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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