Family Worship: What Is It?

(This is part one of a four part series on family worship)

Oftentimes when people hear the words “Family Worship” they aren’t sure what they are supposed to imagine. Does the Father put on a suit and preach a sermon to his family? Does one family call a few families to join them, and one of the Fathers preaches a sermon to the gathered body? No, that’s not family worship. That's a church plant. 

So what does “Family Worship” mean generally? William Boekestein affirms that “Family worship is the regular use of Scripture, song, and prayer by a family unit, guided by the head of the household.” 

It’s not so much that worship in the home looks exactly like worship in the physical church, but rather that worship in the home models what is happening in the physical church. Your children should be able to recognize the elements of the Sunday worship service in your daily home worship. Thus, what you do at home is reinforced in the church and what you do in the church is reinforced in the home. Most reformed Christians would agree that the Pastor shepherds his flock in many ways, but the Pastor primarily shepherds through the worship service on the Lord’s day. It’s the time when he sees all of his sheep.

Now take this concept and apply it to the home. A Father is shepherding his family when he is spending time with them. He shepherds around the table at meals, in how he loves his family, how he speaks to his family, and through his general presence. Thus, it makes perfect sense that a father should shepherd his family when he prays with them, reads Scripture to them, and sings with them. 

Practically, Family Worship is not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. Every family is different when it comes to how worship in the home is accomplished, however the fundamentals are consistently the same: teaching, prayer, and singing. 

First, teaching. Family Worship, modeling Sunday worship, is centered around some Biblical Gospel teaching. Depending on the age of your children, you can read from the Bible and expound the text. For those with young kids, you may need to read less and explain a bit more. The goal here is the same as the sermon on Sunday morning: take a portion of text and point to Christ (In the fourth part of this series, we will talk about good resources for family worship).

Second, prayer. Although prayer should be modeled in all aspects of home life, worship in the home should most definitely include prayer. Prayer is the method by which we commune with our God. Prayer is the way we approach our Father’s throne of grace. Why wouldn’t we want to guide our family in prayer? The Lord’s prayer is simple enough for children to understand, and as you pray with your kids they will grow in their understanding of what prayer is and how to pray. Hearing prayer requests from your children is a sweet thing. 

Third, singing. While singing is not more important than the Word, it is extremely essential that you lead your family in the singing of God’s praises. Our world has corrupted singing, and has taught men of all ages that singing well is a feminine trait. Men must reclaim the art of singing. Wives and children gain much by being led in the singing of God’s praises. If worship in the home is to look like worship in the physical church, then singing is essential. 

As we continue in this series, my hope is that you will be edified by the call to disciple your families well, especially in times of worship in the home. The Lord has granted us the ability to learn more about Him and to grow in grace on this side of eternity. A day will come when we will spend our whole lives in worship. Best to learn how to do it now. It is best to prepare your wife and children for a future home where we will worship forever. 

Ken Wojnarowski serves as the Associate Pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg, NC.