Our Family Study Schedule for "Come, Follow Me"

"It's so open-ended! What do we do?"
Exasperated and bewildered, my husband and I were attempting to reach an agreement for how we would approach Sundays, Family Home Evening, and scripture study in 2019.
As we flipped through a copy of the New Testament manual for home, it felt like trying to draw a map through a cloud. We could do anything, anyway we wanted. What could be easier than knowing what we want? What could be harder?
It didn't help that the nebulous ideas forming in my head were at odds with those my wonderful husband came up with. With so few guidelines to default to, we had to have an actual discussion with listening, persuasion, and decision making.
As we looked through the manual, we realized there just weren't enough chapters and discussion points to play the one-a-day game like we've done through years of Book of Mormon study. What were we supposed to do? We didn't want to plow through it all on Sunday or Monday. How were they supposed to contribute to their Sunday school lessons six or seven days later?
We finally settled on a structured, yet flexible plan that covered Sundays, a Monday Family Home Evening, the assigned reading and discussions, and what to do on weeks where we finished the week's assignments before the week was done.

Our Family's "Come, Follow Me" Home Study Schedule

SUNDAY

• Share church discussions at home.
• Recognize and praise those who did personal study in the past week
• (Invite sharing from personal studies)
• Select what 4-year old Q will be taught this week, selecting junior resources as needed
• Select a scripture or song to practice daily this week
• Read aloud a story from The Friend
• Family Council
• (Some weeks we may play a game as a family)

MONDAY: FAMILY HOME EVENING

• Song
• Prayer
• Begin the week's reading and discussion
• Object Lesson or Special Activity
• Treat

TUESDAY AND ONWARD

• Read and discuss one section from the manual each day until the week's reading is complete
• Repeat the week's verse or sing the week's song

REMAINING DAYS

• Read aloud from any of the following:
• The Ensign
• General Conference talks
• Or study from
• Bible Dictionary or Topical Guide

What is your family's plan for the new year?