Family Faith Formation Resources | Technology

This article is part of the Family Faith Formation Toolkit - a collection of resources for equipping ministry leaders, parents, and caregivers with family faith practices and resources, brought to you by Faith Formation Ministries.

In the following links you’ll find creative resources and practices for technology to use both in community and at home. These ideas can be seamlessly woven into existing church programs and into family life.

Technology: In Community and At Home

When we asked CRC pastors to describe the fears of the families in their congregation, worries about technology and raising children in a world saturated with pop culture were common concerns. The resources below can be used by ministry leaders and families alike to begin conversations and engage discussions about tech-smart parenting.

Books

• In his book The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place, author Andy Crouch takes readers beyond the typical questions of what, where, and when and challenges them to answer provocative questions like “Who do we want to be as a family?” and “How does our use of a particular technology move us closer to or farther away from that goal?”

• Every Parent's Guide to Navigating Our Digital World, a book from the Fuller Institute, is designed to help parents think and talk differently about digital media. Read an excerpt here.

Websites

• Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. While this organization doesn’t operate out of faith-based convictions, families will appreciate the wealth of resources it provides, including movie reviews, conversation starters, information on technology and social media, research on technology and kids, and more. Not to be missed: their device-free dinner campaign.

• We love the faith-based perspective on digital parenting found on these two sites: Parent Cue and Family Fire. Each contains helpful posts to share with families.

Articles

• Is distracting technology damaging our capacity for concentration and contemplation? Check out Derek Schuurman's article Modern Devices and Ancient Disciplines in Faith Today.
• In her article Love Your Neighbor in the New Year: Answer Their Emails and Texts, Jen Pollock Michel writes, "Jesus both protected his time and willingly gave it up, and in this digital age, we are called to do the same."

QUESTIONS?

If you’re part of the Christian Reformed Church in North America and you have questions about how to equip ministry leaders, parents, and caregivers with family faith practices and resources, one of Faith Formation Ministries’ Regional Catalyzers would love to talk with you about ideas and strategies.