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By Diana Dworin


Pass the faith SHUTTERSTOCK


Worship on the road


Family vacations may expand children’s sense of the church


P


lanning a family vacation can be a collaborative job for parents and children. Learning about a new place and deciding which attractions to visit can help build teamwork and ignite a sense of adventure. Scoping out the options at a theme park or charting a highway route that passes by landmarks are two of the ways families work together to prepare for a trip. But one thing that often gets left off the itinerary is where to wor- ship while out on the road. “Visiting a church during vacation is a great way to see God at work in different places,” said Julie Frank, pastor of Salem Lutheran in Orlando, Fla. “It teaches kids that the church isn’t confined to their own building back home, and that they’re involved in something bigger as a part of the body of Christ.”


Frank said vacationers who worship at Salem—located less than five miles from Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Studios Orlando theme parks—come home with an enlarged sense of God’s presence in their lives. “Even though we might have gone on vacation, we’re reminded that God never takes a vacation from us,” said Frank, a mother of three teenagers.


Families can help make worship-on-the-road a positive part of their vacation when they:


• Do their homework. Start your search for a church by typing the zip code of your destination into the ELCA’s “Find a Congregation” page on the Internet (www.elca.org). This site provides links to hundreds of church websites nationwide—an ideal starting point for taking a closer look at congregations you would like to visit. Also, families can check with their destination’s visitors bureau to inquire about historic churches and architec- turally notable places of worship. • Say hello. Introduce yourself before worship to those sitting around you and


say hello to the pastor afte r the service ends. Frank said she makes a point of giving her contact numbers to visi- tors and invites them to call if they need assistance, such as finding an after-hour medical clinic or drugstore. 


Tried & true Luggage tags


Whether your children are headed to the airport to visit grandparents or packed up for summer camp, a luggage tag helps link them to the things they carry. But more impor- tant than the items your son or daughter totes along is their identity as beloved children of God. Children can attach a luggage tag to their bag that reminds them of who they are by writing the phrase “Child of God” beneath their name. You can find kid-friendly luggage tag projects at


www.familyfun.com. Or you can purchase an inex- pensive tag at a store and let your child customize it with stickers or markers. Not only will the tag


remind kids of their connection to Christ, it also will help them spot their luggage at the baggage claim.


Lutheran mom


Dworin, 42, is a mother of three and a former parenting magazine editor. Contact her at diana@ passthefaith.org.


August 2012 41


SHUTTERSTOCK


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