We encourage all households connected to St Paul to develop practices of faith at home, or any place outside the church building.  Prayer, anytime, anywhere. Reading and studying the Bible themselves or with others. Serving our neighbors.

One of the great tools we have found and like to share is Faith 5. This is just one way to think of daily family faith building time, that also reminds families to connect with each other as we spend time with God.  Jesus reminds us that loving God is tied to loving others.  Luther taught that every home is a church, every family a congregation.  Visit here www.faith5.org for more information or here.

Rev. Rich Melheim, once asked his friend and mentor Dr. Tony Compolo a question: "What's the healthiest thing a kid can say?" The sociologist from Eastern College answered: "We always do it this way in my home."

Wow.

Let's think about that. "We" means together, not off in our own separate places. "Always" means there's a ritual and continuity--something that happens on a regular basis. "This way" means an action--not something passive. "My home" means ownership, identity, security, safety.

What more could anyone want than for their kids to be saying this?

Acts, of course, is also the name of the book in the Bible that connects to the Gospels to the rest of the New Testament. In the early church, they met in homes, dedicated themselves to the Apostles' teaching and prayer, and they shared everything.

These "house churches" changed the world once before. They can do it again.