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