A few months ago, Brad and I decided to start having a weekly Family Meeting. One of the main reasons – at the beginning – was that I needed a way to get everyone on the same page for our weekly schedule. (Remember me – the ultimate planner?!?)
Our first Family Meeting
The very first meeting was really like any other scheduling meeting you’ve ever been to. We went over the calendar and talked about what was happening during the week. I had given everybody a notebook (of course!) so they could take notes and help them remember the important things coming up.
The meetings continued in this general format for a couple of weeks, but we kept adding a few things here and there. For instance, at one meeting, we went into the expectations for the kids and how they contribute around the house. Brad and I were both pretty frustrated with how their rooms never seemed to stay clean and how we could never get out of the house on time! So, the kids used their notebooks and wrote their own checklists on how to help them remember various things and help get them on track. While this hasn’t completely solved the problem, I think they are at least trying more…
Changes and more changes
Over the next few months, our meeting has undergone many changes and I am really excited about what is happening!
One of the first changes we made was having everyone come with a verse that impacted them over the week and a gratitude written in their notebook. Our only stipulation was that it couldn’t be a generic gratitude. It had to be something specific they were grateful for and why. This has given Brad and me great insight into what our kids are thinking.
Just this past Sunday, we decided to change things a little more. Brad and I talked about how we needed to center our family meeting on how we can be more God-centered, and not just dealing with schedules and meal planning.
So, on Sunday night, we gathered around the dining room table and laid out our plan for the new year. The sermon series at church has been on growing in our faith. (How perfect for us!) We decided it would be helpful to look at how we want to grow this year. So, our first task for next Sunday is to come up with ways for us to know God better this year. For me, this means having consistent quiet times, reading the books on my list, and spending more time in prayer. One of my favorite verses that always comes to mind about prayer is this one…
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
We are also working at becoming a family of prayer, so another task is to come up with ways we can pray for each other. I’m curious to see what the kids come up with and what they list as their areas of need.
Lastly, we are going to use our time together as a family to extend the sermon. Not only will we talk about what we learned and study out the verses, we will discuss how to use the lessons in our family as we continue to grow and become more faith-filled…
Follow our journey
So, that’s the plan! I’m sure this will be an ever-changing and evolving meeting, and I’m sure it will have its challenges along the way. But, I also believe we will grow closer to God – and each other – each time we sit around that table.
I invite you to follow along with us as I post updates about what we learned at our Family Meeting. Not only will I share not only the lessons we discuss, but also the successes and struggles that we face during our journey.
I also welcome your comments! What are your thoughts on all of this? Have you ever had or would you like to start having a family meeting in your house? I would love for you to join us in becoming a Faith-Filled Family, as well! I look forward to hearing from all of you…
