This ministry is geared directly toward our kids, in order to raise them biblically. It happens every Wednesday night from 6:30-7:30pm. The first half hour is sharing a meal. Bring one dish you want to share, and bring something small. With all families bringing something small, we should have something substantial when combined.
At 7pm, we stay at the table (this is informal) and we work on memory verses with our kids. We are using "Sing the Word from A to Z" which gives us 26 verses in alphabetical order for the kids (and us, too) to learn. Here is a link to the page to hear the tunes:
http://www.singtheword.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_code=ATZ
We play the chords on the guitar, and we sing the songs together. The adults can memorize larger passages for themselves, and we can test each other on them. Having scripture in the head, to call upon when we need it, is such a blessing in life.
Next we go through a question in the Westminster Shorter catechism. This is a Q&A systemization of scripture developed by the Puritans in the 17th century. It's a great understanding of the whole of scripture. We go through question one first and will go through it a question at a time each week. In colonial times, children were able to answer these questions when an adult asked them on the street. Now, even the adults don't know them. Here is a link to the Westminster Shorter Catechism online:
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC.html
Finally, we pray together. The kids form their own short prayers for others, thanking God for something, asking for forgiveness for other things. Anyone who wants to pray may, and no one is forced to. We sing the Lord's prayer together and a close-of-day prayer, and then finish the time together with a blessing and the singing of a Psalm. We think this is an ideal package of fellowship, instruction, and prayer for our families to incorporate into their lives, and we hope these disciplines last us our lives and our children's lives. We're trying to give them the best start possible, in this world and the next.
If you cannot make the Wednesday Night group, or you don't live on the Outer Banks, all of the elements are above so that you can do this at home. Then the next step is adding the fellowship with other families who are in the same place and encouraging each other in the training up of our children.
