faithful families: April 2012

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Faithful Families Resources April 29 2012

Weekly Inspiration

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 thinks of three stories. They could be personal stories, from the news or even from something like 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.

(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

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Faithful Families Resources April 22 2012

Weekly Inspiration

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

Praying through the Lord’s Pray

Give us this day our daily bread.

In this line we are asking God for the things we need in our life.

Discuss with your family the difference between things you want and things you need. Discuss what it means to say "God supplies us with all we need." Talk about why some people don't have what they need and how we can serve God by serving others.

Pray with your family for the things you need, both physical and spiritual. Give thanks for all that you already have.

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.

(Contributed by Rev Richard Browning)

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)

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Faithful Families Resources April 15 2012

Weekly Inspiration

No matter how many communes anybody invents, the family always creeps back.

~Margaret Mead

Family Closeness

Game:

Thimble Up

Select someone to be "it" . The "it" person picks a category, such as animals, fruit or movies and tells it to everyone. Then the "it" person picks an item from that category without telling anyone and writes it on a piece of paper and puts it face down. "It" then takes thimble full of water fills and goes to the first family member who must say an item from the category. If the item is not the hidden word written on the paper "it" goes to the next person. When someone finally says the hidden word "it" splashes that person with the thimble full of water and now that person is "it".

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

My favourite thing about the world is….
The most awesome moment I have had in nature was . . .
If we don’t learn to care for the earth, our children might never be able to . . .

Story

With your family read: Luke 24.13-35

Questions for Discussion:

What were the disciples discussing on the road?
Why do you think the disciples were leaving Jerusalem even though people had begun to talk about Jesus resurrection?
What made them recognise who Jesus was?
Where might we recognise the presence of Jesus today?

Prayer and Celebration

Praying through the Lord’s Pray

Your kingdom come, your will be done

This is a prayer indicating that we want God’s kingdom to come and we want his will to be done. We are praying that we want things God’s way on earth.

Discuss with your family what they think God’s kingdom on earth might look like, sound like and feel like. How would people treat each other in God’s kingdom? How would God want some of the problems of the world dealt with? Discuss how living by God’s will might change their own way of living. Discuss how you might start living out God’s kingdom and will.

Pray with your children for some of the issues you have discussed .

Service

(starting in your home)

Question: how can I give power to the other? (What responses did you get from your family? Their answers will be your best guide.)

Encourage. Use your voice and encourage. To do this you have to pay attention. Your first work is to take notice and pay attention to your family; their aspirations; their skills and struggles; you have to pay attention to the way you interact, your voice and how you sound.

The equation: you must have more than 5 words of encouragement before 1 word of correction.

The tone: how we speak has as much or more power than what we actually say. (For example, make a face happy face and say “Hey Dave, that is the third time today I have picked up after you.” Make a face of contempt and say the same words.” What do you notice?) More damaging than anger is contempt and disgust. Remove all hint of contempt and disgust in your voice. Both these emotions express superiority and are destructive put downs. Recognise the micro-facial expressions of these and remove them from interactions among your family. (Dr Eckman is the man behind the science of this. Lots of sites to check out, try: http://readbodylanguage.wordpress.com/ )

Modelling: the adults in the house must model the language of encouragement.

(Contributed by Rev. Richard Browning)

Family Time

Bonus Family Activity

This is a simple but fun activity. Pick a destination on a map and walk or drive there while your family uses a compass and map to direct you to the chosen location. Have your family direct you where to turn by telling you to head north, east, south, or west.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Faithful Families Resources April 8 2012

Weekly Inspiration

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

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.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Faithful Families Resources April 1 2012

As we begin Holy Week we provide you with a slightly different format for faithful families.

Easter is a time to celebrate in a huge way the message of life resurrected, of new life, of Jesus setting us free. We encourage you to celebrate well, to use the resources available to make Easter day special and memorable. To use symbols wisely and to help your children understand why chocolate Easter eggs (egg: symbol of new life/half an Easter egg is like an empty tomb). More importantly we invite you to tell the story well. This email does not provide you with games or stories but with a way of telling the story well in your household leading into this most special of days.

Story

One of the ways we might be faithful with our family is by telling the story of Easter really well. This might include dressing up and acting out the story or using some props as symbols to recall different events, it might include music and action. You might like to set up some stations in your house on Friday or Saturday and make signs with the days of the week, leave the different symbols in the different locations.

Alternatively you might like to read the various portions of scripture that recount the last week of Jesus life leading up to Good Friday and East.

Here are some signposts for telling the story well in your household.

Day: Sunday before Easter

Jesus enters Jerusalem and people wave palm leaves to welcome him like a king.

Reading: Matthew 21.1-9

Symbol: Palm Leaves:

Question: What does it feel like when you are a winner or a champion? How do you think Jesus felt as he entered Jerusalem?

Day: Monday

Jesus turns the tables in the temple.

Reading: Matthew 21.12-17

Symbol: Whip made of cords.

Question: What things make you angry? Is it okay to be angry sometimes? Why was Jesus angry?

Day: Wednesday

Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty silver coins.

Reading: Mark 14.10-11.

Symbol: Bag of Coins.

Question: What does it feel like when your friends let you down? How do you think Jesus felt knowing Judas would betray him and his friends would run away from him.

Day: Maundy Thursday

Jesus shares a meal with friends, washes their feet.

Reading: John 13.1-10, Matthew 26.17-30

Symbol: Bowl and Towel. Bread and Wine.

Question: What is special about eating with friends? What does it mean to be a servant to your friends? Why do you think Jesus washed his disciples’ feet?

Day: Good Friday

Jesus dies on a cross.

Reading: Matthew 27.15-60

Symbol: Nails. Crown of Thorns. Cross. Hot Cross Buns.

Why is Friday called Good? (Reflect on childbirth…it is painful yet the result is wonderful)

Day: Saturday

We wait. Jesus is in the tomb.

Symbol: Question mark.

What happens next? When have you had to wait to see how something turned out? How do you think Jesus friends felt on Saturday?

Day: Sunday

Jesus is risen.

Reading: Mathew 28.1-10

Symbol: Easter egg. Broken in half looks like an empty tomb.

Question: What does Jesus risen mean to you?

We hope these resources are helpful. Have a wonderful Easter,

Faithful Families wishes you and your family a wonderful and inspirational Easter , celebrate well, tell the story well. Our prayer for you and your family is that the truth of the Resurrection might fill your lives with much joy.