“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.” (Psalm 145:3-4, NIV)

We are first-generation Christians. Coming from chaotic, dysfunctional homes, neither of us had grown up in a successful model of family life. But God stepped into Pam’s world at age 8 and into Bill’s life at age 15. When we met at a college ministry conference, began dating, then soon married, we had a heartfelt plea: “Help! Father, please teach us! Parent us so we can parent!”

We longed to pass on a legacy of faith and love. One powerful way we discovered to do that was by placing our TradeMark™ on our children through two intentional tools: Traditions and Memories.

Traditions: Weave Repeated Rhythms of Faith into Family Life

Traditions are the consistent, repeated rhythms that bring stability, spiritual focus, and identity into your home. They become the glue that holds families together.

Traditions are the consistent, repeated rhythms that bring stability, spiritual focus, and identity into your home. They become the glue that holds families together.

In our family, traditions came in many forms:

–Daily: Prayers as our kids headed out the door, over meals, and at bedtime.
– Weekly: Church together and a shared Sunday meal to create spiritual rhythm.
– Monthly: One-on-one “dates” with each child, giving time for individual bonding and conversation.
– Yearly: Family camps, vacations, church, non-profit special events and special celebrations that helped reinforce values and connection.

For holidays, we added meaning with unique traditions. For example, at Christmas, we shared personalized blessings over every family member at the dinner table—affirming their personality, character and we prayed over the future God was unfolding. Thanksgiving became a time to express our individual gratitude and praise to God. On birthdays, we took a moment to speak a word of encouragement, affirmation or Bible verse over the birthday child.

We also began the school year with a “Leader, Learner, who Loves God” day. We enjoyed fun together, negotiated and signed contracts that laid out their privileges and responsibilities for the year. We also selected a character trait, one word, that would help direct that child throughout the year. In addition, we gave a gift that reflected each child’s strengths, giftedness, and calling or was a tool to help him grow spiritually.

Each gift was:
– Practical – something useful or needed for the upcoming school year
– Personalized – tailored to their unique personality or interest
– Prophetic – linked to a potential calling or character trait we saw God developing

These rhythms taught our kids that our home had a heartbeat for God. We reinforced these patterns with our Family Compass: a trio of identity anchors that included a Family Mission, Motto, and Moniker. Our motto, “Those who honor God, God honors” (1 Samuel 2:30 paraphrased), became our parting words each time as our kids walked out the door.

“We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.” (Psalm 78:4)

Traditions shape identity. They build security. They create intentional space to instill moral values, spiritual truths, and family memories that echo into adulthood.

Memories: Mark Once-in-a-Lifetime Moments with Purpose

Traditions shape rhythm, while memories shape milestones. These are the once-in-a-lifetime events that leave a holy imprint on a child’s heart and serve as faith markers.

Some of the most impactful memory-makers we or our friends used included:

– Night Before Kindergarten Dinner: A special meal to launch school with prayer and encouragement.
– Double Digit Birthday (Age 10): This idea is from our family friends who plan a 24-hour trip or experience with one parent to honor the transition to preteen years.

– The Terrific Talk: The big conversation about the “birds and bees” and God’s design for purity, often around age 9-14.

– 13 Candles Celebration: A gathering of mentors who each speak  life over your child entering the teen years.

– Walk Into Manhood / Princess Party: Rite of passage ceremonies to celebrate growing into godly maturity. We describe many of these events (and more) in our books Got Teens? and Questions Kids Ask About S*x: Answers to Have Ready.

Pam is coauthor of Raising a Modern Day Princess which outlines various Rite of Passage ideas and events for daughters. On the flip side, our sons experienced “A Walk into Manhood” tailored to each son’s interests. Brock, a high school quarterback had his mentors including his dad walk a football field for one on one conversation; Zach, who drove a lifted truck and lived full throttle, had his mentors meet him and his dad at a race cart track; they raced, then each mentor walked the track for a private conversation; and Caleb, who is an outdoorsman, had a kayak and jet ski day with his mentors, so it was more of a “paddle into manhood”.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

These once-in-a lifetime milestone events weren’t just rich memories—they were spiritual milestones that gave opportunities to speak truth, purpose, identity, and faith that anchored our kids in God’s truth. You don’t need to spend a fortune to create meaningful memories. What matters most is the intention behind the moment. These memories marked a moment in time when we said, “This matters. You matter. And your walk with God matters most.”

These memories marked a moment in time when we said, “This matters. You matter. And your walk with God matters most.”

The Legacy Continues

As our sons grew into men, married godly women, and began raising children of their own, we saw the fruit of placing our TradeMark™ through Traditions and Memories. One son stood beside Pam at a Forest Home retreat and taught God’s truth to moms and sons. Others lead in their churches and professions with integrity. Each walks with Jesus.

Now, we’re creating new traditions with our grandkids. One favorite? Grandkids Camp! We send their parents on a marriage getaway while we spend a weekend pouring into our grandchildren through fun, themed activities, crafts, and memory verses. We teach them about God’s love in playful and powerful ways.

Your family legacy doesn’t happen by accident. It takes prayer, intention, listening to the Lord then stepping forward in obedience. With God’s help, you can build a legacy and pass that baton of faith one generation to another.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” —Ephesians 2:10 

Your Turn:
Set aside a date night or quiet moment to talk with your spouse: What traditions could you start or refresh? What memories could you plan? What part of your TradeMark™ legacy do you desire to pass on?

Do you yearn to adapt old traditions or create a brand-new ones?  Ask God to show you which small steps you can take now that will echo into eternity.

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance… (Proverbs 21:5)Your intentional investment in Traditions and Memories can become the spiritual inheritance your children and grandchildren will treasure forever.