I have had homeschool parents how I integrate my faith into my homeschool. Our nation needs God more than ever. Putting God back into our homeschool is a crucial step in teaching them about current events.
Step 1: Start with Prayer and Personal Discipleship
Before you can pour into your children, you need to be filled yourself. Faithfully, each morning before I homeschool, I take time to pray and read scripture for guidance.
• Pray for Your Homeschool: Begin each day or week by praying over your family, your children's lessons, and your role as a parent-teacher. Ask for wisdom, patience, and a heart that seeks God's perspective in all things.
• Cultivate Your Own Walk with God: Your most powerful tool for teaching faith is a vibrant, authentic faith of your own. Model a life of prayer, scripture reading, and worship. Your children will learn more from your example than from any curriculum.
Step 2: Make the Bible Central to Your Day
• Start the Day with Scripture: Begin your school day with a family devotional. This could be as simple as reading a Proverb together or using a free resource like the YouVersion Bible App to follow a short devotional plan.
• Integrate the Bible into Every Subject:
○ Science: When studying biology, talk about the intricate design of the human body and the glory of God as Creator.
○ History: When studying world history, discuss God's sovereign hand in the rise and fall of nations. When learning about a historical figure, explore their faith (or lack thereof).
○ Literature: Discuss the biblical themes present in a classic novel, such as redemption, sacrifice, or forgiveness.
• Use a Faith-Based Curriculum: If you don't feel confident integrating faith yourself, there are many excellent Christian curricula available for every subject. These resources will do the work for you by weaving in a biblical worldview.
Step 3: Teach a Christian Worldview
A Christian worldview means viewing every subject and every aspect of life through the lens of scripture.
• Discuss the "Why": For every topic you teach, ask, "What does God's Word say about this?" When studying art, discuss how creativity reflects God's image. When studying mathematics, talk about the order and logic of the universe created by God.
• Address Tough Topics from a Biblical Perspective: When issues like gender, identity, or social justice arise, don't shy away from them. Use these opportunities to teach your children what the Bible says and how to respond with grace and truth.
• Help Them Develop a Biblical Filter: Teach your children to be critical thinkers who can evaluate information from media, culture, and even their peers through the filter of scripture.
Step 4: Live Out Your Faith as a Family
Homeschooling provides a unique opportunity to make faith an active, lived-out experience, not just an academic subject.
• Practice Prayer Together: Don't just read about prayer; practice it. Pray over meals, for family members who are sick, or for global events.
• Engage in Service: Find opportunities to serve others as a family. This could be volunteering at a local food bank, visiting the elderly, or participating in a mission project. This teaches your children that faith is meant to be put into action.
• Worship Together: Make church attendance a priority, and cultivate a spirit of worship in your home. This could be as simple as listening to Christian music together or as intentional as having a family worship time with songs and prayer.
Step 5: Model a Growth Mindset and Grace
• Admit Your Mistakes: When you get frustrated or lose your patience, be quick to apologize and ask for forgiveness. This models humility and shows your children that their relationship with Jesus is about grace, not perfection.
• Show Them Grace: When your children struggle with a subject, show them grace and patience. Use these moments to remind them that God's grace is always sufficient, and He loves them regardless of their academic performance.
• Celebrate Spiritual Growth: Don't just celebrate academic achievements. Celebrate when your child shows kindness, demonstrates forgiveness, or asks a thoughtful question about God. Acknowledge and affirm their spiritual growth.
By following these steps, parents can move beyond simply "teaching about God" and begin to truly integrate their faith into the very fabric of their homeschool, raising children who see all of life as an opportunity to know and glorify Him.
Tina - Big Easy Homeschooling Mom
