As easy as 5 steps

By Annette Osborne -

Weaving spiritual practice into our day can be a challenge. In the busyness of work, school, meetings, sport and life, setting aside time to connect with God can seem one step too far. Here's one simple practice we have found helpful. It's as easy as 5 steps. And it's a simple version of an ancient practice. That means people have been using this method for centuries. That's gotta mean its good, right? 

 Faith Five: Five steps to help you and your family connect with God. 

This method is based on a practice called the Examin, an ancient way of pausing at the end of the day to reflect on where God has been. It can be incorporated into your bedtime routine for five to fifteen minutes a night, or can be used during a meal time. We use this on our kids camps as a review at the end of each day. 

 Five steps, hence the name. 

“Faith Five is easy, biblical, intergenerational and faith forming." Andrew Ramsbottom 

1. SHARE your highs and lows of the day 
As a family you could share one high and one low each. This works well at the dinner table as well as sitting together on a comfy couch. 

 2. READ a Bible verse or story 
You could choose to read through a book of the Bible, one chapter at a time, or choose a shorter passage. You might like to share your favourite verses, or recall a verse that your children are learning at church. This section can be as long or short as suits you.

 3. TALK about how the Bible reading might relate to your highs and lows
This is a good way to connect the Bible with real life. Don't force it. If the Bible reading or verse doesn't connect, that's fine too. But, you will be surprised at what connections will be made. 

 4. PRAY for one another's highs and lows
There is something special about each member of the family praying for another.

 5. BLESS one another
We provide the children with some examples of blessings they can use. You could use this blessing from Numbers 6:26: "May the Lord be good to you and give you peace." You could go around the circle and say the blessing to the person on your right. 

For more on this check out this website: www.faith5.org

Here’s why Andrew raves about Faith Five:
Easy: There is no preparation required and is really easy to use and does not take long to do.
Biblical: It makes a connection between God’s Word and the real world we live in.
Intergenerational: Parents and children and all ages learn things about each other that could not easily be learned in any other situation. Faith Five works with any age. 
Faith forming: The combination of the three above leads to an on-going formation of faith in the lives of all those sharing the experience.” 

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