Family Guide: Community

Adopted and adapted from Bridgetown Church

Note To Parents

Our vision is that every person — adult and child – would be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did. But these things don’t just happen overnight; they take time, intention, and repetition. Remember, this is all about the long obedience in the same direction. It won’t be easy, but we’re in this together.

With that in mind, we want to be intentional to resource you, as parents, as you model following Jesus to your children. The goal of this Family Guide is to help you engage in a conversation with your kids about the practice of Community, which we see was a practice in Jesus’ life and teachings. 

Since these Guides are aimed at kids of multiple ages, please skip or adapt anything that does not feel age appropriate. These Guides are written conversationally, so feel free to read through them. Italicized words are notes to parents and bolded words are questions you may consider taking some time exploring.

Open with Imagination

For a moment, let’s close our eyes together and use our memories and imaginations. Can you remember a time when you had the feeling that you BELONGED? Maybe with a group of people where you felt included or where you know anything you might need would be found, and you felt a certain way? Do you have that time in your mind?

Okay, open your eyes. What or who did you think of? 

Give space for answers.

What did it feel like to know you belonged? Maybe safe, or happy, or not worried?

Give space for answers.

For lots of us, when we think of belonging, we might think of a group of people like our family. Or, we might think of our Ethos Kids community, or some of our closest friends at school or in our neighborhood. In a group where you feel belonging, you can trust that you will be safe, that you won’t go without important things that you need—like food, or a hug or band-aid if you fall down and get hurt, or someone to sit next to.

One of the ways God talks about the church is as a family. Sometimes, the Bible even calls believers or the church the “new family of God.” And when we participate in this new family, we call that practicing Community. 

Let’s open the Bible together and learn a little more about how some of the first Jesus-following churches practiced Community together.

Read The Scriptures 

Find Acts 2v42–47 in your Bibles and read out loud together.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Talk through these questions together:

• What are a few of the things the believers did together?

• How did the church help one another?

• How do you think it felt to be part of the community we just read about?

• What do you think is good about followers of Jesus being together? What might be better about being together than being alone?

Wow. This sounds like the kind of family or community everyone wants to be a part of. These people took care of each other’s needs! When someone needed food or money, everyone came up with it. They prayed together, ate together, spent time together, and loved each other really well.

Do we do any of these things in our lives right now, like share meals and pray with others?

Who do we do them with?

Give space for answers.

It sounds like you and I both have some people in our lives that we are practicing Community with in small or big ways. That’s so cool. In another place in the Scriptures, Jesus says that the world we know we are his followers because of the way we love one another.

How do you treat someone you love?

Give space for answers.

Just like we read in the Bible earlier, communities treat each other with kindness, look out for each other, and take care of each other in all kinds of ways big and small. Some small actions that have a big impact are listening carefully to one another, and helping one another when we need help.

There are all kinds of different Communities. Sometimes, your Community might be made up of people who are a lot like you – boys or girls around your age who also know Jesus, like in Ethos Kids. Sometimes, Communities are made up of all kinds of different people – like in your parents’ Ethos Community, there are adults from different places and with different interests! We can also create Community and practice wherever we go: with friends at school, on your sports team, and with people we invite into our home. 

There are all sorts of different people in the family of God. That’s a good thing! There are some things we can only learn and experience with people who are different from us. Being with different kinds of people also helps us understand different things about God. Wouldn’t life be a little bit boring if everyone was exactly the same? God made us all different, but we have being loved by God in common.

Following Jesus isn’t something we do alone. It’s something we do alongside others! Community is fun, and Community takes practice. Just like we aren’t perfect and make mistakes and need forgiveness, other people we are in community with won’t be perfect, will make mistakes, and need us to forgive them.

There are so many ways we can practice Community, but here are a few we can try out right away!

• Participate in your Ethos Kids classroom

In your Ethos Kids classes, we have the opportunity to gather with a bunch of other kids your same age to talk about Jesus, talk about what’s going on in our lives, pray together, and have a ton of fun together. You can go to Ethos Kids every week! You can participate by asking and answering questions, praying for your friends, and including new people as they come. 

• Practice servant leadership with your parents 

We believe that the best leaders are those that serve and help others. What are some ways you can love those around you by serving them?

At Ethos, you can serve alongside your parents - whether its welcoming people as they enter into church during our Sunday gatherings, or caring for those in our city during the week with our friends at Bloom, the Pregnancy Decision Health Center, etc.

• Make Community: Invite a friend’s family or a neighbor over to your house for dinner or a playdate.

One thing that’s super helpful to remember is that in order to be in a Community, we need other people and they need us! Friendly people make the best friends! At some point, all of us were invited in. We have an exciting opportunity to be that welcoming and inviting person to someone else. 

Does anyone come to mind that you think God would have you welcome with kindness? This week, once you have someone in mind, invite them and their family to your house for a meal or play time. While they are there, ask good questions, listen carefully, and show kindness and love!

How do you want to practice Community in this upcoming month?

Let’s pick one to try, and pick a day we’ll follow through.