Faithful Families Resources July 22 2012

Weekly Inspiration

The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.

~Richard Bach

Family Closeness

Game:

Dark Dog

Everyone is given a blank piece of paper to draw on. Either blind fold everyone or get them to close their eyes. Then they must draw a dog on their paper. Once they have done this they must put a collar on the dog and a bone in front of him. Undo the blindfold and have a look at your drawings.

Sharing

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

Finish these sentences:

• If I had to be separated from my family for a long time, I would really miss . . .[whom or what?] because . . .
• The most difficult pressure on young people is . . .
• When I feel under pressure I  . . .

Story

With your family read John 6.1-21

(for a way of explaining/talking about this reading with children look at http://www.sermons4kids.com/all_day_preaching_dinner_on_the_grounds.htm

Questions for Discussion:

• Why do you think these stories are important?
• Why did Jesus withdraw when they wanted to make him king?
• What surprises you about these stories?

Prayer and Celebration

Teaspoon Prayers

One simple pattern for shaping prayer is to remember the three words – thank you, sorry and please. The first three letters of these are TSP which reminds us of a teaspoon. Teach this to your children so that they can remember a way of praying that includes these three things. Have a teaspoon on your dinner table to remind the family to pray for these three things before eating each night. You could even decorate the teaspoon in some special way so that it stands out and you don’t forget.

Service

Service Project for Families with Primary Age Children

• Have families cut out grocery coupons to give to a local foodbank
• Make gift baskets for a nearby nursing home or assisted facility for older adults
• Schedule a time for families to hold and rock babies in a hospital nursury
• Be welcoming attendants as a family at a shelter or drop in centre.
• Have families volunteer to stuff a church bulletin with a large mailing at your church.

 Family Time

Bonus Family Activity

Library

Take your family to the library and find some books on topics of interest to them. Try to find some books that the whole family might like to look at or share together. These could include books on art or puzzles or animals.

.(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