idea to be honest. My kids are still relatively young so I guess we will spend a bit more time in discussing the passage when they are older.

I seem to remember Joel Beeke saying his family spent 30 minutes.


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## N. Eshelman (Mar 15, 2011)

Here is what we do: 

-Go through about 5 catechism questions. 
-Read from the Bible (we rotate between OT and NT books and read straight through). We only read a few paragraphs or one pericope and then discuss what was said. 
-Sing a psalm. We sing ONE psalm all month long so that the children can memorize them. 
-Pray (recently we have been praying for specific countries as well: Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Japan). My wife and I rotate the prayer after taking requests from the kids (Ages 7,5,3,1). 

The whole thing takes about 30 mintues. 

We did have family worship before we had kids. We read whole sermons then though. Attention spans and age appropriateness will help you in having good family worship. It does not need to be 1-2 hours long.


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## TexanRose (Mar 16, 2011)

Grillsy said:


> Backwoods Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> > 2) Pray, Sing a Psalm(poorly), read the Bible/discuss, and Pray. Takes 15-20 minutes
> ...


 
I would say, based on my experience (mostly just with families from our church), that 15-20 minutes is a typical time frame. 

I think that Dr. Beeke, in his article on family worship (posted on his church's website), describes worship as typically taking 10 to 25 minutes.


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## LeeD (Mar 16, 2011)

Our children are a bit older and often have questions pertaining to the Scripture reading. We normally take 25-35 minutes for our family worship time.


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## jwithnell (Mar 16, 2011)

My then future husband and I did our Bible study and prayer together with me in Alaska and Brian here in Virginia : ) Our family has migrated from mostly singing to mostly Bible reading and questions. I'd like to get a better mixture of the two. Lately, my husband and 7-year-old son have been reading the psalms responsively. How precious to hear my son speak God's word! In our prayer, I like to make sure we make petitions the kids can relate to, such as for friends of ours trying to adopt a baby.


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## John Weathersby (Apr 9, 2011)

Great thread guys! Thanks for the encouragement in this area!


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## RTaron (Apr 9, 2011)

We still have four left at home who join in worship. Before children came we did have family worship. 
We sing a psalm, catechize using the Shorter C. and we read Thomas Vincents Explanation of the Shorter C for further help in understanding. 
Then we read a chapter from the scriptures, switching each week from the Old T. to the N.T. and so on. Then I close in prayer. 
One thing we started a few years ago, is to trade off who gets to choose the Psalm and tune, and read the scripture.


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## Scott1 (Apr 10, 2011)

There are many good practices and recommendations here.

Consider also, as worship is centered by and through the Word of God, gather the family together, invite any other guests in the household, and read and discuss the Bible for about 50 minutes. 

The man leading in the home to do this does not need any formal training, study guide or commentary, just by God's grace reading and engaging in the discussion of God's Word.

The results will be profound, on everyone.


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