Make a Practical Family Schedule

¹ In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus urged his listeners: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness.” (Matt. 6:33) A practical way to plan the activities of the family so that spiritual matters are given priority is to have a written schedule. Take a few minutes to make your own weekly family schedule, using the blank schedule on page 6 of this insert. As a family project, some may wish to make cutouts and attach them to the schedule. Others may prefer to write in the activities.

² The sample schedule shown below may be helpful as you make your schedule. You will note that it includes just four basic activities: (1) attendance at congregation meetings, (2) family field service, (3) the family study, and (4) the consideration of the daily text. Including these on your schedule can help you to “make sure of the more important things.” (Phil. 1:10) Further suggestions on these four areas appear on pages 4-5.

³ Your family schedule need not be limited to just those four activities. If you prepare for certain meetings as a family, make a note of that on your schedule. If you read a portion of the Bible together after considering the daily text or do so at another time, indicate that. If you typically share in some form of family recreation, you may wish to include that on your schedule.

⁴ Adapt your family schedule to accommodate the needs and circumstances of all in the household. Periodically evaluate how it is working, and make adjustments as needed.

[Chart on page 3]

Sample Family Schedule

Morning Afternoon Evening

Sun. Daily Text

Public Talk and

Watchtower Study

Mon. Daily Text Family Study

Tues. Daily Text Congregation

Book Study

Wed. Daily Text

Thurs. Daily Text Theocratic

Ministry School

and Service

Meeting

Fri. Daily Text

Sat. Daily Text

Family Field

Service

(Magazine Day)

[Chart on page 6]

Family Schedule

Morning Afternoon Evening

Sun.

Mon.

Tues.

Wed.

Thurs.

Fri.

Sat.

..................................................................

Family Schedule​—Congregation Meetings

¹ If you are a Christian parent, you want your children to grow up to love and serve Jehovah and, ultimately, to gain everlasting life in God’s promised new world. How can you help them to put the worship of Jehovah first in their lives? A major way is by your example. (Prov. 20:7) Recalling the example of her believing mother, one sister said: “There was never any question as to whether or not we were going to the meeting.” This made a lasting impression on her.

² Does your family appreciate the purpose of congregation meetings? The instruction that we receive at these gatherings invigorates us to go on doing God’s will, and the fellowship that we enjoy with our brothers is an invaluable source of encouragement. (Isa. 54:13; Rom. 1:11, 12) However, the primary purpose of such meetings is for praise to be lifted up to Jehovah “among the congregated throngs.” (Ps. 26:12) Christian meetings afford us opportunities to demonstrate our love for Jehovah and to worship him.

³ “Keep Strict Watch”: Appreciation for the sacred purpose of our meetings will move us to “keep strict watch” that we do not gradually develop the custom of missing meetings over matters of lesser importance. (Eph. 5:15, 16; Heb. 10:24, 25) When making your family schedule, you might begin by marking the times for congregation meetings. Then be careful not to allow other activities to interfere with them. Make sure that meeting attendance is a priority for your family.

⁴ Are we not moved when we read of our brothers overcoming obstacles to attend meetings and assemblies? Although your circumstances may be less dramatic, likely you too face challenges. Satan is making it increasingly difficult for God’s people to worship Jehovah. Yet, be assured that your children will without fail notice your family’s determined efforts to attend congregation meetings. Indeed, by so doing, you may impart to them a spiritual gift that will never be forgotten.

Family Schedule​—Family Field Service

¹ Jehovah delights to see young ones praise his name. (Ps. 148:12, 13) In Jesus’ day even ‘babes and sucklings furnished praise’ to God. (Matt. 21:15, 16) The same is happening today. Parents, how can you help your children develop into zealous praisers of Jehovah in the Christian ministry? Again, as emphasized in the above article on congregation meetings, a key factor is your example. One father spoke for parents everywhere when he said: “Children do not do as you say; they do as you do!”

² A sister reared by God-fearing parents recalled: “We never woke up on a Saturday morning asking if we were going in the ministry. We knew we were.” Similarly, you can instill in your children the importance of the preaching work by establishing a consistent weekly routine for sharing in field service as a family. Not only does this allow your children to learn from watching you but it also enables you to observe their attitude, manners, and developing skills.

³ Progressive Training: For children to enjoy the ministry, they need to be prepared in order to participate effectively. The sister quoted earlier also said: “We were never tagalongs who accompanied our parents in their work. We knew we had a share, even if it was only to ring a doorbell and leave a handbill. By careful preparation prior to each weekend’s activities, we knew what we would say.” You can provide such training for your children by taking a few minutes each week to prepare them for the ministry, either during the family study or at another time.

⁴ Preaching together as a family gives you added opportunity to inculcate the truth in your children. One Christian father would take his daughter along when he walked the six miles [10 km] each way to distribute tracts to villagers in the next valley. “It was during those walks,” she fondly recalled, “that my father instilled the truth in my heart.” (Deut. 6:7) May you likewise be blessed for making field service part of your weekly family schedule.

Family Schedule​—The Family Study

¹ The greatest gift that you as a Christian parent can share with your children is your love for Jehovah. An important setting in which this can take place is “when you sit in your house” for the weekly family Bible study. (Deut. 6:5-7) Whether you have a believing mate, live in a religiously divided household, or are a single parent, you can help your children draw close to you and to Jehovah by having a regular family study.

² Getting Started: The first step is to establish the custom of studying as a family. If you are not sure when to hold the study, why not discuss this as a family? (Prov. 15:22) If you have younger children, you may prefer to have several short sessions throughout the week. Determine what works best for your household. Set a specific time for the study on your family schedule, and be resolved to stick to it.

³ What might you study? Some prepare the lesson that will be considered at the upcoming Congregation Book Study or Watchtower Study. Others enjoy material designed especially for young people. The father of a young son and daughter said: “One thing that makes our study a high point in the week for the children is that we act out scenes from My Book of Bible Stories. The depth of impression and the comprehension that result are far more important than how many paragraphs we cover.”

⁴ Study Each Week: The family study should be held on a regular basis and be joyfully anticipated by all family members. Some flexibility as to day and time may be allowed for handling unexpected situations. There also may be occasions when an adjustment in the subject matter is needed. But any necessary adjustment should not cause a prolonged deviation from an established family study schedule. In one household, the daughter comments: “If the time of our study has to be changed, Dad always puts the new time on the refrigerator door so that all of us know when it will be.” How commendable such efforts are to maintain a regular family study! As you go on bringing your children up “in the discipline and mental-regulating of Jehovah,” you demonstrate your love both for them and for our heavenly Father.​—Eph. 6:4.

Family Schedule​—The Daily Text

¹ Loving parents put forth much effort each day to provide good food for their children. Providing them with spiritual nourishment from God’s Word is even more important. (Matt. 4:4) One way you can help your children develop a healthy spiritual appetite and “grow to salvation” is by taking time each day to consider the daily text and comments as a family. (1 Pet. 2:2) When might you include this in your family schedule?

² At Mealtimes: Starting your day with a discussion of the text can help your family to keep Jehovah in mind throughout the day. (Ps. 16:8) One mother made it a point to read and discuss the text and comments with her son while he ate breakfast and to say a prayer with him before he went to school. This fortified him to take an uncompromising stand in the face of nationalism, to resist improper advances, and to give a courageous witness to students and teachers alike. Although he was the only Witness at school, he never felt alone.

³ If discussing the text in the morning is not practical, you might consider it as a family later in the day, perhaps during the evening meal. Some also discuss experiences from the field ministry and points enjoyed from their personal Bible reading at this time. Many fondly recall such occasions around the table as among the happiest times spent together as a family.

⁴ At Night: For some families, the best time to consider the daily text is just before retiring at night. This can also be a fine occasion to pray together. As your children daily hear you speak about Jehovah and pray to him, he becomes a real person to them.

⁵ May Jehovah bless your efforts to instill the truth in your children as you make good use of Examining the Scriptures Daily.