Faithful Families Resources July 1 2012

Weekly Inspiration

Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to the country and to mankind is to bring up a family.
~ George Bernard Shaw

Family Closeness

Game:

Unlimited Object

Take an ordinary every day object, like a spoon or a hat or a pot. Take turns at imagining what else that object could be and acting it out with your family. For example a spoon might become a hat on your head, or a bicycle that you ride around the living room or a pen that you write with. You are only limited by the unlimitedness of your imagination.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

Finish these sentences:

• I think people say “I don’t care” because
• The biggest differences between someone in their 80’s and me is . .

 Story:

With your family read Mark 6.1-13

(for a way of explaining/talking about this reading with children look at http://www.sermons4kids.com/prophet-without-honor.html

Questions for Discussion:

• What did the people who heard Jesus think about his teaching?
• Why do you think they were upset and offended?
• Why do you think Jesus sent out the disciples in pairs?
• Why do you think he told them to take so little with them?

Prayer and Celebration

A prayer to share with your family: 

God made us a family.
            We need one another.
            We love one another.
            We forgive one another.
            We work together.
            We play together.
            We worship together.
            Together we use God's word.
            Together we grow in Christ.
            Together we love all people.
            Together we serve our God.
            Together we hope for heaven.
            These are our hopes and ideals.
            Help us to attain them,
            O God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Taken from "Favorite Catholic Prayers" Prayer Book

http://www.catholicsupply.com/existing/prfamily.html

Family Time

Bonus Family Activity

Compliment Board

Buy a cheap, small white board and  a non-permanent marker. Anyone can write on it about anyone in the family. When anyone does something that deserves a compliment it can be written on the board. Once a week take the board down at the dinner table, read all the compliments and clean or for the week to come. Encourage your family to be generous with compliments through the week.

(This material is based on and draws from earlier Faithful Families emails by Stephen Harrison & Richard Browning: An Unless Ideas Production.) Unless otherwise noted all material on this blog is copyright Stephen Harrison and Richard Browning