Family Worship: A Simple Outline

  1. We Worship God through Song
  1. Begin by singing 3 or 4 songs or hymns
  1. We have enjoyed asking family members to each select a hymn
  1. Small children often select the same song each week. Don’t discourage this. Since they can’t read, it is how they are learning!
  1. Sing a cappella or with piano/guitar. Encourage singing strongly and not worrying about the joyful noise that comes out!
  1. We worship God through hearing His word
  1. There are at least four options here:
  1. The father can lead the family systematically through a book of the Bible by taking a few verses each day, reading them, and then leading the family through discussing them. This is our practice around the breakfast table each morning (and takes only 10-15 minutes).
  1. You can go online and download a sermon from any number of churches. See the “Misc. Resources” link at for a sample list of churches that have sermons online. We recommend beginning a series and following it through, from first to last. For example, we enjoyed listening to Dr. Ligon Duncan at First Pres. Jackson teach through Ephesians. We listened to one sermon per week, on Sunday evening.
  1. If you have chosen to listen to a sermon online, at the conclusion of the sermon, ask, “what did the pastor say?” Follow this up with more questions or highlight other key points that were made. Make applications in your own family’s life. We have also had our children bring a Bible, pen and notebook to family worship so that they can take notes during the sermon and follow the pastor as he preaches the message. It helps with focus!
  1. You can also work through a devotion book. There are many available. This is often what Lisa does with the family if I am out of town.
  1. You can use the Sunday evening family worship time to discuss the sermon from Sunday. The advantage to this approach is that it allows the family to go deeper into the morning topic, thus reinforcing it, clarifying question areas, and making it more memorable and applicable. Notes and outlines from the morning can be used as discussion starters.
  1. There is no need to make this element of worship complicated. Simply read or listen to God’s word proclaimed. Ask lots of questions and encourage participation. This is not a lecture, but a discussion focused on God’s word.
  1. We worship God through Prayer
  1. Ask for prayer requests
  1. As family members give prayer requests, whether personal requests or for someone else they know, ask immediately for a volunteer to pray specifically for that need. Even very small children can volunteer (and often are the first to volunteer!).
  1. Be sure to solicit both prayer and praise.
  1. Do not laugh or tease for a humorous request. Prayer is a very personal spiritual discipline and the goal is for everyone to be comfortable praying to our Lord.
  1. After you have gathered all the prayer requests and someone has volunteered or been assigned to pray for each of the needs, begin the prayer time, going around the room. We often start with the person sitting to the left of the father, then continuing around the room. The father will close the prayer time.

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A Sheppards Guide to Simple Family Worship.doc