The Blessings of a Home-Centred Church

2019 has brought significant changes in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The new harmonised Come, Follow Me curriculum and the extra study hour in the home on a Sunday are among those changes. One hour taken from the Sunday block and given to the home does not sound like much, but across Australia, many families are already seeing the blessings of these inspired changes.

Shiree Ma’asi—Lalor Park Ward, Sydney Australia Baulkham Hills Stake

Having an active two-year-old daughter and a dependent nine-month-old son certainly makes Sunday mornings a challenge. Getting breakfast ready, dressing the children, finding something that will fit me and be suitable for breastfeeding among many other things can take away any calm “delightful” feelings we may have had as we prepare to attend church and partake of the sacrament.

For parents of preschoolers, an extra hour goes a long way. Our ward can start later so we have more time to get ourselves ready in the morning. Our morning preparations can be more than just eating and getting dressed. Now, in our home, we try not to rush. We play gentle gospel music as we go about our morning so that the children know that Sunday is a special day.

These inspired changes have really emphasised how central the sacrament ordinance is to our Sunday worship. For now, my goal is simple: to make it past the serving of the sacrament without having to take the children out into the hallway. My daughter loves to partake of the sacrament, and I feel success as a parent when I see her light up as the bread tray arrives at our row.

One hour less at church means I am no longer exhausted when church is over. I have the energy I need to continue the gospel learning at home with my children.

The Come, Follow Me curriculum is beautifully simple and guides my personal scripture study, which prepares me for Sunday family scripture study. There are also many Primary resources that can be adapted to the home. When the Lord gives us a commandment, He will always give us all that we need to accomplish it.

Our society is changing rapidly, and I believe that the second coming is drawing near. We have been blessed with an inspired Prophet and all the tools we will need to prepare our homes and families for the growing challenges of life.

Emily Gilbert—Rosebud Ward, Melbourne Australia Braeside Stake

I am a very structured person so the new harmonised Come, Follow Me curriculum really appeals to the way I work. I have four children from eleven weeks to ten years old, so simplicity and clarity are essential for a successful Sabbath day.

For a while, it felt as though the time before church was filled with getting ready, and the time after church was filled with preparing and eating food. It may not seem like much but the extra hour at home has made a huge difference to my ability to make the sabbath a delight.

We come home, eat lunch, prepare for our home study and there’s no rush. I am not exhausted after three hours of wrangling kids as well as fulfilling my calling in Primary. Actually, since the Sunday schedule changed, I have not needed to prepare any lessons. This is a huge weight lifted during the week and on Sunday. I am free to focus on the spiritual development of my home and family.

There are so many church resources that can assist us in our home learning: videos, talks, Primary games and lessons to name a few. Not every Sunday runs perfectly, of course, but when my husband and I have put the effort in, we have found a peace and closeness in our home that is so special. The spirit works upon us as we work together to learn of Jesus Christ and His gospel.

The world is changing. Our parenting needs to change with it. Everything we do with our children needs to be intentional. We cannot sit back waiting for them to be taught by others and hope that they will be okay when the adversary throws darts at them.

It is easy to feel inadequate but if we let Him, our Heavenly Father can make us powerful and inspired teachers.

Chantelle White—Rockingham Ward, Perth Australia Rockingham Stake

I love the new Sunday schedule. I have seen the blessings in our ward as well as in our home.

In our home, my husband and I have seen a change in our children; a change in how much they want to learn and how involved they are in discussions. One of our daughters caught me by surprise as she enthusiastically joined in our family discussion one day. Usually, she is very placid, but we have seen a change in her that we know is a result of having study be a home-centred focus in the Church.

These same changes are happening at church as well. I have noticed people are more prepared for lessons and are offering so much more to the class discussion than they had in the past. The discussions at home are more meaningful because they are specialised to our children and their needs and concerns. At church, discussions are more meaningful because people have already discussed the topics as families and have come prepared.

It can be easy to put too much of our time and effort onto our callings. This comes from a righteous desire to serve the Lord of course, but the changes made this year have reminded me to simplify my life and put my family first. These children were sent to me to be taught the gospel and they should be my priority.