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.

Come Unto Jesus
Come unto Jesus, all you who are weary
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel
Here bring your wounded heart, broken and needy
Come unto Jesus, mighty to heal

Joy of the comfortless, light for the straying
Hope of the penitent, peace in our strife
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying
"My yoke is easy, My burden is light"

Come unto Jesus, come unto Jesus
Lay down your burdens, He is enough
Come unto Jesus, rest in His love

Come, taste the Bread of Life broken for sinners
Drink from the cup of His promise made sure
Feast at His table as sons and as daughters
Grace overflowing is yours evermore

Come unto Jesus, come unto Jesus
Lay down your burdens, He is enough
Come unto Jesus, rest in His love

Come now and follow Him, this life forsaking
All that was gained count as nothing but loss
Trade all this world for His kingdom unfading

Come unto Jesus, and take up your cross
Come unto Jesus, and take up your cross
Life everlasting He offers to us

Come unto Jesus, come unto Jesus
Lay down your burdens, He is enough
And come unto Jesus, come unto Jesus
Lay down your burdens, He is enough
Come unto Jesus, rest in His love
Come unto Jesus, rest in His love

Hosea 11:1–12 (ESV)

1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, 
and out of Egypt I called my son. 
2 The more they were called, 
the more they went away; 
they kept sacrificing to the Baals 
and burning offerings to idols. 
3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; 
I took them up by their arms, 
but they did not know that I healed them. 
4 I led them with cords of kindness, 
with the bands of love, 
and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, 
and I bent down to them and fed them. 
5 They shall not return to the land of Egypt, 
but Assyria shall be their king, 
because they have refused to return to me. 
6 The sword shall rage against their cities, 
consume the bars of their gates, 
and devour them because of their own counsels. 
7 My people are bent on turning away from me, 
and though they call out to the Most High, 
he shall not raise them up at all. 
8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim? 
How can I hand you over, O Israel? 
How can I make you like Admah? 
How can I treat you like Zeboiim? 
My heart recoils within me; 
my compassion grows warm and tender. 
9 I will not execute my burning anger; 
I will not again destroy Ephraim; 
for I am God and not a man, 
the Holy One in your midst, 
and I will not come in wrath. 
10 They shall go after the Lord; 
he will roar like a lion; 
when he roars, 
his children shall come trembling from the west; 
11 they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, 
and like doves from the land of Assyria, 
and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord. 
12  Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, 
and the house of Israel with deceit, 
but Judah still walks with God 
and is faithful to the Holy One.

Question 43
Q: What are the sacraments or ordinances?
A: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.