Faith Milestone- What IS a Faith Chest?

A few years ago I came across an internet site

 that had wonderful support for families living with a 

"Families in Faith" priority.

They taught that we really need to make

 some intentional choices for making
 "God Intersections"

in our lives a time for remembering,

 documenting and celebrating.

They urged churches to give a gift of a

'Faith Chest" to everyone

 that is baptized in their church.

Vibrant Faith

 (formerly the Child in Our Hands program
 at Youth and Family Institute)
Originally, they suggested that a large wooden box
 be handmade for each child
 and then items added throughout their lifetime.
We were going to need to adapt that suggestion.

I began to do a bit of research and found

 that although we give high importance

 to the rite of baptism, 

we still did not do very well in the follow up

 to keep that as a highly significant event in our lives. 

So, in my own "archeological dig"
 for my family I began to seek this information
 for everyone in my own family.

 Some things had been so well "kept safe",
 it took me almost 6 months to find:
 baptism dates, confirmation dates,
 and verses for all five of us.
All the more reason to create-
THE PLACE-
 to keep these important items and documents.

The Faith Chest- 

as the designated place to keep faith life items,

 made it easy to put them in a safe place

 and yet be accessible. 

So my husband John and I have a Faith Chest, 
and so do each of our three daughters.
(and Now our grandson)

At the time we were looking for them-
 they were available in stores
 and looked like an actual treasure chest.

I found them at:

Michaels
Target
Home Goods
and
AC Moore

Today, it is a bit trickier to find ones
 in the Chest style model, 
and so I often end up using
 rectangular boxes with flip up lids.
What works best is either one with a removable lid
 or a flip up lid and a size that fits a 
full size piece of 8 X 11  1/2 piece of paper to lay flat. 

Decorative Suitcase
Sometimes it is possible to find them
 and purchase separately
 and I would suggest the larger one
 to follow a life-time of
Faith-Keeping.
They make a great gift to a child
 from a sponsor, godparent,
or grandparent.

Jumbo Scrapbook Storage Boxes
Large boxes used for scrapbooking storage
 are also a fine choice
 and a bit more economical
 if used in the parish setting.

So, that is the beginning
 of telling the Faith Chest Story.
Remembering our Baptism.
The beginning of God's story
 of redemption in our lives.


Part 2- Building a Faith Chest
faith-milestone-building-faith-chest
Part 3- Baptism Birthdays and Resources
faith-milestone-faith-chest-telling-our-story