Youth & Family is an extension of the Youth Program here at Calvary. It strives to provide opportunities to live our faith and strengthen our congregational community in social, educational and spiritual areas, focusing on people through their transition from confirmation into adult and family life.

Four Key Faith Practices For Nurturing Faith, Strengthening Values, And Forming Character

1. Caring Conversations. Christian faith and values are passed on to the next generation through supportive conversation. Listening and responding to the daily concerns of our children is for them an experience of the love of God.

2. Devotions. Through devotions, we experience God by reflecting on the Christian story, personal faith and daily life. Reading the Bible and using devotion books helps us find ourselves in God’s story and God in our stories.

3. Service. Children, youth, and adults are most likely to be influenced by those who “walk the talk.” There are many opportunities for service: some in the home, some in the congregation, and some in the larger community. Whatever type of service you choose, it is best done with family members or other intergenerational groups.

4. Rituals and Traditions. Families identify themselves and tell their family stories through daily routines, celebrations, and rituals. Whether it’s annual summer vacation, hanging Christmas ornaments, or an informal liturgy before bedtime, these activities speak volumes about what the family values, believes, and promotes, and how much the family values its faith.

Five Principles

1. Faith is formed by the power of the Holy Spirit through personal, trusted relationships-often in our own homes.
2. The church is a living partnership between the ministry of the congregation and the ministry of the home.
3. Where Christ is present in faith, the home is church, too.
4. Faith is caught more than it is taught.
5. If we want Christian children and youth, we need Christian adults/parents.

The Youth and Family Institute: www.tyfi.org