The Little Church Under Your Roof: The History of Family Worship

We Believe in the Little Church

We believe this: if a “little church” takes root under your roof, it won’t just shape your family. It can strengthen your local church, bless your community and, by God’s grace, ripple across generations. That conviction sits at the heart of family worship.

This article continues our series on the history of family worship. If you missed Part 1, we traced practices from Genesis through Acts and into the early church. Here in Part 2, we follow the story from Paul’s letters through the early church fathers, the medieval shift to clergy-centered worship, and the Reformation’s return to the home.

Paul’s Instructions: Parents, Lead with Discipline and Instruction

In Ephesians 6, Paul calls fathers — and by extension parents — to avoid provoking children to anger and to raise them “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” In the first-century context, no one expected to outsource spiritual formation. Household worship and everyday discipleship were the norm.

Takeaway for today: Loving discipline and consistent instruction create an atmosphere where kids can worship alongside you — not resent faith beside you.

Early Church Fathers: Prayer, Scripture and the “Little Church”

After the apostles, early Christian teachers wrote pastorally about the home:

• Didache (2nd century): A practical church manual that urged families, especially fathers, to lead daily prayer — notably the Lord’s Prayer, three times a day.

• Tertullian (3rd century): Wrote about marriage as a worshiping union: couples praying, fasting, teaching and encouraging one another.

• Origen (3rd century): Advised parents to speak of God continually and study Scripture with their children so that faith rhythms became familiar.

• John Chrysostom (4th–5th centuries): Famously urged believers to “make your home a little church,” highlighting gathered prayer and Scripture as a household norm.

Takeaway for today: Whether you have children at home or not, the home itself is a place of worship, prayer and Scripture — a “little church.”

Constantine to the Medieval Era: The Shift Out of the Home

When Christianity was legalized and later institutionalized under Constantine, public worship flourished — a gift after years of persecution. Over time, however, worship practices centralized around clergy and cathedral. Scripture was read and interpreted mainly by church leaders, and ordinary families had fewer on-ramps to daily practices in the home.

Takeaway for today: Public worship is essential, but when everything moves outside the home, families can lose the daily formation that sustains faith between Sundays.

The Reformation: Bringing Worship Back Home

Reformers called believers back to Scripture and renewed the home as a center for discipleship:

• Martin Luther: “Every house should be a church and every father its bishop.” His catechism was written for heads of household to teach Scripture “in a simple way.”

• John Calvin: “Let every house be a school of Christ,” emphasizing family instruction and prayer.

• Westminster tradition (Baxter, Henry, et al.): Catechisms and pastoral counsel expected regular family prayer, Bible reading and discussion as part of ordinary Christian life.

Some voices were strong, even severe, because pastors saw how much healthier churches became when homes were actively worshiping.

Takeaway for today: Churches are strongest when households are already warmed by prayer and Scripture. Pastors can preach deeper when families come discipled, not spiritually starving.

Why the Little Church Still Matters

History shows a repeating pattern: when family worship fades, the church strains; when family worship returns, churches are renewed.

• It forms hearts daily, not just weekly.

• It aligns home and church. Kids experience consistency, not contradiction.

• It multiplies faith across generations. Ordinary, repeatable habits outlast busy seasons.

You are already teaching your children by what you value, schedule and celebrate. Family worship simply makes that teaching explicit, biblical and consistent.

Start Where You Are

If this feels convicting or overwhelming, start small. Everyone begins somewhere.

• One prayer before bed.

• One verse at breakfast.

• One worship song in the car.

• One simple question at dinner: “What did this verse show us about God?”

Consistency beats complexity. Gentle, repeatable practices build a culture.

A Gentle Invitation

If your family wants help getting started, WITH Kits make family worship simple and doable. Each box includes Scripture, questions, prayer prompts and hands-on activities—ready to use with no prep. If a little church is going to take root under your roof, a small first step can make a lasting difference.