By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware | Word In Black
(WIB) – Proverbs 22:6 instructs the community of faith to “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Great advice, sure, but some would say, easier said than done. Who knew the future would bring customized programming and funding to make it possible? But Faith-Filled Families: Christian Practice for Abundant Parenting is helping to reimagine what Proverbs 22:6 looks like in practice.
Indeed, the growing spiritual formation project, which is based at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, offers a range of resources to help parents carry out their spiritual responsibility to nurture faith at home with their children.
Welcoming Children Into Church
The initiative began with Donna Sweeting who unexpectedly found herself sitting in seminary classes during the pandemic, and always raising one key question: “How are we welcoming the children into church?”
Her questions turned into action.
“About a month before I got ready to graduate, one of my main professors told me that Lilly Endowment had invited the school, Virginia Theological Seminary, to apply for a Christian Parenting grant,” Sweeting says. “It was the first time they were offering it, and my professor asked if I would help her write it.”
The idea: to help churches with preschool programs and support Christian parenting at every level. With her background directing Christian preschools in Orlando, Sweeting stepped in as project director — and brought along Dr. Missiouri McPhee, a theologian and longtime friend.
”I’m a practical theologian, but more practical than the theological part sometimes. And I knew what I needed and that she had it,” Sweeting says.
McPhee was capable and willing to be a part of this endeavor.
“What we are attempting to do is to create resources for families to make it not as taxing,” McPhee says. “Unfortunately, some families feel they have to be straight theologians in order to engage in faith formation with their children.
McPhee says she loves “making the Bible come to life, faith formation come to life, and parents getting it and feeling comfortable in transmitting their faith to their children or godparents or grandparents.”
Devotionals and Prayer Cards
The team’s first volume of devotionals is written by clergy from Episcopal, AME, CME, and Pentecostal traditions — and even features international contributors, like a chaplain from Nagaland, India, who wrote in both English and Sumi. One Spanish chaplain also contributed in both English and Spanish.
“We’ve had hospital, hospice, community and daycare chaplains as writers. We’ve had clergy who are leaders in their field, in terms of working with children,” McPhee says.
In addition to the devotional there are subscription boxes and prayer cards, all available on Amazon as well as the Faith-Filled Families website.
The prayer cards are a hit — especially with nervous adults.
“Have you ever asked an adult to pray in church? I mean, like an officer of the church? And you watch the color drain from their faces as they assume the position?” McPhee says. “So we came up with this concept of having the prayer cards for the parents, and we’re working on the prayer cards for the kids.”
Each prayer card uses both colors and letters for accessibility and the initiative even has a mascot named EDGE — which stands for Explain, Demonstrate, Guide and Empower.
And the learning doesn’t just stay in classrooms or boxes.
“I’ve partnered with three churches and we have monthly dinners,” Sweeting says. “We put together some type of activity for the family and do that activity with them. Then we send them home with a resource they can use to build on the subject we explored — but we always start with dinner.”