Resources for 1st Sunday after Christmas (NYE) 2017

I have never heard anything about the resolutions of the apostles, but a good deal about their acts.

~ Og Mandino

Family Closeness

Game:

The Edge

Get a small coin of some sort. Each family member takes turns sliding their coin along the top of the table from one end to the next. The goal is to get it the closest to the edge without it sliding off.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family. 

• What was the hardest thing about this year?
• What is something that you achieved this year?
• What is something you want to give thanks for this last year?
• What are your hopes for next year?
• What do you hope to do, experience, discover or be next year?

 Story

With your family read: Luke 2.22-40

Questions for Discussion:

• Who do Simeon and Anna think Jesus is?
• How do you think Simeon and Anna knew the baby Jesus was the one promised by God?
• What does this passage say about Jesus growing up?

Prayer and Celebration

People like to celebrate New Year’s Eve and Day in many different ways. Some people like to stay up until the clock strikes midnight – others like to go to bed so they can be up fresh for the first day of the year. Whatever you like to do, may you be encouraged this New Years Eve to think about how God might be honoured, remembered and shared in your family. Pray together, either at midnight or on getting up on the first of January. Give thanks for the year ahead. Ask God to guide you and your family in all you do… and dedicate yourselves to serving Christ in the year to come.

Service

As a family discuss how you might serve your community and world in 2018. Talk about some of the things happening in the world you would like to change and decide how to make a difference. Make a commitment to give a certain amount of money to a charity or cause. Work out how your family might raise money or give time or talents to help a local charity.

Family Time

Big Dreams 2015

One day an expert was speaking to a group of students on time management and he used this illustration. Firstly he took out a wide mouthed jar, then he produced about a dozen large rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.         

When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class said, "Yes."

Then he said, "Really?"  He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel.  Then he dumped some gravel in and shook  the jar  causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he smiled and asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was onto him.  "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!"  he replied.  And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand.  He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.  Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"

"No!"  the class shouted.  Once again he said, "Good!"   Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.  Then he looked up at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!"

"No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point.  The truth this illustration teaches is this: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."

I wonder…what are the big rocks you wish to fit into your family life next year? Sit down with your family and dream some dreams and make some plans for 2018. What things would you like to do? What places would you like to see? What habits would you like to make together?

Thank you for reading the Faithful Families blog this year.  We'll take a little break now but be back with you with more FF resources very soon! Peace in Christ, JK

Resources for Advent 4, Christmas Eve 2017

Your spiritual gifts were not given for your own benefit but for the benefit of others, just as other people were given gifts for your benefit.~ Rick Warren

We are now in the season of Advent, a time that is focused on waiting with anticipation. We wait with anticipation for the return of Christ; we relive in our own lives the expectation of the birth of Christ and his birth in our own heart everyday. We wait with anticipation for the kingdom of God to be fulfilled on Earth. Over these four weeks, the material will be shaped around four themes that are relevant to this time: promise, waiting, journey and gift.

In addition to the weekly resources, have a look at the special Advent page for some ideas and resources on how to celebrate the season well in your home.

Family Closeness

Game:

Pass the Parcel

This old game still gets played at parties but could be a fun game to play at home around the table. It would also be a great way to unveil a gift for your family. Put something nice in the middle for the whole family – like a family movie pass or a note saying you are all going to your favourite restaurant. Wrap it up. Now put multiple layers of wrapping on with small prizes in between such as chocolate bars or sweets.  Blindfold a family member. Their job is to say when to stop passing the parcel. Pass the parcel and when it is stopped, someone gets to take off a layer. You might even like to play music or sing a song while the parcel is passed around.

Sharing:

• What is the best gift you have ever received?
• What is the best gift you have ever been given?
• What is the most precious gift in the world?

Story

With your family, read Luke 1.26-38.

(For a way of explaining/talking about this reading with children, look at

http://www.sermons4kids.com/jesus_is_coming_to_town.htm)

Questions for Discussion:

• What did the angel call Mary to begin with? Why do you think he called her this? What do you think it means?
• What do you think surprised Mary the most, seeing an angel or the news he gave her?
• What things did Gabriel tell Mary about who her baby was?

 Prayer and Celebration

 A prayer for candle lighting during Advent:

O God,

as light comes from this candle,

may the blessing of Jesus Christ come to us,

warming our hearts and

brightening our way.

May Christ our Saviour bring life

into the darkness of this world,

and to us, as we wait for his coming.

Amen.

(http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/child/adv.html)

Family Time

Song Stories

A great way to explore the story of Christmas would be to listen to some Christmas Carols or hymns with your family. One option would be to listen and sing together and just enjoy the music and your family. Alternatively, listen very carefully to the words and to the feel of the song. Discuss what this particular carol is saying about the birth of Jesus. Are there any words or phrases that children don’t understand? Discuss what these might mean.

Resources for Advent 3, December 17 2017

Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home. - C.S.Lewis

We are now in the season of Advent, a time that is focused on waiting with anticipation. We wait with anticipation for the return of Christ, we relive in our own lives the expectation of the birth of Christ and his birth in our own heart everyday. We wait with anticipation for the kingdom of God to be fulfilled on Earth. Over these four weeks the material will be shaped around four themes that are relevant to this time: promise, waiting, journey and gift.

In addition to the weekly resources, have a look at the special Advent page for some ideas and resources on how to celebrate the season well in your home.

Family Closeness

Game:

Alphabet Car Game

Since the theme this week is 'journey', here is a game you can play next time you are in the car. It is a simple game that requires players to find all the letters of the alphabet in order on car number plates. A letter on a number plate can only be claimed by one player, the first to call it out. Multiple letters on the one number plate can be claimed and by different players. Whoever gets to z first is the winner. Find some more travel games for the car at the bottom of this blog post.

Sharing:

• What are the best and worst things about long journeys?
• What is your favourite thing to do on a journey?
• Where is your favourite place to journey to?

Story

 With your family, read John 1.6-28:

(for a way of explaining/talking about this reading with children look at

http://www.sermons4kids.com/gifts_that_jesus_brings.htm

Questions for Discussion:

• Who was it that John’s disciples were waiting for?
• What evidence did Jesus give that he was the one?
• How did John prepare the way for Jesus?

 Prayer and Celebration

A prayer for Advent

We thank you, Lord God, for the prophets and leaders who looked forward to the coming of Jesus the Saviour.

We thank you for those who prepared the way for him, like John the Baptist.

We thank you for the angels you sent with the message about Jesus;

and we thank you for Mary, who believed the message and was willing to do your will.

We thank you most of all for Jesus, who was born to save us.

In this Advent time, when we get ready for Christmas, help us to hear your message, to be excited that you want to be with us, and help us to be part of your plan for this world you care so much about.

Amen.

(http://www.lunt.org.uk/resources/pages/liturgy/prayers_school.htm)

Service

Here are some more Advent Service Ideas:

• Get a group together to sing at a nursing home.
• Go through your cupboard and give some clothes to a charity.
• Encourage your children to think of what toys they have that are still in good condition that they might give to a charity.
• With your family, choose a way to give a gift to a needy family. This may be best done through a registered charity or church. If you can make food donations take your children shopping to buy the food so they can actually see what it is they are giving. Some charities have schemes where people give gift-wrapped presents for children from needy families.

Family Time

Are trips in the car a nightmare? Why not turn them into a family adventure? Here are a few ideas:

Semi Search

All you need is a sheet of paper to keep score, one person to be scorekeeper and a writing utensil. Each player chooses a colour. Each player's name and chosen colour is then written down on the score card by the score keeper, who will announce when there is a winner. Each player announces each semitrailer on the road that is his chosen colour. One mark, or point, is given for each semi the person identifies as his colour. The game can be played until one person reaches a certain number of points. Most people play Semi Search until one person reaches 50 points, but a longer game can be played for older children.

Travelling Bingo

Bingo cards will need to be made prior to the trip, but only take a few minutes to make. Be sure to make several sets to allow for more than one game of Car Bingo to be played, especially if travelling a long distance. To make the Bingo cards, draw five columns of five boxes centred on the paper. You can use coloured or white paper, whichever is more convenient. Over the top of each column, one letter per column, print the letters B-I-N-G-O. Next, draw or place stickers of various items that may be encountered along the trip. Some popular suggestions are cows, tractors, umbrellas, dogs, horses, sheep, barns, lawn furniture, radio or television towers, different colours and types of cars (such as a red truck or blue station wagon), police cars, ambulances or fire trucks. You want the children, and/or adults, playing to have to search for the objects. Each player is given one card and a writing utensil to mark their boxes. When an object on the card is identified, an "X" is marked on the box for the object. When a person completes a row (up, down, across or diagonal), he or she wins. The game can be played until one person wins two games, or if fewer people are playing, the first to win three out of five.

The State Game

To prepare to play the State Game takes a little more effort than the other car games. However, if travelling a long distance, especially across country, the effort is well worth it. To play the State Game, make a list of all the Australian states on a sheet of paper. Make as many copies of this list as may be needed while travelling. Each player is given one list of the states and one writing utensil. The object is to find as many different states on the license plates of other vehicles as possible. The game can be played once or again played until one person wins two games. Be sure to make plenty of copies of the state lists, as this game becomes popular fairly quickly. 

Guess Mobile

Name a guess master -- the person who poses a guessing challenge. He or she could ask passengers to guess the color of the next passing car, or how long before you get to the next town. Or, with three clues, what it is that someone else sees.

Car Scavenger Hunt

Hand your kids a pack of index cards and ask them to write or draw pictures of 50 things they might see on a trip. Keep the cards for scavenger hunts when players vie to match what they see with the cards.

Resources for Advent 2, Sunday 10 December 2017

 

Wait for the LORD. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the LORD.

~Psalm 27:14

We are now in the season of Advent, a time that is focused on waiting with anticipation. We wait with anticipation for the return of Christ; we relive in our own lives the expectation of the birth of Christ and his birth in our own heart every day. We wait with anticipation for the kingdom of God to be fulfilled on Earth. Over these four weeks the material will be shaped around four themes that are relevant to this time: promise, waiting, journey and gift.

Family Closeness

Game:

Everyone closes their eyes and must guess how long a minute is, by opening their eyes when they think a minute is up. Try playing this game using a piece of music. Did players guess a longer or shorter time for a minute? Another way to play is to get everyone to walk between two walls trying to move slowly or quickly enough that they will reach the wall just as a minute is up. If you reach the wall before time, you are out.

(Inspired by Christine Gapes. New Games for Community)

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• What do you hate waiting for?
• When do you find waiting most difficult?
• What do you do to make waiting easier?
• What can’t you wait for?

Story

With your family read Mark 1.1-8

(for a way of explaining/talking about this reading with children look at

http://www.sermons4kids.com/voice_in_the_wilderness.htm

Questions for Discussion:

• What was the message John the Baptist had?
• Why do you think John dressed and lived as he did?
• What do you think it means to be baptised with the Holy Spirit and fire?

Prayer and Celebration

Advent Prayer Pattern

This pattern may be used this week to begin meal times or to begin a family sharing time.

It may begin by asking everyone to quieten down and to think about what it means to wait and to think of one word to describe that feeling. During the prayer, the leader is going to say: “Waiting feels like…” and each person will be free to speak her word aloud. Parents might need to help little ones with a word that describes the feeling of waiting. 

1.  Music. Choose a piece of gentle music to listen to. Try some different pieces each time to try to find one that expresses a feeling of waiting.
2. Prayer: All of us wait. Each day brings its own dose of waiting. We wait in the dentist’s office, at sports practice, at school, for parents and children, for brothers and sisters. We wait for dinner to be ready, for the refund, for the text message from a friend. We wait to be big enough to ride the roller coaster, old enough to stay up late, secure enough to be on our own. Our waiting feels like…(give people a chance to voice their feeling) Advent calls us to celebrate waiting. Each time we wait, help us to remember how the world waited for a saviour. Help us to remember we are always waiting for your return. Help us find and recognise you in each other. As we wait. We are Advent people.
3.  Lord, the N…family is waiting for you. All: Come, Lord Jesus. (From Rituals and Icebreakers. Kathleen O’Connel Chesto.Ligouri)

Service

Now is a great time of year as we move towards Christmas to begin to think about how you may serve those in need. Christmas can be a sad and lonely time of year for many people. How might your family serve Christ the King this Advent and Christmas, and make a different in people’s lives at the same time?

Instead of (or as well as) buying gifts for each other, buy an animal for a family overseas.

http://www.oxfamunwrapped.com.au/?gclid=CK-Q7b-d1awCFYI0pAodtxWtpg

Serve in a homeless shelter or soup kitchen..

Family Time

Nativity Exploration

In this period as we move towards Christmas, why not use artwork to explore the story of Jesus' birth? Apart from the many Christmas cards that you may receive, the internet also provides a wealth of resources. If you go to http://www.textweek.com/art/nativity.htm you will find links to many depictions of the birth of Christ through the ages. Invite your family to choose their favourite picture and to describe what they like about it. Discuss the different pictures and what you find interesting in them. Get each member to draw their own nativity picture and explain it.

Resources for Advent Sunday, 3 December 2017

God never made a promise that was too good to be true.

Dwight L. Moody

This week we enter the season of Advent, a time that is focused on waiting with anticipation. We wait with anticipation for the return of Christ, and we relive in our own lives the expectation of the birth of Christ and his birth in our own heart every day. We wait with anticipation for the kingdom of God to be fulfilled on Earth. Over the next four weeks, the material will be shaped around four themes that are relevant to this time: promise, waiting, journey and gift.

In addition to the weekly resources, have a look at the special Advent page for some ideas and resources on how to celebrate the season well in your home.

Family Closeness

Game:

Pay-Off

This simplified version of Pay-Off can be played with any number of family members. Everyone needs a red token or piece of paper and a black token or piece of paper. Family members will get points depending on what token they and others show. At the start you decide on how many rounds you will play. It should probably be at least five. Each person decides which token they will show but does not let other family members know. On the count of three, everyone will place their token on the table at the same time. Points are awarded in the following way:

• If everyone puts down red – everyone loses two points.
• If some family members put down red and some put down black – those who put down black get 2 points, those who put down red lose 2 points.
• If everyone puts down black – everyone gets 2 points.

Have a discussion after every three rounds about what you put down or to make promises about what you will put down next go. This could be a good source of family discussion about promises and keeping them.

Sharing:

• What are the biggest promises people make in their life?
• Why are some promises hard to keep?
• How do you feel if someone doesn’t keep their promise?
• What do you think God has promised us?

Story

With your family read: Mark 13.24-37

Questions for Discussion:

• What do you think this reading is about?
• What does it mean to be ready?
• How can we always be ready to meet Jesus?

Prayer and Celebration

This week take a look at the special Advent page to get some great ideas for celebrating this season. Most of the ideas will require some preparation.

Service

The Advent Conspiracy website provides a great way to think about Advent with the charge to: Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All. It encourages us to think about how we might reshape the time that leads to Christmas in a life giving and counter-cultural way.

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Bonus Family Activity

Begin thinking about how you might do something really special together as a family for Christmas. How might you really spend quality time together, how might you truly give of yourselves to one another. Throughout this blog, there are hundreds of ideas for spending time with your family. Find something special and enjoy the time.

Faithful Families Resources for 26 November 2017

Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation.

- C. Everett Koop

Family Closeness

Game:

1 to 100

On the left hand side of a piece of paper, list the names of everyone at the table. Two dice are passed from person to person and rolled. When someone rolls a double, they grab the pen and paper, and begin writing the numbers 1 to 100, in order, next to their name. When someone else rolls doubles, they ask for the paper and pen, and begin writing the numbers next to their name. The paper and pen pass around the circle until someone wins by reaching 100. To make the game longer you can get the person who rolls doubles to put on a jacket and hat before they begin to write.

Another variation of this game, that might be used with older children, involves a knife, fork and a block of chocolate. When a person rolls a double, they get the knife and fork, and must cut a single piece of chocolate off the block. The piece must be picked up with a fork and eaten. No hands are to touch the chocolate. Leave the wrapping on the chocolate at the start of the game. To make the game harder you can get the person who rolls doubles to put on a jacket and gloves before they begin to cut.

Sharing:

• What makes a person a good friend?
• What do you do that makes you a good friend?
• What might make someone a good king?
• What might make someone a bad king?

Story

This Sunday is celebrated by many churches as ‘Christ the King’. It is the last Sunday in the church’s year before the season of Advent, a special time of waiting and preparation for the birth of Christ and his return. Apart from the reading listed below, you might like to read some of the other passages where Jesus uses the image of a king in his parables. Try Matthew 22.1-4 and Luke 19.11-26.

With your family read: Matthew 25.31-46

Questions for Discussion:

• Who is the Son of Man? (Jesus)
• What things did Jesus say people did or didn’t do for him?
• Who did he say they did these things for?
• When we serve, care for and love those who need our help, we serve, care for and show love for Jesus. What do you think about this?

Prayer and Celebration

In his book, ‘The hour that changes the world,’ Dick Eastman outlines twelve different types of prayer that, if prayed in five minute blocks, enables one to pray effectively for an hour.   For me, the most powerful aspect of this idea is the realisation that there are many different ways to pray. This is an important thing to teach children who often use thankfulness as their default prayer setting. While there is nothing wrong with this, it is of benefit to broaden their prayer horizons.

Praise and Worship

The first type of prayer is praise and worship. Maybe the easiest way for children to get a grasp on this is to describe it as: telling God how wonderful He is and why. Get your family thinking of all the fantastic things about God – His creation, His wisdom, His Son etc. As a form of praise and worship, go around the table getting each person in turn to say a word describing what God is like and a reason He is so great. For example: God, you are powerful because you made all creation.

Service

Now is a great time of year, leading into Advent, to begin to think about how you may serve those in need. Christmas can be a sad and lonely time of year for many people. How might your family serve Christ the King this Advent and Christmas, and make a difference in people’s lives at the same time. Here are a few quick ideas:

• Place a present under a charity Christmas tree that gives gifts to children.
• Provide a box to Operation Christmas Child  http://www.operationchristmaschild.org.au/
• Think of inviting someone in your neighbourhood, who might be alone at Christmas, to spend it with your family.

Bonus Family Activity

Family Time Line

To help your family think about good things God has given you, work together to make a family time line. Draw a line in the centre of a long sheet of paper. Choose a starting date to write at the left end of the line. Your time line may cover a week, a one month period, or the school holidays, or a year. To help family members think of time line events, ask questions such as: “What was something we did that we really enjoyed? How did someone help us in a special way? Who are some new friends our family made?” Display the time line on a wall or door. Allow younger children to enjoy drawing pictures to illustrate the time line. (From Adventures for Growing Families by Wes & Sheryl Haystead.)

Faithful Families Resources for 19 November 2017

Children need models more than they need critics.

~Anon

Family Closeness

Game:

Tumbling Tower

Collect 10 to 20 empty boxes from your recycling bin (or other empty packages like juice bottles or egg cartons). Make sure they are completely empty and seal the topics with sticky tape. The first person picks a box and sets it in place. The next person puts a box on top of it and so on. Keep going until the tower falls over. The person who topples the tower is out and a new round begins.

Sharing:

• What words do you like? Why do you like them? Is it the sound or what they mean or how they feel when you say them?
• What is your favourite saying?
• What words do you most like to hear?

 Story

With your family read: Matthew 25.14-30

(for a way of explaining/talking about this reading with children look at

http://www.sermons4kids.com/dont_bury_talent.htm

Questions for Discussion:

• What do you think of this story?
• Why did one of the servants bury his talent?
• What do you think is the message of this story?

Prayer and Celebration

North, South, East, West

Get a compass and a map and work out where North, South, East and West are. Find out what communities or countries are in those directions. Try and find out some of the needs of those places. When you pray face each of the different directions and pray for the needs of the places in those directions. This is something you might do over several weeks.

Bonus Family Activity

Dance Night

Rent a dance DVD and learn a new dance together.