Kinga Kosterska, Administrator of the Mission Directorate, reflects on how belief enriches family life.
In 2025, we commemorate the 1,700 Anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea which took place in 325 CE. This was a meeting of bishops from different Christian branches and one of its aims was to establish a unified Christian doctrine, which we now say every Sunday as the Nicene Creed. It is reassuring that our ‘I believe’ is not only a description of our faith but has been spoken by Christians worldwide for centuries.
This weekly recitation offers us and our families a rich source to develop our faith and allow it to permeate through our daily lives. Just saying the Creed together unifies us as a family and a community. We align our hearts and minds before God.
The Nicene Creed proclaimed the Trinity – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – each being an equal part of God. Making the sign of the cross acknowledges this equality. This concept is difficult to explain to children, but by making the sign of the cross at daily prayer times and before meals helps to set the foundations on which we build our children’s faith.
God is our creator, and we owe to Him the natural world. So, by taking walks outside and marvelling at what we see, encouraging each family member to express thanks for a part of God’s creation and blessings gives us a sense of gratitude and appreciation. It strengthens our mental health.
But how can we teach our children to love God if they do not know Him? The Nicene Creed gives us the main points of our faith. Each aspect can be explored and explained by reading bible stories, celebrating major Christian Festivals with special prayers and crafts, and talking about Christian values and how they help us make the right choices. It reminds family members of their identity as part of God’s family and the universal Church. It connects us across generations.
The Creed is not just to be said on Sundays, but to be lived every day in our words and actions. Using the beliefs to shape what we do and how we are, gives us and our families the courage to do the right thing. It can strengthen families facing difficulties reminding them of God’s providence and the ultimate hope in Christ’s resurrection.
Families function best in love, the spirit of forgiveness and hope – all found in the teaching and example of Jesus Christ. As those responsible for bringing up children, we can use the Creed to talk, explore and discuss the Christian morals of honesty, compassion and service to others.
We are indebted to those 318 bishops who sat and debated the theology of Christianity for giving us a concise yet extraordinary set of beliefs which still unite us and give us hope 1,700 year later.
Kinga Kosterska
Administrator, Mission Directorate
What’s in a Creed? The Biblical Basis of our Faith
