Every task or goal requires tools or processes to help reach the objective. The tools and processes are never meant to be an end in themselves. So should it be as we implement the tools of family worship. Our goal is to spiritually shepherd the hearts of our family and cultivate Mark 12:30 lifestyles in that we, 'love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.' This section of our site contains tools in the forms of suggestions, processes, and direction as you seek to cultivate your family worship time.

As you read God's word in your family worship time make it interesting and easy to understand. Select a Bible translation that is understandable for your family and appropriate for their ages and summarize portions of scripture in easy to understand language for your children. It is important that we learn Christian language, such terms as sin, redemption, reconciliation - just be sure to define these terms for your family so they learn and understand their meaning.

Read complete thoughts in the forms of paragraphs, ideas, concepts or stories. If you are reading about a character, follow the life of that character and move ahead several chapters if necessary to follow their life. Also, do not feel that you have to begin and end with one chapter. The text of scripture was written without chapters and verses. Chapters and verses merely help us locate and read together corporately. Follow the thoughts of scripture and summarize and discuss with your family.

Vary your readings from Old and New Testaments. If you have been reading about characters in the Old Testament, make your new readings from the Gospels. After reading in the Gospels read from the Psalms or Proverbs, etc. so that you take in a broad range of scripture within the course of a year.

Try reading scripture in drama style with your family. For instance, take the characters of a story and have family members read their part. As you read the book of Ruth for example, have one person read the narrative portions, one person - Ruth, Naomi, Boaz, and so on. This helps draw our family into the drama and real life happenings of scripture. You will need to read ahead and maybe create a script using a Bible software program.

If you have young children you will find they naturally love to sing. Take every chance possible to sing with them. At an early age start teaching them simple choruses and scripture songs. You will find that if you pick out a verse of scripture to memorize you can often encourage them to make up their own melody to sing. To help with this have a cassette tape player handy. Turn it on and ask them to sing a phrase of the verse. When they have tried several versions stop the tape and rewind it and pick out the easiest melody to imitate and have them learn it as they sung it earlier. Children love singing something they have composed themselves. In turn they have memorized a verse of scripture. Below are a few suggestions of songs that children find easy to sing.

Jesus Loves Me
This is the Day (Psalm 119:8)
This Little Light of Mine
The B-I-B-L-E
Lord, I Lift Your Name on High
Amazing Grace
Psalm 23 (using the Amazing Grace melody)

Memorization strikes fear in the hearts of many people. However, memorizing has always been an effective tool for learning. It is not an end in itself but helps lead us to an objective. If I memorize the Ten Commandments it is not just the quoting of the commandments that is the end. In reality it is just the beginning. By memorizing them I am able to meditate on them. By meditating on them I am conscious of them in my daily living. Therefore, I am confronted with my need for grace and a conscious awareness of God's holiness.

Memorization happens on purpose by repetition. Whether memorizing the multiplication tables, learning to play an instrument or a sport, we all learn by repetition. To memorize a verse or a song we should:

1. Break it down into small parts.
2. Repeat it often. Choose a number of times like 20.
3. By repeating it verbally you are engaging more of your senses in the learning process.
1. Sight - as you read what is being memorized.
2. Touch - the physical sensation as you speak the words aloud.
3. Hearing - as you hear the words being repeated.
The only things we can't employ are taste and smell.
1. Repeat the next phrase 20 times.
2. Go back and repeat them together.
3. Continue this process until you have learned the whole.
4. Repeat them at impromptu times - in the car as you commute to school, right before you go to bed or when you wake in the morning, before a meal, etc.
• You may even try repeating larger sections over time. By repeating the whole often it will seem to take longer to memorize but with continued repetitions will be mastered.

It is important to understand that memorization is work but worth the effort. It is by these methods of repetition that the Suzuki music programs teach countless children at very early ages to play musical instruments. Also, the more one memorizes the easier it becomes. As one makes a habit of memorizing our minds are sharpened and we are able to remember, as well as synthesis information and concepts more readily (any information, in general). It is interesting to note that it was common in years gone by for children to memorize all 107 questions and answers to the Westminster Shorter Catechism. It is not that those children were smarter - they worked at it and didn't have the idea that they couldn't do it.

Here are a few suggestions of things to memorize with your family for use during your time of worship:

• The Lord's Prayer
• The Ten Commandments
• The Apostle's Creed
• Portions of the Shorter or Children's Catechism
• Psalms that you can sing and quote.
• Psalm 1
• Psalm 15
• Psalm 23
• Psalm 100
• Psalm 121
• Hymns that have rich truths.
• Amazing Grace
• Great is Thy Faithfulness
• Holy, Holy, Holy
• A Mighty Fortress
• God Moves in a Mysterious Way
• Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder

Parents: don't underestimate the ability of your children to learn and memorize lengthy verses, creeds, or documents. It takes patience and time but they can and will surprise you with their accomplishments. My son, at the age of 4, memorized the Apostles Creed (over the course of 6 weeks) and was quite proud of correcting any family member who made a mistake. We use the creed to talk about important truths of the Christian faith.

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