The Book - Together with God
Together with God is an introduction to family worship that features 15 stories of how families worship and pray together at home. The stories are the heart of the book, and explain what has worked well for each family, the challenges families face, and tips for those just starting out.
Introduction of some of the families
Phil & Ruth, Esther, Joel & Lydia
Based in Derbyshire, Phil and Ruth have tried to lead family worship together ever since their first child was born. Together with the kids, they spend time talking about God and praying together around the table at breakfast time, and use a prayer photo-book as a guide for each day. They’ve been encouraged by hearing the stories of how other families worship together, and speak too of the blessing it is to be brought up in a Christian home. To find out more, read their story in Together with God.
Irfan & Raheela, Karam, Iram, Daud & Iraj
Irfan and Raheele arrived in the UK in 2005 from Pakistan and now live in Cardiff. Family worship has always been a part of their family life, with Irfan and Raheela both coming from families where it was central within the home. These days, the family gather together in the evening and spend time singing Psalms in Urdu (accompanied by bongo drums!), reading through the Bible, and taking turns to pray. The eldest two children have now left home and are exploring mission work. For Irfan and Raheela, family worship is the best kind of investment – a spiritual investment – they can leave for their kids. To find out more, read their story in Together with God.
Book Reviews
Jo Swinney
‘Full of creative ideas, resources and inspiration for worshipping God as a family, this is a book that will help you nurture the faith of your children. Each story is a fascinating snapshot into the ways different families have found to engage in prayer and Bible reading together. I found it deeply moving, and it has challenged me to explore new ways of seeking God with my own daughters.’
Co-author of Keeping Faith: being family when belief is in question.
Alison Mitchell
‘Together with God is the biblical pattern for families – we’re to meet together with God as we read His Word and turn it into prayer and worship. But the Bible doesn’t spell out how to do it. That’s where this book is unique, and hugely helpful. 15 families have invited us to join them as they meet together. Each family is different – and yours will be too – but between them they give us easy ideas to copy, creative approaches for when things feel a bit stale, and masses of encouragement to keep going, and to help the next generation grow to know and love the Lord for themselves.’
Author of Starting out in Children’s Ministry.
Mark and Lindsay Melluish
‘This book is packed with stories from everyday families and gives great ideas to help us all as we pass on our faith to our children. I loved reading this and know that you will too. Buy it and keep it in the kitchen to refer to and let your children read it too.’
Authors of Parenting Children, and Regional Director of New Wine.
Amy Boucher Pye
‘Together with God is a rich resource to encourage family worship, chock full of ideas to help families of many varieties to meet together with God. I loved how it’s rooted in real life, and how it addresses challenges as well as joys.’
Author of Finding Myself in Britain.
Mark Chester
‘An extremely useful book for those of us who struggle to know how best to pass our faith on to the next generation. It doesn’t contain pie in the sky theory but overflows with ideas that are actually being used by families. The families’ stories of how they worship together are inspiring, encouraging and honest. Ed and Gareth have done a fantastic job of drawing them together and presenting a down-to-earth guide about a heavenly subject.’
Founder of Who Let the Dads Out?
Bob Hartman
These very personal stories, simply and honestly told by parents from a variety of backgrounds, create a lovely mosaic of family devotional times. Bookended by the biblical insights that begin the book, and the practical tips at the end, they are a real encouragement for families to just ‘have a go.’
Author of The Lion Storyteller Bible.
