MAKE 2016 THE YEAR YOUR FAMILY BEGINS FAMILY WORSHIP: JOIN DON WHITNEY FOR A FREE, 5-DAY EMAIL COURSE TO HELP YOU GET STARTED
Contact: Lauren Harvey lharvey@crossway.org 630-868-6031
Wheaton, IL—While most Christians likely agree that family worship should have a prominent place in the home, it is largely neglected in practice.
Donald S. Whitney, author of Family Worship and professor of biblical spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, polled his seminary students, asking how many grew up in a home where family worship was practiced. Only 7 of the 115 students raised their hands! “In a conservative, Bible-believing seminary, only one out of sixteen students in a class on spirituality had any familiarity whatsoever with family worship,” Whitney reports.
Family worship is a time when families gather together to read the Bible, sing, and pray together. It is a means for God to reveal himself to families and for families to commune with God in a powerful way. In addition to being in a good church, family worship is a crucial way for parents to teach children how to pursue God. Most importantly, God deserves to be worshiped in the home.
Despite current trends, Whitney is hopeful and encourages believers that prioritizing family worship is quite doable. It doesn’t have to be hard or stressful. It requires little preparation and doesn’t need to take more than 5 or 10 minutes.
Crossway invites those interested in spiritually leading their families to participate in Family Worship 101 with Donald S. Whitney—a free, 5-day email course that explores the three key components of family worship and practical tips to help families actually make it happen.
Each brief lesson also includes three next steps to try out that night at home—taking the mystery out of leading the family in worshiping God together. Learn more or sign up today at crossway.org/familyworship101.
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Donald S. Whitney (PhD, University of the Free State) is professor of biblical spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He has written several books related to Christian spirituality, including Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life and Praying the Bible.
Founded in 1938, Crossway is a not-for-profit ministry that publishes gospel-centered, Bible-centered content that will honor our Savior and serve his Church. They seek to help people understand the massive implications of the gospel and the truth of God’s Word, for all of life, for all eternity, and for the glory of God. Crossway is a publisher of Christian books, the English Standard Version (ESV) Bible, and gospel literature. For additional information visit crossway.org.
Review copies/interviews: Lauren Harvey, lharvey@crossway.org, 630.868.6031
Family Worship ISBN 978-1-4335-4780-5 5″ x 7″ Trade Paperback $7.99 · 80 pp.