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Welcome to Faith-filled Families
Spread Faith and Love
Increase Support for Families through Christian Faith Traditions
Help More Children Grow in their Faith
Story Of Faith-filled Families
Virginia Theological Seminary's (VTS) Faith-filled Families (FfF) initiative has launched a project to empower parents to teach their children about faith. FfF which operates out of Lifelong Learning at VTS was awarded a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Christian Parenting and Caregiving initiative.
The money will fund a five-year action-research project focused on equipping preschools and congregations to support parents in the religious formation of their children. FfF will provide research-based resources and best practices to help parents share their faith and values with their children, while also nurturing their own faith.
The initiative works with church-based preschools and congregations of different denominations, all within a 100-mile radius of VTS. Parents will be given physical, digital, and practice resources, designed by the FfF team, professionals in the field and seminarians enrolled in VTS' children's spirituality classes. They will also have access to educational opportunities, and support groups to provide an environment in which they can share their experiences, seek guidance, and offer mutual support in their Christian parenting journey.
Throughout the project, non-invasive methods will be used to identify the specific needs, challenges and preferences of parents and early childhood care providers to ensure resources and support are tailored to meet these needs. The impact of the initiative on parents' spiritual growth, as well as their children's faith development, will also be tracked to understand Christian parenting more fully. The project's findings will be published to encourage other sites to strengthen the ecology of children's spiritual formation between parents, congregations, and schools.
