faithful families: June 2014

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Faithful Families Resources June 22 2014

Some of the most important conversations I've ever had occurred at my family's dinner table.

~ Bob Ehrlich

Family Closeness

Game:

First and Last

Pick a category of things. It might be places, or vegetable or movies. Whatever you can come up with. Someone starts by saying something in that category, for example in the vegetable category you might say carrot. The next person has to say something starting with the last letter of the word already. In this case t – so they might say turnip. Keep going until someone can’t think of anything to say.

Sharing:

These questions are to stimulate a sense of openness, sharing and discovery about your family. The key is to listen.

Do you think it's important to get physical education in school? Why or why not?
Why do you, or don't you, like violent movies?
What do you think are the characteristics that make a good parent?

Story

With your family read Matthew 10.40-42

Questions for Discussion:

What do you think it means to welcome someone?
How has your family welcomed someone?
What little things can we do to show hospitality to others?

Prayer and Celebration

Prayer Calendar

At the start of each month take a blank calendar and write a prayer concern for each day. You might like to start with world problems and through the week move more closely to issues in your own community. Use the calendar each night at dinner time.

Service

Some useful information and ideas from the Raising Children Network about getting teenagers involved in service.

http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/community_activity_teenagers.html/context/1089

Family Time

Make a board game

Create your own board game. Use a large piece of white cardboard to draw the game. Create your own rules. You might like to start by thinking about some of the board games you like and how they work.

(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

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Faithful Families Resources June 15 2014

Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book. ~ Cicero

Family Closeness

Game:

The Theme Song Game

One person hums the tune to a favourite TV show or song and everyone else has to guess what it is. Whoever guesses gets to go next.

Sharing:

These questions are to stimulate a sense of openness, sharing and discovery about your family. The key is to listen.

What are some of our family’s traditions?
What are some good ways to overcome feeling sad?
What would you do to make the world a better place?

Story

With your family read Matthew 10.29-32

Questions for Discussion:

How do you feel that God knows everything about you?
What things do you worry about?
How do you remind yourself that God cares for you?

Prayer and Celebration

Body Prayers

As you pray for each of these things put your hands over these parts of the body. Alternatively you could make a sign of the cross on them.

On the ears (that I might listen for God’s voice and hear God’s Word)

On the eyes (that I might see God’s glory in all of life)

On the lips (that I might say the name of Christ and speak of God to others)

On the heart (that I might remember that I am loved by God and belong to Him)

On the hands (that I might show God to others through my work and deeds)

On the feet (that I might follow Christ and walk in His way)

Service

Big Hearted Families

Big Hearted Families is a website that provides ideas and resources for families to engage in service activities together. They have some great worksheets for helping your family think about how they might get started: http://www.bigheartedfamilies.org/

Family Time

Obstacle course

Create an obstacle course in your backyard. Use things like hula hoops, skipping ropes and boxes. Compete with each other for best time. Encourage each family member to reconfigure the course. This is great fun and a fantastic way to provide exercise for the whole family

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Faithful Families Resources June 8 2014

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. Mother Teresa

Family Closeness

Game:

Face Pass

Sit so you can all see each other. Make a strange or funny face and turn to a member of your family. The person you turned to carefully copies your face, then slowly changes his or her expression to make a new face which s/he passes on to someone else.

Sharing:

These questions are to stimulate a sense of openness, sharing and discovery about your family. The key is to listen!!

Have you ever been given a job you didn’t want to do? Why didn’t you want to do it? Did you do it?
Have you ever been afraid of something you were asked to do? What was it? Did you do it?
Share the best and worst thing that happened to you this week.

Story

With your family read Acts 2.1-21: Pentecost

With your family read Mathew 28.16-20

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

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

Questions for Discussion:

What did the disciples do when they saw Jesus on the mountain?
Did all of them have faith?
What did Jesus tell the disciples to go and do?
Why do you think Jesus told them he would be with them till the end of the age?

Prayer and Celebration

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

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.

Service

Random Acts of Kindness

Children learn from the example of their parents. They will imitate what they see you do. As a parent how do you demonstrate service and kindness in your daily life.

The other day I came across the random acts of kindness foundation. On one of their pages they have 350 kindness ideas.

They include:

donate a book
offer a handyman a drink
bake a meal for someone
write a positive note to someone

All of these are small things, but small thing make a difference.

http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas

Family Time

Opera, Drama

With your family make up an opera or a drama revolving around your family and the things that happen in it. What are some of the daily events that occur? What are some of the funny or interesting habits of your family members.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Faithful Families Resources June 1 2014

Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them. ~Lady Bird Johnson

50 days after Easter, at Pentecost, the Christian Church is born. A wonderful gift is given from God, for it is the day when the disciples are given the power of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament wind and fire were seen as signs to show that God was present. If you read the story in the book of Acts it talks about the Holy Spirit coming as ‘wind’ and ‘fire’. At Pentecost the gift of the Spirit filled the disciples with the energy and power to speak so that people from many nations could understand them. It was an event that changed the world. Before the Holy Spirit came to rest on the disciples, they were confused and fearful. They longed for the good old days when all they had to do was follow Jesus' lead. We too are invited to receive this wonderful gift which empowers us to use the gifts we are given from God and to grow in the fruits of the Spirit that make us more Christlike.

Pentecost is a special time, and special times need special attention. Here are some resources to help you be faithful with your family this Pentecost.

Family Closeness

Game:

The Glad Game

Played with a touch of a Monty Python, comparisons are made to current situations and those that could be far worse. It can be a lot of fun, and whilst it can at first appear flippant and playful, it can deliberately move people and a family into more genuine attitudes of gratefulness. It can be played not just in one family session, but at any time atall, especially say the moment some one is caught complaining!

`I'd like a new pair of runners, but I am glad I have feet.' [What's that phrase: I complained that I didn't have new shoes, until I met someone who didn't have any feet.']
`I wish we had a swimming pool, but I'm glad our neighbours let us use theirs.'
`I don't like broccoli, but I'm glad I Mum cooks dinner and not me.'
`I wish I could have a remote control car, but I am glad I have a bike that I can ride all by myself.'
`I don't want to go to bed now, but I am glad I have a bed to go to and a home to live in.'. . . .

Sharing:

These questions are to stimulate a sense of openness, sharing and discovery about your family. The key is to listen!!

What is the most exciting gift you have ever been given?
What made it so great?
What is the most exciting gift you have ever given? Why was it so great?
What is something that you are good at? How do you use it to serve others?
What godly characteristics do you find in yourself and in your family: Kindness, gentleness, compassion, patience, hospitality, humour, generosity, mercy, justice, faithfulness, self-control, loyalty, love, trustworthiness, truth telling, straight talking honesty, . . . . . .
Have you ever felt God’s presence in a special way? What happened? How did you feel?
Who is someone you know who seems to be filled with Spirit? What are they like?

Story

With your family read Acts 2.1-21: Pentecost

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

Questions for Discussion:

How did the Holy Spirit come upon the disciples? What happened?
How do you think you would have felt if you had been there?
What strange and special thing happened to the disciples because of the Holy Spirit?
What was the purpose of the disciples ability to speak many languages?

A man returned to his home and played back his telephone answering machine to discover that his message to callers had not registered beyond his initial "Hello." Transcribed, the tape of the exchange between machine and one caller ran as follows:

"Hello." "Hello. Hello. . . hello!" (click.)

"Hello." "Hello, hello. . . hello, hello!" (click.)

"Hello." "Hello, hello. . . You see, operator, he says 'Hello,' but he won't say anything else."

"I'm sorry, sir. We can only connect you with your party. We cannot make him talk to you."

~Donny Silverman

Prayer and Celebration

This is a day to celebrate and thank the Holy Spirit for all our unique and wonderful gifts.

We each have the character of God growing in us, the fruits of the Spirit, that enable us to minister in every part of our lives.

Read some of the characteristics of God that grow in us and spend time reflecting on how the Holy Spirit might be growing these in you?

Kindness, gentleness, compassion, patience, hospitality, humour, generosity, mercy, justice, faithfulness, self-control, loyalty, love, trustworthiness, truth telling, straight talking honesty.

Which of these Godly characteristics do you see growing in your own life? Which one of these characteristics do you most need? Which one would help you the most in the way you serve God and others?

Pray today that God’s Holy Spirit might fill you that the fruit of the Spirit might grow in you. Ask God how you might serve in the world, ask God to help you to grow in the power of the Spirit.

Service

Volunteering with Children

By Kelly Palmatier, CompassionateKids.com

Volunteering with children is a great way to help them learn about giving back. Children learn valuable skills while "on the job." Homeschooled students, who may have more time available for volunteering, could also enjoy the additional socialization opportunities presented through volunteering. Another benefit of volunteering is children learn about the concerns of the organization and what need it fills in the community. Consequently, the children also have an opportunity to remember what they have to be thankful for.

See the rest of this article on children and volunteering at:

http://www.compassionatekids.com/volunteering.shtml

Family Time

Draw Attention to Yourself

Using any available materials, make large red or orange Pentecost symbols (paper tongues of fire, kites or windsocks, decorated balloons or pinwheels) to be displayed outdoors. On each symbol write three gifts of the Spirit you have been given to serve God.
Make a collage of warm colours to remind your family of the story of Pentecost.
Make up a dance using coloured streamers to portray the wind, fire and excitement of the disciples when they received the Holy Spirit.
Make up a list of words to describe 'fire' and 'wind', and then use them to write a poem.