Christian Practices
Family & Intergenerational Learning Programs

Permission is given to use these materials in print and digital formats (websites, newsletters, social media) for educational purposes only. 
The learning session comes in a PDF and a Word file; handouts are in Word files. Use the Word files to edit and adapt the materials for your use. 

Learning Programs 

The Christian Practice of Caring for the Body
The practice of caring or honoring the body is born of the confidence that our bodies are made in the image of God’s own goodness. As the place where the divine presence dwells, our bodies are worthy of care and blessing and ought never to be degraded or exploited. It is through our daily bodily acts that we might live more fully into the sacredness of our bodies and the bodies of others. Stephanie Paulsell writes, “The practice of honoring the body challenges us to remember the sacredness of the body in every moment of our lives... Because our bodies are so vulnerable, we need each other to protect and care for them.”
caring_for_the_body_session.pdf
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caring_for_the_body_session.docx
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caring_for_the_body_session.docx
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caring_for_the_body_-_children.pdf
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The Christian Practice of Celebrating Life
Life is meant to be celebrated in all its many forms. God created the earth in generosity and love, to be a place of goodness: “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). In the broadest sense, every moment of life is an opportunity for celebration. Certainly, the big moments—a birth, reception of the sacraments, graduation, a promotion, becoming a citizen, retirement, anniversaries—are all times we are accustomed to celebrate. Even the end of life is an opportunity to celebrate, as we take time to be grateful for the life of the one who has died, recognizing how that person graced our lives with their presence and fulfilled a special purpose in the world. We celebrate life through rituals—be they simple or more involved. Some rituals occur daily—in the morning, before and after meals, or at bedtime—while others come along weekly, yearly, or once in a lifetime. Rituals celebrate special days, such as Christmas and birthdays, as well as the more routine times in life. They celebrate life as well as loss.
celebrating_life_session.pdf
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celebrating_life_session.docx
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celebrating_life_handouts.docx
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celebrating_life_-_children.pdf
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celebrating_life_rituals_collection.docx
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The Christian Practice of Discernment
Life is full of choices. Sometimes these choices are momentous: deciding on a career path, choosing a marriage partner, having children, or retiring from full-time work. Other choices are not quite as momentous, but they are important nonetheless because they give shape to our life: moving to another place for a new job, pursuing further education, finding a new church, caring for aging parents—all these decisions shape who we are and who we are becoming. How do you make decisions? How do you make decisions as a household? Do you mull over the choices alone? Do you gather your family or a group of trusted friends together to test the best responses? What role does God play in your discernment? How do you figure out what God wants you to do? How do your religious beliefs contribute to your decision-making process?
discernment_session.pdf
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discernment_session.docx
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discernment_handouts.docx
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discernment_-_children.pdf
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The Christian Practice of Eating Well
​The family or household meal is one of the few rituals that allow us to act out our concern for each other, our need and desire to be together. So many good things can happen when family or household members gather together to eat. Just as a meal was central in the ministry of Jesus, a shared meal can be a central faith experience for families or household groups. It is an opportunity to discover Jesus’ presence in the midst of family or household life. “The simple act of eating together is perhaps the most fundamental of all the ways in which food can express and foster the community that God desires should exist among people, and between humans and God.” (Margaret Kim Peterson, Keeping House)
eating_well_session.pdf
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eating_well_session.docx
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eating_well_handouts.docx
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eating_well_-_children.pdf
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eating_well_placemat.pdf
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eating_well_table_card.pdf
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eating_well_visual_faith_experience_32.pdf
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The Christian Practice of Forgiveness
Practicing forgiveness can produce dramatic transformations in our imaginations and the psychological, social and political horizons of our lives (L. Gregory Jones). The practice of forgiveness is not simply a one-time action or an isolated feeling or thought. Forgiveness involves us in a whole way of life that is shaped by an ever-deepening friendship with God and with other people. The central goal of this practice is to reconcile, to restore communion—with God, with one another, and with the whole creation. L. Gregory Jones writes, “Forgiveness works through our ongoing willingness to give up certain claims against one another, to give the truth when we access our relationships with one another, and to give gifts of ourselves by making innovative gestures that offer a future not bound by the past.”
forgiveness_session.pdf
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forgiveness_session.docx
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forgiveness_handouts.docx
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forgiveness_-_children.pdf
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the_power_of_forgiveness_activities.pdf
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conversations_about_forgiveness.pdf
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conversaions_about_love.pdf
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converation_cards.pdf
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Additional Resources 

Practicing our Faith
practicingourfaith.org
​
In 2001, the original PracticingOurFaith.org was developed by the Valparaiso Project on the Education and Formation of People in Faith, a project of Lilly Endowment based at Valparaiso University that supported the renewal of Christian theology and life. The Valparaiso Project launched the website as a way to extend the invitation offered in the book Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People. Both book and website explored twelve time-honored practices shaped by the Christian community over the centuries and still richly relevant to contemporary experience. The site housed a selection of works by writers and leaders on these different types of faith practices, exploring what they could look like in everyday life.

From 2020-22, Lilly Endowment and Leadership Education at Duke Divinity worked to create the new iteration of PracticingOurFaith.org, which seeks to preserve and restore access to the valuable work and reflection that came out of the response to the Practicing Our Faith book, convenings and original site. In this process, the goal has been to retain the original text as much as possible, with minor edits and updates where appropriate.

The practices…
Faith Practices Project,  Christian Reformed Church NA
https://www.crcna.org/FaithPracticesProject

If you’re longing for a deeper, more life-giving faith, join us for a dive into transformational Christian practices. Are you feeling worn out, discouraged, or ready for something new? You’ve come to the right place. The Faith Practices Project, hosted by Faith Formation Ministries, invites you to refresh your spirit by experimenting with life-giving spiritual disciplines. Beginning in September 2020, each month we’ll release a new set of resources focusing on one of twelve faith practices. For each practice you’ll find creative ideas for individual and communal practices, Scripture passages to read, a helpful intro article, thought or discussion questions, and a list of resources for going deeper.

What Is a Faith Practice? 
​In short, a faith practice or spiritual discipline is a repeatable practice that 
  • enriches our attentiveness to the Holy Spirit
  • cultivates the life and character of Jesus Christ in us
  • and strengthens our love for God and others. 

Historically, spiritual disciplines have included practices like reading the Bible, prayer, fasting, silence, solitude, and service. But the range of faith-formative practices actually encompasses a much larger set of activities.

Activities Online
  1. Prayer
  2. ​Celebrating
  3. Listening
  4. Justice and Mercy
  5. Engaging Scripture
  6. Hospitality
  7. Generosity
  8. Gratitude
  9. Sabbath
Faith Practices Toolkit, Presbyterian Church USA
https://www.presbyterianmission.org/faith-practices-toolkit

Welcome to the Practices Resource! Whether you’re just joining the conversation on Christian practices or you’re a seasoned veteran, we hope you’ll find this resource stimulating and helpful for cultivating a renewed interest in formative rituals within your faith community. Each component of the toolkit is listed below for download. We recommend you start with the introduction document to understand how to use the toolkit.

Toolkits
  • Introduction to the Faith Practices Toolkit
  • Essential Practices for Sabbath
  • Essential Practices for Hospitality
  • Essential Practices for Prayer
  • Service
  • Storytelling
  • Retreating

Sabbath Ministry Kits
Each kit contains ideas for application on each practice. Look for additional ministry kits to be added as we continue to explore practices together.
  • Sabbath Ministry Kit for Children
  • Sabbath Ministry Kit for Youth
  • Sabbath Ministry Kit for Young Adults
  • Sabbath Ministry Kit for Adults
  • Intergenerational Sabbath Practices Ministry Kit 
  • Sabbath Practices Ministry Kit for Households
  • Sabbath Practices Ministry Kit for Camp
  • Sabbath Practices Ministry Kit for Seasons of the Year