As America approaches its 250th birthday, a faith-based organization is encouraging families to reconnect through patriotic traditions.
Communio, dedicated to strengthening American families, has launched its "Great American Family Fun Kit" ahead of Independence Day. The kit includes activity ideas, recipes for patriotic treats, a prayer for the nation, and engaging activities designed to bring families together.
Parents can have their children experiment with 18th-century slang, create gratitude jars, design family flags, or participate in Independence Day-themed scavenger hunts.
"The most fundamental building block of a society is not the individual, it's the family," said J.P. De Gance, Communio's founder and president.
Communio is leveraging partnerships across 17,000 churches nationwide to encourage families to celebrate Independence Day through neighborhood gatherings, block parties, and community-building activities.
De Gance cited recent polling data showing that patriotism has declined among Americans. His response — tying people back to the ideals of the nation's founding "in a really grassroots, organic way at the local level" — reflects an understanding that cultural renewal must be lived and modeled within families, he said.
De Gance connected strong families to America's future: "The pathway to making sure that we celebrate America 300 and America 350 and America 400, really runs through the family."
The kit addresses teenagers as well as younger children, with activities designed to draw different age groups into collaborative effort. De Gance noted optimism about young people increasingly seeking purpose in what he calls "enduring things" — faith, marriage and family.
