Welcome to Little Shoots Deep Roots – where we help parents cultivate deep faith in their families one small habit at a time! In this introductory episode, host Christie Thomas shares her vision for faith gardening – a gentle approach to family discipleship that starts with planting small, intentional seeds of faith.
Learn why perfect parenting isn’t required (but being present is), understand the three key players in family discipleship, and discover how simple, consistent practices can have a lasting impact on your family’s spiritual growth.
Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, unqualified, or just unsure where to start, this podcast will help you develop confidence as your family’s spiritual leader.
✨ In this episode:
– Why small, consistent faith habits matter
– The truth about church programs vs. home discipleship
– How to partner with God in your children’s faith journey
– What to expect from future episodes
📚 FOLLOW-UP RESOURCES:
1) Start Little Guide: 5 simple habits to try today
2) Book: “Little Habits, Big Faith” by Christie Thomas
Join us monthly for practical tips, real parent interviews, and encouragement as we become faith gardeners together!
TRANSCRIPT:
Welcome to Little Shoots, Deep Roots, where we become faith gardeners, cultivating deep faith in our families one little habit at a time. I’m your fellow gardener, Christie Thomas.
Faith gardening is about planting small, intentional seeds of faith in our kids’ lives and trusting God to make them grow. If you’re feeling too busy, too tired, or overworked to disciple your kids, I want to assure you—you can do this.
You’re here because you love your kids and want them to follow Jesus. But if you’re like me, you’ve wrestled with questions like:
- Why can’t I get it together?
- Am I really qualified for this?
- And why is my child rolling around on the floor during prayer?
If that sounds familiar, you’re in the right place. I’m Christie Thomas, a wife, mom, author of several books for Christian families, and longtime Children’s ministry leader. I’ve been both a ministry leader and as a mom who spent a lot of time worrying that I wasn’t doing enough to point my kids to Jesus. But I want to share what I’ve discovered with you. Together, we’re going to turn the vision of a stereotypical ‘family devotion time’ on its head by setting realistic, attainable goals. We’ll learn to start small with simple habits that grow into rhythms of life over time. We’ll invite the Holy Spirit to guide us as we cultivate deep roots of faith in our families.”
Why Modeling Faith Matters
In the recent Hemorrhaging Faith report, researchers found clear connections between the faith practices of parents and the spiritual lives of their young adult children. When young adults remembered their parents consistently practicing things like prayer, Bible reading, and church attendance, they were 3-5 times more likely to follow those practices as adults.
What’s remarkable is that it’s not about perfection. Kids don’t need perfect parents; they need parents who are real. When they see you praying through tough times or prioritizing God even when life gets messy, it leaves a lasting impression.
I share this not to weigh you down with guilt but to encourage you. God doesn’t call us to be perfect—He calls us to be faithful. Small, consistent steps can have a big impact on your family’s spiritual health.
Faith Gardening: A Metaphor for Discipleship
Imagine standing in front of a vegetable garden with several packs of seeds in your hand. You want to grow a beautiful garden full of flowers to attract pollinators and vegetables to nourish your family.
You could scatter all the seeds randomly and hope for the best, or you could read the instructions and carefully plant each seed, knowing which ones grow quickly and which need more time and care. Faith practices are just like seeds. They may seem small, but with the right care, they grow into flourishing habits of faith.
You and I have little seeds of faith in our hands. These seeds seem small, but we get to plant them in the hearts of the next generation. But instead of scattering your efforts by trying to do everything, let’s take time to study your family’s unique ‘soil’ and ask God to guide you to the practices that will thrive in your home. Whether you grew up with strong faith habits or are just starting out, this podcast is here to help you discover where to begin.
Reclaiming Family Discipleship
Over the past few decades, churches have taken on much of the responsibility for children’s faith formation. Programs like Sunday school and kids’ clubs are wonderful, but they’ve unintentionally sent the message: ‘Drop your kids off, and the professionals will handle it.’
The ironic truth is, those ‘professionals’ are often parents and teenagers, just like you! We’ve lost the home-based faith habits that kept Christianity thriving for millennia. We have entrusted our children’s faith completely to church ministries, and have forgotten how to also be spiritual leaders in our homes.
It’s time to take back the responsibility to plant seeds of faith in our kids.
Deuteronomy 6:7 reminds us to teach God’s commands to our children ‘when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.’ No matter your schedule, background, or how many questions you have, God has called you—and equipped you—to be a spiritual leader in your home. No matter who you are, where your kids go to school, how busy you are, how long you’ve been following Jesus, or how many faith questions you have, God has given you, as a parent, the mandate to teach your children of his mighty acts, proclaiming his power.
I believe you can develop the confidence that you are following your calling as spiritual leader even amidst your busy life. I believe that you can draw near to God and bring your children in closer as well, trusting in God to cause the seeds of faith to grow into fruitfulness.
Your Role in Faith Gardening
Before we go any further, let’s make our roles clear in this faith gardening job. There are three key players in family discipleship:
- Your Child – God has given each of us free will. Your child may choose to follow God or resist His work in their heart. That’s not a reflection of your efforts—it’s part of their journey.
- God – Ezekiel 36:26-27 reminds us: ‘I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.’ God is the one who transforms hearts and causes spiritual growth.
- You – We might be tempted to think that’s it: God and child. And while God can (and does) draw people toward him without any human intervention, he calls us as parents to partner with him in the process. Your role is to plant seeds and cultivate the soil. You don’t need to be perfect, but you do need to be present. By faithfully practicing spiritual habits, you create an environment where faith can flourish.”
How This Podcast Will Help You
Each month on Little Shoots, Deep Roots, we’ll focus on one specific faith practice. Topics will include prayer, Bible reading, gratitude, and even connecting with your kids in meaningful ways.
Every month will feature two episodes:
- A solo episode where I’ll share how to integrate that faith practice into your family life using my Faith Growth Cycle.
- An interview with a parent who has seen fruit from starting small with that practice.
You’ll also find free resources in the show notes, including my Start Little Guide with five tiny habits you can try today and my book, Little Habits, Big Faith. These tools will help you take the first step toward cultivating deep faith in your home.
Encouragement to Start Small
However, this isn’t about adding more to your to-do list. 1 Corinthians 3:6 says, ‘I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.’ Your role isn’t to do everything perfectly—it’s to plant seeds and trust God to make them grow.
When the Apostle Paul was walking around the Roman Empire, preaching the gospel, he was completely dependent on the Holy Spirit to lead him to the right places and into the right conversations. He didn’t push into places where God didn’t want him to go, and he was sensitive to the lading of the Spirit to where he should go. Even the Apostle Paul depended on the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Similarly, as you disciple your family, invite God into the process. He’ll give you wisdom for your unique circumstances.
This podcast is here to help you find sustainable, God-centered habits that work for your family, rather than trying to copy someone else’s. Together, we’ll learn to follow Jesus and trust Him to lead us.
Closing and Prayer
Before we close, let me pray for you:
God, thank you for the parents and grandparents listening today. Thank you for their desire to plant seeds of faith in their families. We bring our hopes, fears, and failures to You, trusting in Your faithfulness. Help us plant seeds of faith and trust You to make them grow. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thanks for joining me for this first episode of Little Shoots, Deep Roots. Don’t forget to subscribe, download the Start Little Guide, and check out my book, Little Habits, Big Faith, which are both linked in the show notes.
Growing with you,
Christie
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