For our new Family Life Class, aimed at adults of a younger age and their families, we are launching a new course, Alpha for Families. This is the well-known Alpha Course designed to encourage family conversations with your spouse or children about some of the ‘big’ questions of faith.

Every Sunday, we will watch a 15-20 minute video about a big question (e.g. “How do I have faith?” or “Does God heal today?”). You can watch alone or with your spouse, kids or friends! There’ll be a few ‘pauses’ in the message for you to think about what you believe and discuss it with whomever you’re watching.

For younger children, you will find a conversation starter guide in the email and on the website. So, after you watch the teaching, you can start having deeper faith conversations with your younger kids who might not sit through the video. The videos will stay on St. Martin’s Facebook page and YouTube channel so you can watch when it is convenient. We hope that this will help you think through your faith more deeply and work out why you believe what you believe, as well as help your family grow together in faith.

The Rev. Dr. Suse E. McBay
Associate for Adult Christian Education and Prayer Ministries

The Rev. Alex D. Graham III
Associate for Children and Family Ministries
Please do not reply to this email.
To respond to this Bible study, please email
the Rev. Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr. at lhough@stmartinsepiscopal.org.
A Guide for Discussion with Younger Children

Welcome!

This guide contains a short explanation for this week’s topic in a child-friendly way. After you’ve listened to or watched this week’s teaching, we encourage you to use this guide to have a conversation with your children. Maybe over dinner, before bed or on a drive somewhere, there are always opportunities to start talking with our kids about some of these basic beliefs of Christians, and to help them think it through for themselves. You, as their parents, have an important role to play in giving them permission to ask these questions, and you do not have to have all of the answers! It can be something you explore together, discuss, find out more and pray about too. We hope this guide helps you dig into some of these deeper questions of faith as a family.

Who is Jesus?

Who is this guy Jesus? Since we were little kids in Sunday School, we have been hearing about Jesus. He is the savior of the world, He is God’s son, He knows everything, and so many more things. But who is He, exactly? Are all the things we have been hearing about Him true? Let’s talk about these following questions with our family.

Questions to discuss with your children
  • Can you think of someone in history such as George Washington or Mother Teresa? When you read about them, how do you know for sure they existed? If you see and believe there is proof that they lived, then can you also believe there is proof that Jesus lived?
  • When you read about the life of Jesus in the Bible, what are some of the most unbelievable parts to you?
  • Does Jesus’ missing body at the tomb convince you that He actually rose from the dead? How about when you read the stories from the disciples about how they saw Jesus’ pierced hands? Does that convince you that he rose from the dead?