Memories That Matter: How Sharing Family Stories Deepens Identity and Faith

Soon, Memorial Day Weekend, high school and college graduations, June weddings, July 4 celebrations, and summer family reunions will be upon us. Traditions! Every one of these occasions is an opportunity to connect with extended family members and a wonderful time to strengthen family ties through sharing your history. Church leaders can help facilitate important conversations among the generations by encouraging people of every age to be curious, share their stories, embrace healthy family traditions, and introduce some new traditions to the life of the congregation.

Understanding family history—what shaped them, what challenges they confronted, what joys sustained them, and how these experiences continue to influence you—helps family members grasp their identity and provides a meaningful foundation for living more fully. Similarly, through preaching and teaching, we help people connect their stories to the larger biblical stories that continue to shape us as God’s people.

Older adults and those who work with older adults can shore up the resilience and grit of succeeding generations by recalling the varied chapters of our family’s lives.

Rev. Jack Shitama has written a wonderful first-person account of how important it is for succeeding generations to know their family narratives. I encourage you to read the full article linked here:

'Strengthen Your Family by Sharing in Its History: The Non-Anxious Leader Blog'

Rev. Jack Shitama is an author, teacher, speaker, and coach. His family systems approach to leadership helps congregational and nonprofit leaders achieve their best, spiritually, physically, and professionally. He is an avid learner with a passion for taking the most recent secular learnings and applying them to spiritual leadership.