We're actively refreshing every Faith Stepping Stone. Updated Stones are released as they're completed, and are available for immediate download to current members.
Entering School
When a child heads off to school, the whole family's rhythm changes. This Stone helps parents care for their child's physical, emotional, and spiritual needs through that transition, and adds one more practice to the nightly routine: sharing Highs & Lows.
What parents will do
Over the course of this Stone, parents come together to share, laugh, and learn about:
- Their child's physical, emotional, and spiritual development as school begins
- The kind of parent they want to be, and the plan to get there
- Building a strong foundation for faith at home through the nightly FAITH5 practice (share, read, talk, pray, bless), now with Highs & Lows added to the bedtime routine
The three sessions
Each session follows the same shape (an Opening, a Presentation, Small Group Time, and a Closing) and is built around one part of a child's growth as school begins.
Physical Development
ObjectiveHelp parents understand what a child starting school needs physically, from nutrition and sleep to routine and play, and encourage them in healthy, confident parenting.
Emotional Development
ObjectiveHelp parents understand their child's emotional needs as school begins, from topping off the love tank to handling stress, and choose the kind of parent they want to be.
Spiritual Development
ObjectiveHelp parents understand their child's spiritual needs and commit to the FAITH5 every night, adding Highs & Lows to the family's routine of blessing and prayer.
In Sessions 1 and 2, school-age children can come along and enjoy their own art and music time while parents learn. Session 3 is for parents only.
Built to scale down, not just up
An optional Theme Team can set up and lead the sessions, and optional Table Hosts can help the small groups formed during the course keep meeting afterward. Neither is required: a single volunteer can run this Stone just as well, using the provided Leader's Guide and PowerPoint. If your congregation is small, don't let the idea of a “team” hold you back from starting.
A Stepping Stone Blessing
Many churches choose to close the course with a worship blessing liturgy, “A Blessing of Children Entering School,” where parents and children return to the altar to recommit to their baptismal or dedication promises and add a promise to share Highs & Lows every night. If parents haven't joined a small group yet, this is a natural point to invite them to keep meeting with friends from the course.
Optional, and easy to adapt to your congregation's own worship traditions.
A quilt that grows for eighteen years
If your congregation has been growing a Graduation Quilt, this is a fun place to add to it. Panels can pick up the symbols and colors of your church's seasonal paraments, family photos, symbols that matter to the family, or a thumbs up and a thumbs down to represent highs and lows. It's a lovely tradition if someone wants to run with it, but entirely optional, and no part of Stone 3 depends on it.
Get started with Stone 3 - Entering School
Everything you need is included: Leader's Guides, Guest Handouts, PowerPoint presentations, drama skits, theme music, and the Blessing liturgy.
$199 per year — includes all 8 Faith Stepping Stones, cradle to graduation.