Faithful Families Resources February 23 2014

No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure."

~ Emma Goldman

Family Closeness

Game:

Five House

One family member makes a list of five things to be found in your house. For example: something fluffy, something you can balance on your head, something that makes a sound, something hard, something blue, something used for cleaning. The rest of the family must then go and find five things that match the list. The first person back whose collection matches the list according to the list maker wins.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• If I could become a colour, I would be … because
• Something I’d like to do in the future is . . .
• Of my five senses, the one I would most hate to lose is . . . because  . . .

 Story

With your family read: Matthew 17.1-9

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

 Questions for Discussion:

• Why do you think Jesus was changed on the mountain top?
• What do you think of the disciples reaction?
• What does this story tell us about Jesus?

 Prayer and Celebration

Praying in the car

Driving children to schools can be stressful but it could also be an opportunity to stop and pray and bring a moment of peace before a hectic day. Encourage your  children to name some of the things they will do or confront in the day and pray for them.

Family Time

Family Walk

Going for a walk with your family is not only a great way to get exercise but provides an ideal opportunity to talk and enjoy one another’s company. 

(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

Faithful Families Resources February 16 2014

Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them

― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Family Closeness

Game:

Tower of Flour

Fill a desert bowl with flour. Place a plate on top of it and then carefully turn them over together. Lift the bowl up and you should have pile of flower the shape of the bowl. Put a jelly baby or other lolly on top of the flour. Family members take turns to cut a slice from the mound with a butter knife, without disturbing the jelly baby. The one who makes the flour collapse has to pick up the sweet from the plate in their mouth.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family:

If you could create a perfect room for yourself, what kind of room would it be? (Bedroom, Dining Room, Bathroom, Study, Play room) What would it look like inside? What things would you have inside it? Describe what you would like to do in this room? Encourage your family to use their imagination to describe it in as much detail as possible.(Icebreakers and Heartwarmers. Steve Sheely)

Story

With your family read: Matthew 5.38-48

 Questions for Discussion:

• Is what Jesus asking for in this passage easy or hard?
• What makes it hard?
• Why do you think he taught these things?
• What might it mean to love your enemies?

Prayer and Celebration

This week learn a new prayer off by heart, together. Write or find a prayer that you can use with your family every night at mealtimes and family sharing times. The prayer does not have to be complicated, but simple enough for everyone to remember. It might include some lines of thanks or praise or asking. Here is on prayer you might learn together.

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for all the benefits you have won for us, for all the pains and insults you have borne for us.  Most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. 

St Richard of Chichester [1197-1253]

Family Time

Show and Tell Night

Get each of your family members to share something. It could be a picture they like, a hobby or interest, something they have learned, ma joke or story, something they have made or made up, a game, something they found in the back yard. 

(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 February 9 2014

Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.

 ~Dr Haim Ginott

Family Closeness

Game:

Paper Strips

Give everyone in your family a sheet of newspaper and tell them to  tear it into as long a strip as possible. For a greater challenge turn off the lights

Sharing

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• Have you ever worn something in public that embarrassed your parents?
• What was it?
• Where was it?
• What did your parents do or say?
• What happened?

 Story

With your family read: Psalm 119.1-9

 Questions for Discussion:

• What do you think of this Psalm?
• What does it mean to be blameless?
• How can we walk in the law of the Lord?

Prayer and Celebration

Passing of the Cross

Use a small wooden cross or even a metal one on a chain. In a circle the cross is taken up. Who ever holds the cross is the person who prays.  This prayer begins with one person who either says a prayer out loud or silently says or imagines a prayer. The cross is passed when the person who holds it is finished.  Each person takes their turn. 

Prompts may be given by the someone as the cross is passed.

 Eg. See…a friend in need, a hurt that needs healing…etc.

Pray one sentence…prompt:  thank you God 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.

Family Time

Fast Progressive Dinner

As a fun different meal idea take your family on a fast food progressive dinner. Start at one fast food place for entrée…maybe fries, move to another for main course and then on to another for dessert. To make it even more unusual don't decide where you will go..put the names of all the fast food places you know into a hat and draw them out as you go along.

(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

Faithful Families Resources February 2 2014

I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.

~Louisa May Alcott

Family Closeness

Game:

Blow Wind Blow

Everyone sits around the table. Select one family member to start off without a seat. You want once less seat like in musical chairs. The standing family member begins by calling out "Blow wind blow". The rest of the family responds "blow what?" Then the standing family members say some kind of statement like "everyone wearing red" or "everyone not wearing shoes". All the family members that fit into that category must get up and switch chairs with another family member. This allows a chance for the person standing to steal a chair also. Once everyone has finished switching as quickly as possible, there will be one family member left stuck in the middle….and you can start all over again.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• What is your idea of an ideal day?
• If you were invisible where would you go and what would you do?
• What do you worry about the most?

Story:

With your family read: Matthew 5.13-20

Questions for Discussion:

• What do we use salt for?
• What do you think Jesus meant when he called his followers salt?
• What might it mean to be a light for other people?
• How can you let your light shine more brightly?

Prayer and Celebration

Praying ACTS

Often children get into the habit of always praying thank you prayers or always praying asking prayers. One way to help them broaden their idea of prayer is to teach them this simple way of remembering some different types of prayer.

A – adoration : Prayers telling God how wonderful He is.

C – confession : Prayers saying sorry for the wrong we have done.

T – thanksgiving : Prayers thanking God for all He has done.

S – supplication: Prayers asking God for the things we and others need.

On different days of the week you might like to get your family to talk about and pray each of the different types of prayers. Alternatively you could write the four letters on pieces of paper and pick them out of a hat to determine which one you will use. When it come to confession prayers help your children think not just about their own personal sin but the things we as a people have failed to do – like care for the environment or the needy.

Service

Clean up a park or your neighbourhood

One simple way of serving your local community is to spend some time picking up rubbish in a local park or in your neighbourhood. This is a wonderful way to teach children about Christian stewardship of the earth. Have a conversation about how as followers of Jesus we  are to live as Jesus kingdom has come and this means being part of the restoration of the earth. You might also like to talk about how we should do good even when it cannot be seen by others.

 (In some places it may not be safe for children or adults to collect rubbish because of needles or other dangerous items. An assessment of this needs to be made in your area and appropriate safety precautions (gloves etc) employed or the decision to do something else.

Family Time

Build a Fort Night

With your family make a fort in your house big enough for your whole family to sit in. This can be done by hanging and draping blankets and  sheets over chairs and dining room tables and whatever else is around. Try to build the biggest fort you can. Eat dinner in it together and play some games. Read Psalm 46.1-3 together and have a discussion about what it means for God to be your fortress and shelter. 

(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