Faith Walk-About

We have three beautiful children, who are smart, curious and happy. And they have been raised in our church to be Christians, who happen to be Lutheran.

Our oldest son is getting ready to start confirmation this fall. As he is preparing for this time where he will assume the vows we took for him at his Baptism, as well as be considered an adult member of the congregation, we felt it was important for him to understand his religion's heritage, as well as how it was like/different others.

We proposed that our family would join him on a "Faith Walk-About." We are going to other churches of other religions and/or faiths to worship alongside of their congregation to praise and honor God.

We are selecting a different church each weekend. We are trying to experience as many different types of worship as possible.

When possible, we go along with friends who are members of the church we are visiting. If we know no one, we contact some elder/minister/leader of the church beforehand to ask if we may come. We want to make sure we are respectful of each congregation's preferences, whether it be how we dress, or when/if we join them for communion, or any other special circumstances/rituals of which we should be aware.

After each service, our family has a meal together. Here we discuss what we liked about the church we visited. We talk about their similarities/differences, and how we feel about them. Inevitably we end up discussing doctrine, beliefs, opinions and matters of faith. That is the root of the "Faith Walk-About:" to allow ourselves the time and space to question so that we may strengthen our walk with our Lord.

We anticipate that, yes, we will do this again with each of the girls at this time of their lives, as well. We understand that it is an entire family commitment, and that we make sacrifices to make this happen. Overnight sleepovers prior to church have all but ended in deference to picking out appropriate clothing and getting enough rest. The family has suspended responsibilities in our home church that would possibly interfere with our "Walk-About."

Ultimately, we feel this will be a wonderful learning experience for us all, and a fabulous bonding opportunity for our family. We look forward to seeing all of the ways people worship our Lord, and joining them in their praise of Him.