We are convinced that family worship ought to be worship, not games, not entertainment, not a discussion (though discussion may occur), not "family time" (though the family is together), but a devotional exercise. Consequently, even in a family with young children, the elements in family worship ought to be those of public worship (minus the sacraments) adapted for the more informal family setting, but still predominantly serious and substantial. Furthermore, such an approach will have the salutary effect of family and public worship reinforcing and building upon one another. Family worship that employs the commonly used elements and forms of public worship (eg. Creed, Doxology, Lord's Prayer, Ten Commandments, etc.) will hasten memorization and enable active participation of small children on the "family pew" at a very young age.

The follow list of elements provides an outline of the kinds of things that you might do, adapting the particulars to the needs of your family (ages of your children, etc.):

1. Singing—Start to sing Psalms and hymns to your children on the day you bring them home from the hospital. By age two they will begin to pick up the tunes and some words; by age four they will be able to sing a host of hymns and Psalms such as those being suggested in this work. On Saturday sing the Sunday hymns in preparation for the Lord's Day. For a larger collection, our recommended songbooks are:

Trinity Hymnal16

Trinity Psalter or Trinity Psalter Songleader’s Edition17

2. Prayer—Teach them to bow their heads, fold their hands, and 1) pray ACTS, the whole range of A-doration, C-onfession, T-hanksgiving, and S-upplication ("Our Father in heaven, we worship you, we praise you . . . we confess our sins . . . we thank you for Jesus who died for our sins . . . bless Mommy and Daddy," etc.); and 2) pray the Lord's Prayer, which by age four or so they should be able committed to memory. For examples of family prayers, see the following:

Matthew Henry, A Method for Prayer (Greenville: Reformed Academic Press, 1994), pp 214–241.

The Directory for Family Worship, Section LX.

3. Confession of Faith—Begin with the Apostles' Creed; once mastered, go on to the Children's Catechism, then the Shorter Catechism. The Law of God and the Beatitudes may be used either as preparation for prayer or an affirmation of faith.

4. Teaching—Get a good Bible story book as a guide and read or tell the stories in such a way as makes them live. Remember that much of the Biblical revelation is in the form of stories. Use them. As children get older, move from children's versions to adult. We have found the following to be useful and edifying children’s “Bibles.” They are listed in order of sophistication, from the simplest to the more mature:

Read-Aloud Bible Stories, Vols. 1–4 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1982–1995). Twenty basic Bible stories, beautifully illustrated, appeals to all ages, even the very youngest. Ages 1–4.

The Beginner’s Bible (Sisters, Oregon: Questar Publishers, 1991). Provides good overview of Bible stories, through the happy-face pictures to undermine themes of sin and judgment. Ages 2–6.

The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes (Chicago: Moody Press, 1956). Combines texts written by the Living Bible’s Kenneth Taylor with beautiful artwork from previous generations. Contains 184 stories which when read in combination with suggested Scripture reading are very effective. Ages 4–12.

The Children’s Daily Devotional Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996). Two-hundred sixty Scripture portions, Contemporary English Version, organized for fifty-two weeks, five readings per week. As with the others, beautifully illustrated. Ages 4+ (when read aloud).

The Children’s Story Bible (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1935). A classic, written by Catherine F. Vos, wife of Princeton theologian Gerhardus Vos. Ages 8–12.

There may also be occasions when thematic studies may be desirable. The following are recommended for family devotions:

Sinclair B. Ferguson, The Big Book of Questions and Answers (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications Ltd, 1997). Using a question and answer format, illustrations, and interactive material, seventy-seven questions are asked and answered spanning creation, fall, redemption, and Christian living. Excellent. Ages 5 and older.

Stephen Barcliff, My Best Bible Word Book Ever (Sisters, Oregon: Questar Publishers, Inc., 1992). Forty-five lessons are placed in Biblical order with detailed illustrations portraying life in Bible times. Extra pages of illustrations of weapons, musical instruments, tools and so on are included. Very good for helping young ones visualize the meaning of Bible words. Ages 4 and older.

Sandy Silverthorne, The Awesome Book of Bible Facts (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest Book Publishers, 1994). Forty-seven lessons arranged by order of appearance in Bible, loaded with facts, comparison between Biblical phenomena and the modern world, and humorously illustrated.

These suggestions are not exhaustive and no doubt other excellent alternatives are available. It needs to be said as well, that most reading of the (adult) Bible itself, has still proven to be the most edifying of devotional exercises for our family. The children’s editions tend to edit-out controversial or “negative” matters (e.g. divorce) from which some of our most stimulating discussions have come.

By using these elements in daily family worship you will be providing regular spiritual instruction for your family as well as preparing them for the public worship services of the church. At an early age, your children will be able to join in with the congregation and repeat the parts that they have learned at home. In the process, the public worship service becomes the focal point of your week. Your family devotions lead up to it. The service itself becomes a "family time," when parents model public devotion to God and children learn to worship Him.

This article is taken from "The Family Worship Book: A Resource Book for Family Devotions" by Terry Johnson (ISBN 978-1-85792401-5) which is published by Christian Focus Publications (www.christianfocus.com) and is used here with their kind permission.

Terry Johnson is the Senior Pastor at Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah, GA