As the new year rolls around, we all start to think about new beginnings, a fresh start, and what we will accomplish. Sometimes it’s personal, work related, or a big dream. I know many who set personal spiritual goals as well but one thing that we are going to do this year is set some spiritual goals for the entire family. I thought it might be a good time to share some Christian family goals examples.

Scriptures to Keep In Mind

• “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
• “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” Isaiah 65:17
  • Our ultimate goal as Christians is to inherit eternal life. We need to keep eternity in mind when setting our goals.
  • Question to ask: Are these goals kingdom building?

• “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3
• “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9
•  “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21
  • We can plan many things but if it is not a part of God’s will, it will not materialize. We must examine our hearts and pray before we set goals.
  • Question to ask: Are these goals in line with the word of God? Are they for His glory?

Committing Our Goals to the Lord

The first step in committing our goals to the Lord is to pray through them. Ask the Lord to show if any motives are selfish. Ask Him if any goals are lacking faith. He is a big God and can accomplish big things. Ask the Lord to help you be committed, diligent, and to persevere. Finally, humble yourself and tell the Lord that you only want to accomplish what will honor Him.

Second, read through the scriptures above and ask yourself the questions that go along with them. Be sure that you remind yourself that our ultimate goal is to live like Jesus and that we are to focus on things that will last in eternity.

Last, have a tangible way to be accountable. As a family, setting Christian goals together with the following examples, you can hold one another accountable. However, it would be a good idea to write them out somewhere and monitor your progress. For example, if your goal is having family worship 6 times a week, maybe have a chart for the first month and check off each day that you are successful.

Examples of Christian Family Goals to Set

Daily Family Worship Time

A daily family worship time encourages us to put God first. It also helps us to grow in the Lord together. It doesn’t have to be elaborately planned just Bible reading and prayer. If you need some ideas, check this out: 20+ Resources for Family Worship.

Keep a Family Prayer Journal

A family prayer journal can be a simple notebook or computer document where you record everyone’s prayer concerns. The goal here is to go back and mark a date when the prayers are answered. This gives us cause to praise the Lord but also grows our faith.

Memorize Scripture

Scripture memorization is an important discipline. It keeps the word fresh our our hearts and minds so that we can stand on truth and obey. Memorizing the same scriptures as a family can be healthy competition as well as a good way for us to keep one another accountable.

Share the Gospel as a Family Once a Month

We know that we are suppose to share the good news. Doing it together as a family, helps us parents to include the kids. Setting a goal to share keeps us on mission and subject to having it on our minds. Here are some ideas on 10 ways to share the gospel as a family.

Use Our Words to Encourage

Our words have power. I’m not sure about your home but in mine, I find that sometimes we get loose with our tongues and forget how important it is to encourage one another. Sometimes, we set everyone down and read some passages from the Bible on words and have everyone go around and say something nice about others. Here is a little lesson from Phil. 4:8 to help as well.

Practice Biblical Hospitality

One of the ways that we can extend the love of Christ is by serving others. I think a really practical example is to cook and serve a meal to others. In the Bible, Jesus extended hospitality and he received it from others. He ate with sinners, outcasts, and religious leaders. Accepting their hospitality was not just about sharing a meal, it was a way of getting to know them and making them a part of his circle.

When we invite others into our home, we are inviting them to share our lives. This is one of the most important ways that we can grow in fellowship with other believers and also a great way to begin sharing the gospel with nonbelievers. Check out this post- 6 Practical Ways Children Help with Hospitality

Be More Generous

Is there a way that your family can be more generous in your giving? Generosity doesn’t have to mean financial. Perhaps, its a time to make some donations to a local food bank or thrift store. Sometimes, generosity needs to start in our own household with sharing, giving of our time, etc.

Get Healthy

One of the things that our family does every January is do a no sugar month. After the holidays, we need a bit of a detox. We also talk about ways we can eat healthier meals and be more active as a family. Last year, we decided to do one family hike a week and eat keto meals during the week.

What are some ways your family can be healthier together?

Get Organized

Organization is super important for good communication in families. What might help for everyone to be on the same page? Do you have a family calendar and chore schedule? Is there a better way to store or organize stuff that might cut down on cleaning time? 10 Time Saving Tips for Busy Moms has some great ideas that might help your family with this one.

Putting Christian Family Goals Examples Into Practice

The best thing about setting goals as a family is that you get to do it together. You get the satisfaction of knowing that you are working purposefully as a team to grow closer to one another and the Lord. At the end of the year, you can look back and praise the Lord for all He helped you to accomplish and then work on a new goal for the next year.

Praying that your year is fruitful for the kingdom and whatever goals you set, your family puts Jesus first, others second, and find joy!