Our Family Life Class, aimed at adults of a younger age and their families, we is studying new course, Alpha for Families. This is the well-known Alpha Course designed to encourage family conversations with your spouse or children about some of the ‘big’ questions of faith.

Every Sunday, we will watch a 15-20 minute video about a big question (e.g. “How do I have faith?” or “Does God heal today?”). You can watch alone or with your spouse, kids or friends! There’ll be a few ‘pauses’ in the message for you to think about what you believe and discuss it with whomever you’re watching.

For younger children, you will find a conversation starter guide in the email and on the website. So, after you watch the teaching, you can start having deeper faith conversations with your younger kids who might not sit through the video.

The Rev. Dr. Suse E. McBay
Associate for Adult Christian Education and Prayer Ministries

The Rev. Alex D. Graham III
Associate for Children and Family Ministries
Please do not reply to this email.
To respond to this Bible study, please email
the Rev. Dr. Suse McBay at smcbay@stmartinsepiscopal.org.
A Guide for Discussion with Younger Children

Welcome!

We encourage you to use this guide to have a conversation with your children. Maybe over dinner, before bed or on a drive somewhere, there are always opportunities to start talking with our kids about some of these basic beliefs of Christians, and to help them think it through for themselves. You, as their parents, have an important role to play in giving them permission to ask these questions, and you do not have to have all of the answers!

What About the Church?

We talk a lot about “going to church” so it’s easy to think that a church is just a building. But really a church is a group of believers. We call the building a ‘church’ because it’s where we gather together to worship God and remind each other of what we believe, but the people being together on the inside are really what it’s all about. Imagine if you were training for the Olympics: it’s much easier to train when we have others with us - we can encourage each other and help one another when we’re struggling, because we have different strengths and weaknesses. We are all together on God’s team!

  • What do you like about church? What have you missed about church this year?
  • Why is it important to remember church is not about the buildings but the people inside?
  • Do you think the church does different things inside the same building? Do you think there are different things you can do for God inside the church?