Back in January I got to hear Mark Scandrette talk about his faith community in California. I was captivated by what he had to say about the Jesus Dojo and decided to attempt something similar with our families at church over this past summer.

We decided that on Wednesday nights we would have “Family Dojo.” Dojo means “way of life.” We wanted our families to center their way of life around the teachings of Jesus. To do this we looked at short passages from the Sermon on the Mount, shared in some discussion then experimented with what it would be like to live those passages out during the week. The response was varied. Some families found it natural to “experiment” in this way, others it was forced. I wasn’t bothered by this since the goal was simply to discover practical ways of living out the ways of Jesus. If it proved difficult for families, then perhaps they were able to reflect on what may need to change about their family rhythm. Families that found the experiments fitting naturally into their lives said the kids would remind the parents of what they were supposed to do!

Below are links to the short devotionals I put together and offered to the families.

• Hokey Pokey
• Indestructible
• Praying with Jesus
• Reminder Rocks
• Secret Mission
• Tattle Tale Boomerang
• Trading My Worries Away
• Turn That Frown Upside Down
• Yes Be Yes & No Be No
• You’re Already Bright!

Blessings,

~JK