Faithful Families Resources November 24 2013

God never made a promise that was too good to be true.

~Dwight L. Moody

This week we enter the season of Advent, a time that is focussed on waiting with anticipation. We wait with anticipation for the return of Christ, we relive in our own lives the expectation of the birth of Christ and his birth in our own heart every day. We wait with anticipation for the kingdom of God to be fulfilled on earth. Over the next four weeks the material will be shaped around four themes that are relevant to this time: promise, waiting, journey and gift.

In addition to the weekly resources have a look at the special Advent page for some ideas and resources on how to celebrate the season well in your home.

Family Closeness

Game:

Pay Off

This simplified version of pay off can be played with any number of family members. Everyone needs a red token or piece of paper and a black token or piece of paper. Family members will get points depending on what token they and others show. At the start you decide on how many rounds you will play. It should probably be at least five. Family members decide which token they will show but not let other family members know. On the count of three everyone will place their token on the table at the same time. Points are awarded in the following way:

• If everyone puts down red – everyone loses two points.
• If some family members put down red and some put down black – those who put down black get 2 points, those who put down red lose 2 points.
• If everyone puts down black – everyone gets 2 points.

 Only have discussions after every three rounds about what you put down or to make promises about what you will put down next go. This could be a good source of family discussion about promises and keeping them.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

What are the biggest promises people make in their life?

Why are some promises hard to keep?

How do you feel if someone doesn’t keep their promise?

What do you think God has promised us?

Story 

With your family read Matthew 24.36-44

(for a way of explaining/talking about this reading with children look at 

http://www.sermons4kids.com/prepare_advent_A1.htm

Questions for Discussion:

What do you think this reading is about?

What does it mean to be ready?

How can we always be ready to meet Jesus?

Prayer and Celebration

This week take a look at the special Advent page to get some great ideas for celebrating this season. Most of the ideas will require some preparation.

Service

The Advent Conspiracy website provides a great way to think about Advent with the charge to : Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All. It encourages us to think about how we might reshape the time that leads to Christmas in a life giving and countercultural way.

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Family Time

Begin thinking about how you might do something really special together as a family for Christmas. How might you really spend quality time together, how might you truly give of yourselves to one another. Throughout this blog there are hundreds of ideas for spending time with your family. Find something special and enjoy the time.

(This material is based on and draws from earlier Faithful Families emails by Stephen Harrison and Richard Browning: An Unless Ideas Production.) Unless otherwise noted all material on this blog is copyright Stephen Harrison and Richard Browning

Faithful Families Resources November 17 2013

Weekly Inspiration

Making the decision to have a child – it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.

~ Elizabeth Stone

Family Closeness

Game:

King of the Table

Everyone at the table gets an empty plastic  cup and places it to the side of them – this is their throne. Screw up some pieces of soft paper into small balls that will fit inside the cups (cotton balls could also be used as an even gentler option). Make sure you have plenty - maybe ten each.  On the count of three everyone begins throwing their paper trying to get it in each other’s cup. The cup can’t be defended. As soon as someones cup has paper in it they must turn it over. Whoever is the last to have their cup filled is the King or Queen of the Table.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• What would be the best thing about being king or queen?
• What would be the worth thing about being king or queen?
• What would a good king or queen be like?
• What would a terrible king or queen be like?

Story

This Sunday is celebrated by many churches as ‘Christ the King’. It is the last Sunday in the church’s year before the season of Advent, a special time of waiting and preparation for the birth of Christ and his return. Apart from the reading listed below, you might like to read some of the other passage where Jesus uses the image of a king in his parables. Try Matthew 22.1-4 and Luke 19.11-26

With your family read Luke 23.33-43

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

Questions for Discussion:

• What does this reading have to do with Jesus being a king?
• Why would Jesus let this happen to himself?
• Why didn’t the people believe? Why do you think the criminal believed?
• What kind of king is Jesus?

Prayer and Celebration

Praise to the King

In this week when we celebrate Christ the King focus on prayers of praise and adoration. Have your family think of all the wonderful things they would want to say about God and put these in a prayer. In 1st Chronicles 29:10-13 King David prays a prayer of praise to God.

“Praise be to You, O Lord,

      God of our father Israel,

      from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power

      and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,

      for everything in heaven and earth is Yours.

Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom,

      You are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from You;

      You are the ruler of all things.

In Your hands are strength and power

      to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give You thanks,

      and praise Your glorious name.” (NIV)

Family Time

King or Queen for a Day

This might best be done in the holidays when there is some time to spend. Let each of your family members, including parents, be king or queen for the day. This might begin with a crowning in the morning along with breakfast in bed. The king or queen doesn’t have to do any chores on this particular day, the rest of the family look after them. Let the regent choose what games and activities the family might engage in for the day as well as what food they might eat. It is important that some family guidelines are set for this so that it remains a fun game and not something that might turn children into “bossy little emperors”. At the end of the day during dinner talk about the experience of being king or queen for the day. What was good about it, what wasn’t so great.

(This material is based on and draws from earlier Faithful Families emails by Stephen Harrison and Richard Browning: An Unless Ideas Production.) Unless otherwise noted all material on this blog is copyright Stephen Harrison and Richard Browning

Faithful Families Resources November 10 2013

Weekly Inspiration

“Let your eyes light up  when your children are around. Laugh more. Tell them how empy and quiet it is when they’re not there. Enjoy  the things they bring to your life. Attend their activities, not as if they were compulsory for parents, but throw yourself into their lives”

~ Valeri Bell

Family Closeness

Game:

Write or print different phrases on small pieces of paper. Make enough for your whole family. Place them under each of your families plates. Make the phrases usable but strange. Eg: “I wish I was a mouse” or “Have you eaten centipede?” Before dinner get everyone to read the card under their plate to themselves, keeping it a secret from the rest of the family. Everyone has to use their phrase during dinner as naturally as they can in conversation. Potentiallt this could be a race in which whoever uses their phrase last loses. Or it can be a competition in which family members have to figure out when someone has used their assigned phrase.  

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• What are the three most interesting things about you?
• Name five reasons you’re glad to be alive.
• If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?
• What’s your favorite song?  Why?

Story

With your family read:  Luke 21.5-19

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

Questions for Discussion:

• This is a hard reading to hear. What do you think about it?
• What is Jesus preparing his disciples for?
• What is the reassurance Jesus gives at the end?

Prayer and Celebration

Thank you God for giving us food

One way of praying is through song. You may be familiar with the song that goes:

Thank you God for giving us food.

Thank you God for giving us food.

Thank you God for giving us food

Right where we are.

(If you type the first line in to youtube you can hear people singing it)

Sing around your table and let members of your family substitute the word food for anything they would like to say thank you for.

Family Activity

Butchers Paper Table Topic

Cover your dinner table top with butcher’s paper and bring out the crayons. Your family can draw and write and have discussion around the table while you are creating works of art.

  

(This material is based on and draws from earlier Faithful Families emails by Stephen Harrison and Richard Browning: An Unless Ideas Production.) Unless otherwise noted all material on this blog is copyright Stephen Harrison and Richard Browning

Faithful Families Resources November 3 2013

Weekly Inspiration

The best inheritance a parent can give to his children is a few minutes of their time each day.

~ M. Grundler

Family Closeness

Game:

Tickle Tag

Sit comfortably with your feet outstretched. One foot is "home base" and may not be moved. The other foot is the "attacker" which may move in attempting to tickle the home base of the other person, before they tickle you.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• If you had to give up all your toys but one which one would you keep and why?
• What is your favourite breakfast?
• What is one thing that could be invented to make your life easier?

Story

With your family read:  Luke 20.27-38

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

Questions for Discussion:

• What do you think of the Sadducees story?
• How did Jesus answer their question?
• What do you think Jesus is saying about heaven and marriage?

Prayer and Celebration

Hand Prayer

There are many different ways that a hand can be used as a guide to prayer. Some methods have appeared on this blog at other times. Here is another way to use your hand to pray for specific things.

Thumb - those closest to you (family and friends)

Pointer - those who lead and guide you (teachers, pastors, police, coaches)

Middle - those in authority (city, nation and world leaders)

Ring - this weakest finger reminds us of those who are sick, lonely or sad

Pinky - this smallest finger reminds us to pray for ourselves last

Family Activity

Create Self-Portraits

You may have hundreds of photos of your family but drawing a self portrait adds a dimension that a photo doesn’t have. Sit down as a family to create your self portraits. Take your time and use nice paper the same size for everyone. You might like to put your pictures of the wall gallery style and you could even frame them using coloured card. 

(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