When my wife and I were expecting our first child, we knew that we wanted a daily routine with our family that included a time of prayer. We understood our responsibility God was entrusting with us. This child who was to be born was the Lord’s; as parents we were stewards of him. Therefore, we knew that we needed to raise him to know Jesus and to model faith to him as he developed faith practices that would undergird and support the faith God gives in Baptism.

Fall is a great time to get a fresh start and begin new things in ministry. The school year brings a lot of new starts: new schools, new classroom teachers, new sports seasons—a new beginning! In a church with a school, I see families use this time of year as a sort of reset button to reengage in church activities as well.