EXPERIENTIAL STAGE / AGES 0-6

• “Jesus help” prayer (for everything from lost toys to scraped knees to monsters)
• Memorizing the Lord’s prayer
• Anointing with oil when sick
• “Go away, monsters, in the name of Jesus.”
• Praying in tongues with/over your child
• Thank you game. How many things can you think of to thank God for?

• Toddler version of memory verses. For example:

• When anxious: 1 Peter 5:7 = “Throw it to Jesus”
• Trouble sleeping: Psalm 4:8 = “I will close my eyes and go to sleep because God makes me so safe.”
• For aggressive behavior: Ephesians 4:26 = “When we’re mad, we don’t bite.”
• For "yucky thoughts": 2 Corinthians 10:5 = "“Does that sound like something Jesus would say? Let’s send that yucky thought to jail.”

• Bible stories read to or shared verbally.

• Worship music or “Jesus music”
• Physical affection during worship at church
• Interpret for your child by whispering lyric ”translation” in their ear during worship at church 

• Let them serve alongside adults – kids love to “help.” At outreach events, give them kid-sized tasks (stacking things, picking up trash, etc.) 
• Pray for friends who don’t know Jesus. Explain: Did you know that not everyone knows Jesus? How does that make you feel? How do you think they could hear about him?
• If you provide a weekly allowance, let them put a tithe of their own in the offering plate
• Pray for any sirens (ambulance, police, fire) you hear or see
• Pray for and/or engage people asking for money
• Pray for missionaries

• Attend worship regularly as a family.
• Teach that “church” is not a building or an event, but a bigger family they belong to.
• Let toddlers participate in adult worship (don’t automatically rush to nursery if you can help it)
• Allow young children to serve alongside parents at church – handing out bulletins, picking up trash, etc.
• “Family dinner” – expectation of others welcomed at our table regularly, hospitality modeled and practiced
• Explain the defining values of the family – “We don’t X. We do Y. Because Jesus does Y.”
• Practice Sabbath with family playtime together every week. No work. No phones.
• Annual rhythms such as Family Camp

• Sharing daily “gratefuls and grumbles” as a family at dinner or bedtime.
• Apology and reconciliation “liturgy” – “I’m sorry for X” / “I love you and I forgive you.”
• Identifying and naming emotions – then matching emotions to Scripture:
• It’s okay that you’re sad – Jesus cried too. (John 11:35)
• It’s okay that you’re mad – Jesus got mad too. (Matt 21) BUT, when we are mad, we don’t hit/bite/kick/scream, etc (Eph. 4:26)
• When I am afraid, I will trust God. (Psalm 56:3)
• When I’m worried, I can throw it to Jesus. (1 Peter 5:7)