9 Ways to Simplify Your Sundays and Improve Sabbath Worship for the New Year

Let’s face it—sometimes Sundays aren’t as enjoyable or fulfilling as we’d like them to be. Between the stress of getting the family—and yourself—ready for church, preparing lessons, preparing meals, and keeping the kids occupied for the rest of the day, our day of rest can be anything but restful. If you’ve been stuck in a rut, try some of these ideas to help reinvent your Sunday.

Here is a list of great suggestions to make feeding the family a little easier:

Get rid of the notion that we need to have a huge traditional meal after church. “It doesn’t really fit in with our day of rest,” writes Lisa Lemich Sherman on LDS Living’s Facebook page. “Use up those leftovers!” Another LDS Living Facebook friend, Sarah Gailey Emke, agrees. “I’ve done away with the big Sunday dinner. We have whatever I can think of that is easiest. It also makes for less dishes—a definite plus!”

Make a meal one day during the week that can be doubled and put in the freezer for Sunday. Several LDS Living readers also suggested having crock-pot dinners on Saturdays to further simplify meals on the weekends.

Cook brunch instead of breakfast. “This is the perfect solution if you have your church meetings later in the day,” says Dena Kennedy. “To make things even easier, mix up a breakfast casserole the night before and serve it around eleven a.m.” Here is a recipe she often uses:

• 1 (32-ounce) package frozen shredded hash browns
• 2 cups diced ham
• 2 cups grated cheese
• 6 large eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Sprinkle half of the hash browns in a greased 9 × 13 pan. Layer on ham and cheese, then sprinkle remaining potatoes on top. Whisk together eggs, milk, cottage cheese, and pepper. Pour this mixture over the hash browns. Store in refrigerator overnight. Bake uncovered at 350˚ F for 45 to 50 minutes or until light golden brown and firm in the center.

Serve grab-and-go foods. “Since my children ate nutritious breakfasts the rest of the week, I decided that on Sunday mornings they could indulge in Pop-Tarts and a glass of milk,” writes Susan Elzey of Danville, Virginia. “It was the perfect solution: Pop-Tarts could be served on a napkin, everyone liked them, and they were a treat that urged the kids out of bed.” Jamie Lawson, managing editor of LDS Living, suggests items like Oscar Meyer Lunchables for quick meals between meetings. “When I was serving in our ward’s Young Women presidency, there was very little time to get the family fed after church before our presidency meetings would start. Lunchables were the perfect solution, and the kids loved them.”

For more easy meal ideas, read Simple Sunday Recipes.

Reward children who are ready for church on time with a special treat or prize, or let the person who is ready for church choose the FHE treat that week. “Treats usually work wonders for those who can’t find their shoes,” writes Kristen Nelson, a mother of six in Myerstown, Pennsylvania.

Pick a family scripture, an article of faith, or even a publication like "The Living Christ" or "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" for your family to memorize and discuss together. And remember, you don't have to have it memorized all in one day. One reader noted how their family chose to focus on "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" for the entire year, learning it in small, manageable pieces as the year went on. Other families can choose a different scripture to ponder each week or month. You can even have your children suggest a scripture they love for the whole family to learn together.

Stephanie Nixon of American Fork, Utah, says, “Every Sunday at our home, we like to do something called ‘Table Time.’ Elder LeGrand R. Curtis once said, ‘One of the more important furnishings found in most homes is the kitchen table. Now it may be small, it may be large, or in the form of a little counter with barely room to put the food and utensils. Its major function seems to be a place for the different members of the family to receive nourishment.’” Nixon suggests filling the kitchen table with activities like jigsaw puzzles, board games, Legos, and crafts. “Talk about current events, conference talks, or that day’s lessons,” she says. “My idea for Table Time came when I realized I had an opportunity to nourish my children spiritually as well as physically at the kitchen table.”

“I spend 15 minutes with each child to schedule their activities for the week,” says
Tiffani Thomson. “I put it all on the family calendar. That way, things are less likely to fall through the cracks, and our week is much less chaotic.”

“We have each member of our family read a [Church] magazine article on his or her own time during the day, and then we have each person report on the article during our family together time in the evening,” writes Janet Littleford of Cedar City, Utah. “This helps us to make time for reading the magazines and helps us strengthen our testimonies when we relate the articles to the rest of the family.”

“When my kids were younger, I’d pack their church bag the night before. Now that they’re older, I pack my own church bag the night before!” says Dena Kennedy. “I always print and take a few extra conference talks or BYU devotionals. I don’t get to read them every Sunday, but they come in really handy between meetings or before sacrament meeting starts.”

“Sunday is the perfect day to work on Personal Progress, Faith in God, Duty to God, and Scouts,” says Tiffani Thomson, “even if it’s just for 15 minutes.” Putting a focus on attaining worthy goals can help bring the Spirit and new direction into your home.

“Attend religious concerts (for example, an organ recital at a Roman Catholic cathedral) or other services,” suggests Katherine Morris. “Spending some time getting to know and appreciate people of other faiths helps us realize what we have in common. It’s a good way to build trust with friends and neighbors of other faiths and it opens the door to sharing your own faith.”