Faith5 is a simple daily exercise that encourages families to connect with one another, to read the Bible together and to see God at work in their lives. Faith5 was developed by Faith Inkubators which is dedicated to helping families and church nurture faith across all ages. They have put together a wonderful family devotional guide called “Pandemic Hope: A Family Devotional for Life During Covid-19” which includes everything you need to try Faith5 with your family. You can do Faith5 around the dinner table, before bedtime, or whenever works for your family. The point is to talk about and practice faith together. Just follow these 5 simple steps:

STEP 1: SHARE your highs and lows. What was the best part of your day? What did you feel good about? What was the worst part of your day? What was hard? Help everyone else just listen without judgment. The point is for everyone to feel safe and share.

STEP 2: READ a Bible verse or story. Any scripture passage works. You can use the passages from Sunday’s worship service or the Checking Our Pulse daily devotion, pick a gospel and read your way through it, pick a psalm, or use the guide above.

STEP 3: TALK about how the Bible reading relates to your highs and lows. What does the Bible passage mean to you? How does it make you feel? How does this Bible passage connect with what is going on in your lives or our world today? What do you think God might be teaching us through these words?

STEP 4: PRAY for each other and our world. Take some time to thank God for your blessings. Ask for God’s help and guidance. Pray for specific people or situations. Remember: there is no right or wrong way to pray. Create a prayer jar or prayer wall in your house. Create a prayer walk around your house. Take turns praying for each other, in silence or aloud. The possibilities are endless! Just talk to God together.

STEP 5: BLESS one another. Offer a simple blessing to each other: Pass the peace or say “I love you” using sign language. Trace a cross on each other’s forehead. Say “God loves you and so do I.”

We hope you find these resources helpful. In these unsettling times, it’s more important than ever to draw on the resources of our faith, to hold firm to our values and priorities as people of faith, to connect our faith to our daily lives, and to teach our children and young people how to do this also. If you have any questions, please contact Tami, Chip or Stephanie.