How do you teach your children about faith?

[Leslie Holmes]

The Bible says we are to be 1st in line to teach our children about our beliefs. I did not grow up in a christian home so I don't have an example to follow. What sort of things do you do with your child(ren) to teach them about God?

[Brian Gass]

I have really struggled with this one too Leslie...for the same reason. My wife and I became Christians about a year before our first child was born and I remember how scary it was thinking about how to raise a godly young man. We got ahold of as many Dobson books as we could find for sure! I think the most important thing that we have done is followed Deut. 6:6-7 as closely as possible:

"These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

We've tried to look for "teachable moments" and make the most of them. Helping the kids become curious and encouraging questions, especially about spiritual things. That way they're always learning about things they want to be learning about...when they are ready to learn about them. I think that's been more effective than a regimented program, but it has still needed to be intentional.

[Nic Allen]

We've always talked about God to our girls, since birth (and probably even before actually). We have referenced Him and creation and His love pretty much from the beginning. When we took away the bedtime bottle from our first daughter (at 17 months - should've probably been sooner, but we were new) we replaced it with a bed time story. We began reading one bedtime book and one bible story from a toddler bible story book every night before bed. Now that she is old enough to talk about it, she has her favorite stories. Because we had another child so soon, our oldest became fascinated with all things baby. The bible stories she asks for daily are baby Moses, baby Isaac, and baby Jesus. For our girls right now, it's just about the characters themselves and some basic facts about the story. We point to bible characters in story books and ask her to name them. We ask basic questions like, "where was baby Jesus born?" to which she will reply, "in the manger with the neigh neigh's (horses)" and "who found baby Moses in the river" to which she answers, "the princess." Other than that, we are teaching concepts. As we tell our girls at night that we love them, we also say that God loves them. As we tell stories about God making the animals and the trees, we say that God also made them. Right now, we just want the Bible and talks about God to be familiar. Our church also sends us home with a one page activity sheet appropriate to 2 year olds. We read that story and do that activity several times a week. Kids thrive on repetition so we have gotten very used to reading the same stories and doing the same activities over and over. It's fun to watch them learn and have Biblical truth become part of their lives.

[Jennifer Love-Everson]

those teachable moments are in every minute of life - and God ordains all of time. (and - Brian - dobson is a great place to start! :)
being honest with children at their age appropriate level is important to help them grasp, but they see it in your actions above all. if you are kind to strangers, strong in the Truth, vocal in your praise and thankful before God in prayer they will not miss it.

[Jessie Weaver]

For babies, I had a friend recommend a great resource--Playtime Devotions (from Focus on the Family). I struggle with knowing how to teach God and the Bible to a baby, and this has sweet songs and activities I can do with even a nine-month-old. I know she may not "get it" right now, but it develops a habit and has her hearing about God! We also read from a board book with stories from the New Testament.

[Leslie Hudson]

Leslie,
I have one little boy, 6 months, so we haven't started teaching him anything other than how to drink from a sippy cup yet.

But I have friends who are amazing parents, and I'm learning a lot from them.

Some ideas:
Teach them the concepts of "mercy" and "love" by demonstrating them even when they're young. One friend of mine tells her toddler, "You don't really love something by saying, "I love you". You have to be loving." Another dad will occasionally "take" his daughter's punishment (like time-out) and explain that Jesus took the penalty for our sin.

Another friend adopts a "family verse" that she memorizes. She then spends the next few days (or few weeks) looking for ways to demonstrate that verse to her kids. When they hear mommy say it over and over and see visible or physical examples to accompany it, it sticks.

[Dana Schmoyer]

Our little girl is 2 weeks today, so we are by far experts of any kind. Someone gave her a children's Bible, so I've already started reading it to her. I know it is good for children to see their parents spending time in prayer and reading their bibles, setting an example for their kids. And then involve your kid/s in a devotion too.