Family Worship Guide

Throughout Christian history, families have participated in both the corporate worship services of the church, and in private family worship in their homes. One of the keys to worshipping together as a family is simply to have a plan. We want to encourage you to pick one time a week and designate that as the time when you will gather as a family and spend some time in worship. Remember this doesn’t have to be long or formal but you can simply follow the short guide we have here. This guide requires little to no preparation and is connected to what we are doing together on Sunday mornings.

Each week the guide will contain four main elements: Sing, Read, Teach, and Pray, with the elements in the guide pulled from our corporate worship service that week. There are also some recommended resources included at the bottom of the guide that may be helpful to your family at some point during your time together.

You can do the whole thing in 15 minutes as a family or, if the discussion is going well, feel free to go longer. Remember to give yourself grace and trust that the Lord will supply what you need. It won’t always be smooth and it may sometimes feel like little was accomplished. The key is just to spend regular time together in worship and point each other to Jesus. Think of ways to make this time interactive and engage your kids if you have them.

You aren’t in this alone. The Lord is with you and so are we. Feel free to share with us how your worship together is going. We would love to help you with any struggles you may be facing and celebrate all the victories. Know that we are praying for you each week as we send out this resource. We are so excited to see what the Lord does as he works in and through you and your families.

Psalm 86:1–17 (ESV)
1 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, 
for I am poor and needy. 
2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; 
save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. 
3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, 
for to you do I cry all the day. 
4 Gladden the soul of your servant, 
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, 
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. 
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; 
listen to my plea for grace. 
7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, 
for you answer me. 
8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, 
nor are there any works like yours. 
9 All the nations you have made shall come 
and worship before you, O Lord, 
and shall glorify your name. 
10 For you are great and do wondrous things; 
you alone are God. 
11 Teach me your way, O Lord, 
that I may walk in your truth; 
unite my heart to fear your name. 
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, 
and I will glorify your name forever. 
13 For great is your steadfast love toward me; 
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 
14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me; 
a band of ruthless men seeks my life, 
and they do not set you before them. 
15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, 
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me; 
give your strength to your servant, 
and save the son of your maidservant. 
17 Show me a sign of your favor, 
that those who hate me may see and be put to shame 
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

The Apostles Creed (AD 390)

We believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy universal church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.