Weekly
Inspiration
Love is patient,
love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not
rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of
wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always
protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
~1 Corinthians
13:4–7 (NIV84)
Family
Closeness
Game
Question web
You will need a ball of wool for this game.
Make sure there is nothing on your table that could be knocked over. Whoever
starts must hold onto the end of the wool and throw the ball to someone around
the table. They then ask a question for that person to answer. Some suggestions
are listed below. Once the question is answered they hold onto the string and
throw to someone else around the table and asks them a question. See how many
time you can go around your table before your web is tricky to hold.
- If you had a time machine that would work only once, what point in the
- future or in history would you visit?
- If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
- If your house was burning down, what three objects would you try and save?
- If you could talk to any one person now living, who would it be and why?
- If you HAD to give up one of your senses (hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling,
- tasting) which would it be and why?
- If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
- Do you have a pet? If not, what sort of pet would you like?
- Name a gift you will never forget?
- Name one thing you really like about yourself.
- What's your favourite thing to do in the summer?
Idea and questions by Grahame Knox www.insight.typepad.co.uk
Sharing:
Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.
- What makes you angry?
- What do you do when you are angry?
- How do you stop yourself from doing the wrong thing when you are angry?
Story:
With your family
read: Luke 4.21-30
Questions for Discussion:
- How did the people respond to Jesus at first?
- How did they feel after he had finished speaking?
- What made them angry?
Prayer
and Celebration
Balloon Prayer
There
are two ways you might use this idea to pray. Both involve writing words in
permanent marker on a balloon. The first way involves your family writing one
or two words naming the things or people they wish to pray for at different
places over the balloon. When you have finished doing this toss the balloon
around the dinner table. The words that your hands touch or a near to when you
catch the balloon are the things that person must pray about. The second way
uses the same method but instead of things to pray for write down different
types of prayer like: praise, thanksgiving, asking, confession, waiting.
Whatever your hands land on that is the type of prayer your family must do –
this probably works best if everyone takes turns at each individual type of
prayer.
Service
As a family or
in your church think about how you might bless the lives of those who live
around you. Reflect on those people in your local area, who may be your
neighbours or go to church with you, who serve in the community. Examples might
be teachers or police officers, charity or emergency workers. Think of ways
that you might let them know they are valued. This could include small things
like making a thank you card together as a family or making a biscuit or cake
for them to take to work to share. How often do we stop to thank those who look
after us every day, who take risks for us or do jobs that really aren’t that
pleasant? Acting in this way builds habits of thankfulness and empathy in
ourselves and our children.
Family
Time
Geocaching
can be a great family activity that will take you to places you have never seen
while solving puzzles at the same time. It is almost like a giant game of hide
and seek. If you have never heard of it before check out: Geocaching.com
(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
