The First of Many Motherhood Questions

How am I gonna teach my child about God?

This is something that’s been on my mind since I found out I was pregnant. I feel like I have a duty to teach my child about God, but I am NOT taking her to church.

I’ve been trying to get back into it – to mold myself into a person who will go every Sunday and lead by example, but that isn’t going well. And really, I don’t think just going to church will work if I want to teach her about God.

But I want her to have a spiritual connection of something greater, something that will always be with her and always love her.

I’ve been asking girlfriends and haven’t gotten much feedback – Faith is so personal and hard to talk about. I found a few ideas online, though, and it makes me feel better.

1. Live it. Like, I don’t have to go get something new, but live what I live. When I pray when I’m upset or overwhelmed, do that and tell her about it. (In a way she can understand.) When I’m outside (which is where I feel closest to God) tell her about that, too. Give thanks and be happy out loud. And she’ll ask questions. Not only will she be a child, she will be the offspring of me and Cohiba, and we’re both inquisitive by nature. I keep forgetting that she’ll ask questions.
2. And she’ll learn about asking questions and that it’s safe to ask them if I ask her them, especially when we encounter spiritual things in books or movies. What are her thoughts on it? What does she like? Why? Not like? Why?
3. One website pointed out something that I believe, and it helps, that we (as people) are the actual “church”:

If we are the church, you never stop being the church. You cannot be the church on Sunday…and then not be the church Tuesday…When we call the building a church or say that “we are going to church” we are taking away from the fact that “church” is our identity, not something we “go to”. When something is our identity, we are that thing all of the time. When we “go to something”, we are only participating in that activity while we are there.

4. Something I could do, that I’ve already thought about, is to incorporate scripture in art. Maybe I could do that with her, too! But put some verses into a pretty picture, ‘cause it’s easy to remember visual things like that. She’ll remember it if she needs it.
5. Another girlfriend pointed out something that really makes it easier on me, something I believe: All I need to do it “plant the seed.” Just introduce her to it and let God to the rest.

For those who have experience with this and/or feel comfortable sharing about it, what worked for you?  What do you think will work? Any other suggestions that would go on this list?