The First 5 Steps We Took to Create a Christ-Centered Family Culture

As a parent of 2, 3, and 4-year-olds, I’ve often found myself searching for resources on integrating faith into our daily lives, only to come up short. Most articles and guides seem to cater to older children, leaving me to wonder how to adapt their suggestions to our unique family dynamics. This led me to embark on a personal journey of self-education and creativity, seeking ways to nurture our children’s spiritual growth despite their young age.

If you’re like me, you’re eager to create a Christ-centered family culture that permeates every aspect of your life. You want to raise children who are not only familiar with biblical stories but also understand the importance of living out their faith in everyday moments.

Our Story: From Lukewarm to Intentional

As I matured in my faith, I felt a growing conviction to reevaluate our family’s values and traditions. I realized that being a Christ-centered family required more than just attending church or participating in occasional faith-based activities. It demanded a deliberate effort to create an environment where our children could grow spiritually, surrounded by intentional decisions, traditions, and practices that reflected our commitment to God.

For us, this journey began with small, practical steps that laid the groundwork for a firm foundation. These “entree” moments, as I call them, went beyond the typical “side dish” activities like crafts and Bible story reenactments (although those are fun and valuable too!). Our goal was to create a home environment that was saturated with faith, where our children could mature spiritually by being immersed in a Christ-centered culture.

5 Practical Tips to Get You Started

1. Pray over every meal, and let your kids take turns leading: We make it a point to pray before every meal, and we encourage our kids to take turns leading the prayer. Even our 2-year-old joins in, starting his prayers with “Once upon a time…” We want our kids to feel comfortable giving it their best shot at trying to pray what is on their hearts without judgment, and we strive to create a safe space for them to express themselves freely.
2. Use everyday moments to model Christ-like behavior: We have open conversations with our kids about what it means to live like Jesus. We use simple examples to illustrate behaviors that are “like Jesus” (e.g., sharing, being kind, and forgiving) and those that aren’t (e.g., being selfish, lying, or hurting others). This approach has been a valuable discipling tool for us, helping us to redirect our kids’ behavior in a way that is constructive and loving, rather than simply being frustrated with their toddler antics.
3. Create a family prayer list and pray together: We use a huge whiteboard by our dinner table (which doubles as a homeschooling space) to list out prayer requests for people we know, and then we pray together as a family. This can be as simple as praying for a sick family member or a friend going through a tough time. My husband often leads the prayer, providing a great example for our kids on how to pray for others.
4. Read Bible stories together and make it interactive: We read children’s Bible stories together, often incorporating color pages, crafts, or reenactments to make the stories more engaging. These activities can be a fun “side dish” to our Bible reading.
5. Evaluate and refine your family’s influences, and lead by example: As we strive to make our home God’s territory, we recognize the importance of evaluating every aspect of our lives to determine what is acceptable to God. This means taking a close look at the media we consume, the music we listen to, the books we read, and even the TV shows we watch. We need to be serious about removing anything that doesn’t align with our values as a Christ-centered family. Down the road we will also have conversations with our kids about why we’re making these choices and involve them in the process of evaluating what we expose ourselves to. By leading by example and being intentional about the influences we allow in our home, we teach our kids to discern what is acceptable and what is not. This includes being mindful of the clothes we wear, the games we play, and even the food we eat. As we strive to be 100% committed to God, we want our kids to learn that the goal is 100% commitment.

Recommended Resources

If you’re looking for more guidance on creating a Christ-centered family culture, I highly recommend the books “Soul Sick” and “The Christ Centered Home” by Mark J Musser.