4 Key Insights for Establishing a Family Altar in Your Home

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

Genesis 9:13

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The phrase “family altar” may sound like a throwback to biblical times, and it is! The words may sound foreign or even ancient to you, and it is easy to misunderstand what a family altar entails. In this post, we want to talk about what a family altar can involve and encourage you to consider having one in your own home. We’ve found it to be a valuable, beautiful, and even practical way to help us focus on Christ as a family. 

When we say “family altar,” we mean a specific area of the home, a focal point, to display Christian symbols in the home through special decor. Our family routinely gathers in this area to focus on God and the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Some of these symbols are obvious – a cross, for example – while others can be based upon creation (rainbow, grapevine, wool). 

There are many reasons to have symbols in your home to remind you of God and His love for us on a daily basis. So how can you create something like this in your home? We’d love to share some examples of ways we’ve made this work, as well as benefits we have seen from having a family altar in our home.

1. Location, Location, Location

The first step in making a family altar is choosing an ideal location. Ideally, it should be a place that everyone regularly passes by throughout each day. It should not be in the way (this could tempt you to remove it in the future!) but should be in a location of prominence that offers an aesthetically pleasing way of displaying your symbols. As you may consider adding or modifying the symbols from time to time, the altar should also be easily accessible. 

In our home, we chose our entryway as the primary location to display our Christian symbols. It is an area that we all pass through regularly, and it also serves as our home’s first point of contact with our visitors.  Our symbols are the focal point when you enter our home, which sets the stage for the hospitality we intend to provide.

2. Making It Your Own

Deciding what symbols to include as a part of your family altar is step two. The parents can work together to create it, or, if your kids are old enough, it’s something they may really enjoy contributing to. Choose symbols that reflect and reinforce your family’s beliefs.  For most Christians, a cross will likely be central. 

In our home, an illuminated cross is the focal point of the family altar. We’ve found that we prefer having one prominent symbol and a few small ones around it. Some people like to incorporate smaller crosses around a picture or painting as their “centerpiece.”  

This space is yours. It’s easy to make these things simple and inexpensive (even using things you’ve found in nature), or you can invest in some beautiful artwork. It’s really up to you.

You may also consider personalizing this area by adding baptismal certificates or other items to help you remember important aspects and events in your family’s Christian life.

3. Seasonal Variety

To add variety of focus, consider adding or removing some symbols with the seasons.  This could be matched with events and holidays in the church calendar and/or the weather.

During Christmas time, we add this Advent wreath and candles to our family altar. Around Easter, we add an additional small cross with a crown of thorns and Easter lilies, as well as a burial cloth to help be a visual reminder of the crucifixion and resurrection for both our kids and us.

4. A Family Affair

 Whatever you choose, it is important to discuss these symbols with your children so that they understand why you’ve decided to display these things in your home. When you change things up, it’s a good opportunity to discuss as a family what has changed and why.

Ask your kids questions about the symbols to ensure that they know the purpose of those displays. This will provoke thought and pique their interest, and you may find they begin asking questions of their own.

Personal Story

As we mentioned, we have an illuminated cross in our entryway as the focal point of our family altar and a special Easter cross that we add in the spring. Our youngest daughter was particularly intrigued by the new cross and asked questions about it. This allowed me to walk through the entire Easter Story with Lily in a few minutes by referencing various aspects of the cross.

We talked about why there were multiple crosses instead of only one, what Jesus said while He was on the cross, the significance of the crown and nails, how Jesus was physically injured, the burial cloth, and what the lilies signified – all because we changed a few things on the family altar! It was an incredible educational and spiritual opportunity. 

We have found that our family altar has been a huge blessing to our children and us. This display of Christian symbols is a practical way to be consistently reminded of our faith and reflect that faith to people who we invite into our home.

We feel it is important for every family to have a great spiritual growth plan for their family and this can be part of it!

Key Points

• A family altar with Christian symbols can be a wonderful reminder for your family (and testimony to friends) of the importance of your Christian faith in your home.
• Your family altar can help be an educational opportunity for your children.
• Modifications to your Christian symbols in the home throughout the year can help to bring renewed focus to your family altar and be a new opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the symbols included.