Family Worship

Definition and Meaning

Family worship is worship in which a family gathers at home rather than in a church building. It is usually led by a parent or the head of the household and proceeds through hymn singing, Scripture reading, a brief reflection on the Word, and prayer. It does not replace the public worship of the church; rather, it is understood as a means of sustaining faith within the home and teaching the faith to children.

Biblical and Historical Background

Deuteronomy 6:6–7, which instructs parents to teach God's words diligently to their children, and Joshua 24:15, "as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD," are frequently cited as the basis for family worship. In the New Testament, the account of believers breaking bread from house to house (Acts 2:46) and the phrase "the church that is in their house" (Romans 16:5) are cited as background, pointing to the household gatherings of the early church.

After the Reformation, Protestantism emphasized the home as a center of faith education. Family worship was especially valued in the Puritan tradition, and chapter 21 of the Westminster Confession of Faith states that God is to be worshiped "in private families daily."

Practice in Korean Churches

In Korean churches, the form and frequency of family worship vary from church to church and from household to household. Some families worship daily, while others do so once a week or only on special occasions. Families often use quiet time devotional materials or order-of-worship sheets distributed by their church.

• Holidays and memorial services: Family worship is widely held when families gather for Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok. On these occasions a memorial service remembering ancestors is often held as well; this practice is generally understood to have become established as the Korean church's response to the issue of ancestral rites. Many denominations and churches distribute orders of family worship for each holiday.
• Closing: Because most denominations regard the benediction as reserved for ordained ministers, family worship led by laypeople usually closes with the Lord's Prayer.
• Pastoral visits: Pastoral visitation, in which a minister visits a home and leads worship there, is distinguished from family worship conducted by the family itself. Family worship is also distinguished from cell group worship, in which neighboring households gather together.
• Denominational tendencies: In Presbyterian churches, following the Westminster tradition, many sermons and materials emphasize family worship led by the head of the household. In churches with a liturgical tradition of prescribed forms of worship, such as the Anglican Church of Korea, the orders for morning and evening prayer in the prayer book are sometimes used at home. Family worship is not a sacrament, however, and most denominations do not strictly prescribe its form, leaving it to each household.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when church gatherings were restricted, many churches encouraged family worship and provided orders of worship and videos.