Family Worship Schedule That Fits Real Life
A good family worship schedule is one regular time each day, kept short. Choose the time of day when your whole family is most likely to be at the table together, and keep it to about five minutes for toddlers, ten for school-age children and ten to fifteen for teenagers.
Let us think through a family worship schedule that fits your week. We will look at morning, mealtime and bedtime, how long to go for each age, a weekly rhythm, and what to do when the plan falls apart, which happens in every family.
Does the Bible set a time for family worship?
No. Moses tells parents to teach God's Word “when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 6:7). That covers the whole day, and it leaves the choice of the hour to you. The psalms speak of the morning and the night. “Yahweh, in the morning you shall hear my voice” (Psalm 5:3), and “It is a good thing to give thanks to Yahweh, to sing praises to your name, Most High; to proclaim your loving kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness every night” (Psalm 92:1 to 2).
The best time of day for family worship
There is no single best time. Each one has good and difficult points, and the right choice is the one your family will keep.
- Morning gives the day a start with God's Word. It can be rushed on school days, so a very short session may be all you have.
- Mealtime is a natural gathering and everyone is already sitting down. Keep the phones away, and plan to read and pray before the plates are cleared, or just after.
- Bedtime is quiet, and it connects well with Psalm 4:8, “In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep, for you, Yahweh alone, make me live in safety.” Tired children can be harder to teach, so keep it gentle.
If your family's week is uneven, because of shift work or sport, choose the one time that is most reliable and let the others be a bonus. A family that meets at dinner five nights out of seven is doing well.
How long should family worship be?
- Toddlers, about five minutes.
- Young children, about ten minutes.
- Teenagers, about ten to fifteen minutes.
Treat these as a guide, because every family is different. If the children are listening and asking questions, you can go on a little. If they are restless, stop on time and leave them wanting more.
A weekly family worship schedule
A weekly pattern can help. On weekdays, keep to the short session of prayer, a hymn and a chapter. On Saturday, perhaps sing more or memorise a verse together. On Sunday the church gathers, and the Bible tells us not to forsake “our own assembling together” (Hebrews 10:25). Make the Lord's Day a day of more worship and not less. Pray and sing at home as usual, talk about the sermon on the way home and at the table, and give the day to the Lord.
Whatever you choose, write it down and put it where everyone can see it.
When the schedule falls apart
You will miss days. A child will be sick, a visitor will come, or you will simply be worn out. Do not let one missed evening turn into a missed month. Begin again the next day, and do not make speeches about the days you missed. A short, quiet restart shows your children that we begin again, and that God is patient with us.
The prophet says of the Lord, “It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22 to 23). The Lord's patience with us is the reason we can be patient with ourselves and with our children.
Why Christ is behind every schedule
A schedule can sound like a law, and a family can start to feel that they are earning God's favour by keeping it, and we do not. We come to God because Jesus Christ lived the life we have not lived and died for sinners. Family worship is the time we set aside to hear about Him and thank Him. The schedule only serves that purpose, and a missed evening does not change how God sees those who trust in Christ. As the children grow, call each of them kindly to turn from sin and trust in Him for themselves.
Common questions
Should we do family worship every day?
Daily is the pattern the Bible describes. If seven days feels too much to begin with, start with four or five and build up.
What if we do not all eat together?
Choose a time when most of you are home, and let the one who is absent catch up on the passage afterwards. You can also hold a shorter session in the morning.
Can we do family worship in the car?
You can pray and sing in the car. A full session with a chapter is easier when you can sit down together.
My friend, pick the time tonight and write it down. Begin with the session for Mark chapter 1, use Mark chapter 2 for the second night, and know that the whole library of chapters is ready for you. The Family Worship App is free, as a ministry of Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church, and if you would like to help other families begin you can give here. May the Lord bless the time you set aside for Him.