Sunday, July 14, 2013

Faithful Families Resources July 14 2013


Weekly Inspiration

The question for the child is not "Do I want to be good?" but "Whom do I want to be like?"

-  Bruno Bettelheim
 

Family Closeness
Game:
My Grandmothers Trunk
Someone starts by completing this sentence with an object  that begins with the letter A, My grandmother keeps _____ in her trunk.” The next person completes the sentence repeating the A word and adding a word that starts with B. This continues around the circle, each person repeating what the others said and adding another with the next letter of the alphabet. (Youth Ministry Encyclopaedia. Lyman Coleman. JBCE)

Sharing:
Write down these sentence starters and put them in a bowl. Pick one out each night and ask your family members to complete the sentence.
  • I know God loves me because…
  • I’m glad that God…
  • I wish God would… 

Story
With your family read:  Luke 10:38-42
(for a way of explaining/talking about this reading with children look at 

Questions for Discussion:
  •  What bothered Martha?
  • What did Martha want Mary to do?
  • What did Jesus want Martha to do?
  • Who are you more like Mary or Martha? 

Prayer and Celebration
Prayer Pot
Cards are made, and on them are the names of people and things that are really important to the family.  It may just be photos of family members; it may include particular projects or things that have a focus in the family, for example a certain missionary, or World Vision child, or a major event coming up, or particular people who are in need of special prayers. These cards are placed in a special bowl or pot.  On any one night, three cards are taken out and used as prompts for conversation or prayer. Children who are learning to pray might be given sentence starters like:
  • Lord Jesus, thank you for...
  • Creator God, please help...
  • Heavenly Father, in your hands we place... 

Service
Many churches have a food pantry for people in need. When you go shopping, especially if you take your children shopping, invite them to choose an item to place in the food hamper. It doesn’t matter if they choose something that you might not think appropriate...like coco pops...even people in need like coco pops.

Family Activity
 Use an old newspapers to make costumes for your family. Have a fashion parade and take some photos. Make “formal dress” and wear them to the table for a special dinner.

[Having trouble playing?  When Jesus said we must change and become like children, he could have meant many things.  One of them surely is about playing.  Play is a serious way of being together and learning together.  This is the principle activity through which children learn and grow.  A corollary to that is laughter.  The God who brings laughter [see Sarah’s words in Genesis 21.6] speaks through Jesus and tells us to change and . . . play like children? So let go, have fun, and live life with enthusiasm](Living faithfully, simply) 

(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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