Dear Creating Home Families:

On [day, date,] our group will discuss how our families became involved in this congregation. We will ask each child to share any stories they have about how they first came to this congregation or their early experiences here.

It will be helpful for you to discuss this topic with your child beforehand. Many young children do not know when, how, or why they started coming to a particular congregation – whether from birth or since a later time. Please tell your child the story of how your family entered this faith home.

Your story will be unique. That is part of the lesson: We don’t all enter our faith family in the same way. Perhaps you have been in this congregation all your life. Maybe you were a member of another congregation in the past and changed your affiliation. Maybe you moved to this city and started attending this congregation. Some families search for a faith home to seek support in raising their children in an environment of shared values. Whatever your story, think of how to share it with your child.

You might tell the story to your child several times and ask him/her to tell it back to you. You could make it into a whole family discussion at mealtime or in the car. This telling and retelling will go a long way toward strengthening your child’s feelings of belonging in the congregation.

Thank you for taking the time to share these experiences with your child!

[Co-leaders]