Weekly
Inspiration
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I
learn.”
~ Benjamin Franklin
Family
Closeness
Game:
Zip
Bong
This game can be played around the dinner table. One family member begins
the game by saying "zip". The starting family member sends the zip to
someone by pointing with both hands. The person who recieved the zip then says
"zip", and passes it one to someone else pointing with both hands. When
the noise comes to any family member, he or she has the option of saying
"bong" instead of "zip" which sends the noise back to the
person it came from.
What makes the game interesting is that players are not allowwed to show
their teeth at any point in the game (regardless of if the noise is at them or
not). Players who show their teeth (or say "zip" or "bong"
when it's not their turn) are eliminated from the game or must pay a penalty
like singing a silly song.
Sharing:
Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.
- What is the kindest thing you have ever done for someone?
- How would you like someone to show kindness to you?
- How might you as a family show love and kindness to one another?
Story
With your family
read: John 12.1-8
Questions for Discussion:
- How would you describe Mary’s actions toward Jesus?
- What did Judas think of her actions?
- What did Jesus think of her actions?
- What do you think about this story?
Prayer
and Celebration
We are now in
the Season of Lent, the forty days preceding Easter Day. This is traditionally
a time of repentance (saying sorry and turning from sin). The resources for
prayer and celebration for the next six weeks will focus on ways your family
might “celebrate” well this season. Lent is a
good time to focus on God’s care and provision and on our dependence on him,
but also on saying sorry.
Encourage your family to pray by using their
imagination, picturing in their head the people or things they wish to pray
for.
- Picture in your mind something that happened this week that you want to say thank you for
- Picture in your mind a person who is special to you that you wish to say thank you for
- Picture in your mind all the beautiful things in creation that God made that you want to say thank you for.
Service
Throughout any year
there are many days that are dedicated to different charities or issues in
society. There are websites like the following http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/calendar/ that list
these days that are occurring in your
state, region or country. This can be used as a tool to broaden the horizon of
your children about the many needs in the world and the ways people seek to
address them.
- Look up what is happening in any particular week.
- Explore the organisation that is sponsoring it or the issue behind it.
- Pray as a family for the needs highlighted by the day or week, being celebrated and for the organisations working in the area.
- Consider attending events or running your own to support a particular need.
- Think about ways you might contribute or donate to make a difference.
(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
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