Sunday, April 26, 2015

Faithful Families Resources April 26 2015


Under any system of society ... the family holds the future in its bosom.
~Charles Franklin Thwing

Family Closeness
Game:
Which of these stories is true?
Have each family member think of three stories. They could be personal stories, from the news, or even from something like a Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Two of the stories must be false and one must be true. Family members have to guess which one is the true story.

Sharing:
Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.
  • The most wonderful thing about this planet is  . . .
  • It is important to be honest because . . . 
  • Some one who needs prayer/thoughts at the moment is  . . .

Story
With your family read: John 15.1-8
Questions for Discussion:
  • What do you think Jesus is telling us in this passage?
  • What does it mean to be connected to Jesus?
  • What do the branches get from the vine?

Prayer and Celebration
The prayer Jesus taught is a great model for how we might pray and how we might teach our children to do so. Each week  we will look at a line of the Lord’s prayer and discover what we can learn about prayer from it.

Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
These lines of the Lord’s pray encourage us to reflect on where we have missed the mark in our relationship with God, with others, with ourselves and with creation. It also makes us question where we are not forgiving others.

Discuss with your family some of the ways that humans are sinful.
Discuss why forgiving others is important if we are to ask for forgiveness.
Take some time in silence to ask God for forgives for those things on our hearts and also to forgive others.

 Service (starting in your home)
Question: how can I give power to the other? One answer: Encourage III.
Work with your child on an aspiration that is important to them. It may relate to school, music, sport or a hobby or other. A tremendous endorsement in personal power is the knowledge that a skill has been acquired, a measure of mastery has been gained. Sometimes we might be drawn to the child whose interests match our own – say I prefer rugby over soccer.  It is vital to engage in the things that interest our children, more than ourselves. This is a long-term project. This is not something to tick off in 7 days time. Stay committed to the task. Remember the guiding question however: how do you give power to your child. This will ensure you are working for their goal and not your own.

Family Time
Bonus Family Activity

This week, create a Love Poster. On the top of the poster, write: "Love one another as I have loved you." Brainstorm practical ways family members can love each other the way Jesus loves your family. (Share bathroom time, take out the trash without being asked, say nice things to each other, etc.) Discuss the cost of each activity. (How will you have to change to live out what your family wrote down?) At the bottom of the poster, write the word "Sacrifice." Discuss the meaning of the word and how love demands sacrifice. End the discussion by reading John 15:9-14. Emphasize Jesus died for us because he loved us and was willing to sacrifice everything for us.

from word-sunday.com Larry Broding (Copyright 1999-2002)

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

Monday, April 20, 2015

Faithful Families Resources April 19 2015


There is an interconnectedness among members that bonds the family, much like mountain climbers who rope themselves together when climbing a mountain, so that if someone should slip or need support, he's held up by the others until he regains his footing.
~ Phil McGraw

Family Closeness
Game:
Twenty Questions
Twenty questions is a great game to play at the dinner table and can be adjusted for all ages. The first person thinks of an object. This could be anything including animals, foods or even TV shows. Younger family members might need easier more concrete objects to guess. Family members ask questions of the first person and they must answer "yes" or "no". The aim of the game is to guess what object the first player is thinking about within twenty questions.

Sharing:
Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.
  • If I could become a colour, I would be … because
  • Something I’d like to do in the future is . . .
  • Of my five senses, the one I would most hate to lose is . . . because  . . .

Story
With your family read: John 10.11-18
Questions for Discussion:
  • What does the shepherd do for the sheep?
  • How is the good shepherd different to the hired hand?
  • If Jesus is our good shepherd what does he do for us?
  • What does it mean to you for Jesus to be your shepherd?

Prayer and Celebration
Service (starting in your home)
Question: how can I give power to the other? One answer: Encourage.
Here are some ways to encourage.
Pay attention. Pay attention. Pay attention.
Acknowledge the things that are important to them.
Compliment them on the things they do, “well done . . .”
Say “thank you”.
Seek their advice/opinion/ideas on a matter.
Imitate them. Choose one of their habits / character traits and copy them.

Family Time
Bonus Family Activity

Candlelight Talk. Turn off all the lights and sit with your family. Discuss what it might be like living in the dark. What might some of the problems be? Light a candle and talk about how one of the names for God is light. Ask, “What difference does lighting this candle make to our room?” Talk about the difference knowing God makes in your life. (Adventures for Growing Families. Wes & Sheryl Haystead)

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

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Faithful Families Resources April 5 2015


Family traditions counter alienation and confusion. They help us define who we are; they provide something steady, reliable and safe in a confusing world.
 ~Susan Lieberman

Family Closeness
Game:
Snort
The aim of this game is not to laugh when someone is snorting in your face. The person going first, gets  in front of whoever is on their left and snorts trying to make them laugh. When the person laughs they are out. But you only have 30 seconds to try and get the other person to laugh! To make the game different each time you can have family members do something other than snort, such as squeak, meow, moo, bark.

Sharing:
Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.
  • Being left out makes me feel  . . .
  • The people who I see most often left out are . . . and this is because . . .
  • Helping people who are different be included is hard because . . .

Story
With your family read: John 20.19-31
Questions for Discussion:
  • Why do you think Jesus showed the disciples his hands and side?
  • Why do you think Thomas wouldn’t believe?
  • How do people come to believe in Jesus even if they haven’t “seen”?

Prayer and Celebration
Praying through the Lord’s Pray
The prayer Jesus taught is a great model for how we might pray and how we might teach our children to do so. Each week  we will look at a line of the Lord’s prayer and discover what we can learn about prayer from it.

Our Father in Heaven,

When we begin to pray we address God. There are many different ways we can do this. Jesus used a very intimate word “abba” which means father or dad. What do you use when you pray?

Spend some time with your children thinking about the different ways we can name God in prayer. What difference does it make calling God, father or creator or almighty God. Look online at some of the names for God in the Bible. Discuss with your family which ones you like the most and why. Use a different title for God when you pray at the dinner table this week.

Service
How can I give power to the other? Let this question send you on your quest to serve – the imitation of Jesus through action. The link between question and quest is helpful. Let a question guide your action.
Start in the home. Ask your children, what do they need? How can I give them power? (Asking the question itself gives power. Listen to them carefully. Respond thoughtfully, faithfully.) Ask the same question of your partner. If someone was to ask you the question, how would you respond? Let your answers to your questions guide your actions. 

Bonus Family Activity
 Bubble Catching Contest

Get a small bottle of bubbles for each member of the family. Let everyone blow bubbles until they fill the sky. Now let everyone try to catch them with the round part of the bubble blowing sticks. 

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