One day, not too long from now, your child will tell your family’s story.
Will it be a story of adventure, of hardship endured and obstacles overcome and wounds healed? Will there be love and forgiveness, songs and laughter and dancing? Will it make women long for home? Will it make grown men cry?
Or will it be lame?
Whether or not you realize it, that’s largely up to you.
The story you’re living right now as a family (and the stories you’re actively passing down) will be the defining narrative of your child’s life. Your family’s story (and your child’s awareness of that story) will have a direct impact on their sense of identity, belonging, and purpose.
Our job then as parents is two fold: To LIVE a good story with our kids and to TELL a good story to our kids.
Kids who know their story know who they are.
They feel like they’re a part of something bigger.
They live lives anchored in mission and hope.
And they know how to get up when they inevitably fall down.
In his book The Secrets of Happy Families Bruce Feiler considers recent research into resilience and children. He discovered that consistently, children who knew their grandparents’ names or a story about their uncle or their dad’s first job were happier, more confident, and far and away better at bouncing back from a traumatic experience. How much a child knew about her family story “turned out to be the best single predictor of children’s emotional health and happiness.”
But it’s not just psychology that says kids need stories--it’s scripture, too. Again and again God tells His people to tell their children the story of God’s faithfulness. He engineers celebrations for remembering and retelling. He even writes a book full of stories to help us both learn and live our story.
That’s why we’re bringing you The Storied Family, a workshop to help families live and tell better, holier stories.
At The Storied Family we’ll help you bind your family to God and to one another by actively rooting your family’s everyday life in the most important stories—the ancient stories of scripture and the right now stories God’s writing in your lives.
The Details…
Each practical, inspiring workshop lasts 3-4 hours (depending on the host’s preference) and includes 3 main sessions and 2 hands-on breakout sessions. Participants receive take-home resources and a few fun surprises!
Email us for more information, cost details, and scheduling.
Tell it to your children,
and let your children tell it to their children,
and their children to the next generation.Joel 1:3
Main Sessions:
The Hero
Using story to teach your kids how to answer the foundational questions, “Who am I?” “Where do I come from?” and “Where do I belong?”
THE QUEST
Using story to help your kids understand their purpose and mission, giving them a powerful filter for making good everyday choices and life-giving long term decisions
The Dragon
Using story to equip your kids as they endure hardship, opposition, conflict, and failure
Breakout Sessions:
The Power of Moments
On making the most of celebrations, special days, feasts, & vacations
This Is The Way
How to collaboratively craft a set of family core behaviors
Storytelling 101
On the logistics of storytelling (or how to tell a story your kids want to hear)
Geeking Out
Pokemon cards, football, Harry Potter, & the power of a family obsession
Who are we?
The Storied Family is led by husband & wife team Justin Gerhardt (creator of the podcast Holy Ghost Stories) and JL Gerhardt (author, Bible teacher & former world literature instructor). Together they have 40 years professional experience studying, teaching, and telling stories.
They have two home-schooled daughters, London (13) & Eve (12), and live abroad.
Want to get to know Justin & JL better? Check out their Youtube channel: Love Stuff.