Family Worship: Recommended Resources

When considering the implementation of family worship, that is, carrying out a regular time of reading Scripture, praying, and singing as a family, there is a wealth of resources which can help families. These resources are ones we recommend to enrich your time of family worship, but they are not necessary. Treat this as a toolbox of sorts. These resources might be suitable and helpful for your family in knowing and loving God more, yet they also might not be needed to get the job done. At the end of the day, all that is truly necessary to conduct family worship is time, space to gather, and, most importantly, a Bible.

Study Bibles

A good study Bible can greatly enrich your study of the Scriptures. These Bibles contain notes from scholars that might help to explain difficult passages or give deeper understanding to more well-known passages. The deeper you understand the Scriptures, the greater your household will benefit from walking through them. When choosing what study Bible to use, it is also important to think about the specific makeup of your family. A child might struggle or stumble over versions such as the KJV, which means you will need to be more effective in explaining words and concepts, but if you are willing to joyfully do this, it might be worth it. Use what is appropriate and tangible, while also not being afraid to challenge yourself and your family to dig deeper. Here are four trusted study Bibles, in four different versions, that might enrich both personal study and family worship:

1) ESV Study Bible by Crossway

2) The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible by Reformation Heritage Books

3) CSB Study Bible by Holman Bibles

4) NIV, The Grace and Truth Study Bible by Albert Mohler Jr.

Illustrated Bible Storybooks

Illustrated Bible Storybooks can be a wonderful tool to keep children engaged in family worship; having pictures alongside the Bible stories might enable them to grasp the material as they are provided with a visual aid. There are two which we back and recommend at Arrowhead. Both of these do a phenomenal job of explaining the metanarrative (overarching story) of the Bible:

1) The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones

2) The Biggest Story Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung

Family Worship Guides

Throughout church history, faithful men have compiled guides to supplement family worship. These often read like a devotional, presenting a passage of Scripture, an explanation, questions for reflection, and a hymn to sing. These are useful, but they should not serve to replace your efforts; these men are not called to lead and shepherd your family, as only you are. However, these might help to put concepts into words, while offering theologically sound insight:

1) Family Worship Bible Guide by Reformation Heritage Books

2) A Guide to Family Worship by Ryan Bush

Catechisms

Catechisms are wonderful tools, consisting of questions and answers. In a catechism, questions are presented, followed by biblically-rooted, faithful, simple answers. Catechisms might be used by all to put words to complex doctrines, as well as sharpening one’s explanation of the Gospel message.

1) The Baptist Catechism

2) New City Catechism

Hymnals

One component of family worship is singing. For those who are not musically inclined, do not fear! God delights in the singing of His saints, and you do not need to even play an instrument during this time. Play a lyric music video, put on an instrumental track, or if you prefer, simply sing it as you would a children’s song with neither. During this time, there might be a need for lyrics to be presented, if it is a new song or more complex song. In that case, you can find almost any lyrics online, through a variety of sources, but if you prefer to have something physical, a hymnal might be beneficial:

1) The Sing! Hymnal by Keith and Kristyn Getty

2) Baptist Hymnal by Lifeway Worship

A Final Word

These tools are recommended for your benefit. However, do not let yourself become dependent upon the tool. These tools are meant to supplement, not replace, and your time can be just as rich, if not richer, without these things as it can be with them. Find what works for you and your family, utilize what is available and beneficial, and praise the Lord with your household!