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. Alex Graham III. at agraham@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!

How can I have faith?

How can we have faith? Faith is such a big topic. To put it simply: faith simply means believing in something you cannot see. It means you believe something with complete and total confidence–so much you put your trust in it. Can you talk about the following questions and learn more about your faith?

Questions for discussion with your children
  • If someone asked you, “Do you have faith?” what would your answer be? Why?
  • Did you feel different in your heart when you discovered that you had faith in Jesus?
  • Have you ever asked Jesus, like a friend, to be in your heart forever? Do you want to?

If you’ve never prayed to receive Jesus, you might want to pray the following prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life (take a few moments to ask his forgiveness for anything particular that is on your conscience). Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong. Thank you that you died on the cross for me, so that I could be forgiven and set free. Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Spirit. I now receive that gift. Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me forever. Thank you Lord Jesus, amen.