Our Father refreshes us on the journey with
some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home. - C.S.Lewis
We are now in 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 everyday. We wait with anticipation for the
kingdom of God to be fulfilled on earth. Over the these 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.
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:
Alphabet Car Game
Since the theme this week is journey here is a game you
can play next time you are in the car. It is a simple game that requires
players to find all the letters of the alphabet in order on car number plates.
A letter on a number plate can only be claimed by one player, the first to call
it out. Multiple letters on the one number plate can be claimed and by
different players. Whoever gets to z first is the winner. Find some more travel
games for the car at the bottom of the blog.
Sharing:
- What are the best and worst things about long journeys?
- What is your favourite thing to do on a journey?
- Where is your favourite place to journey to?
Story
With your family read John 1.6-28
(for a way of explaining/talking about this reading
with children look at
Questions for Discussion:
- Who was it that John’s disciples were waiting for?
- What evidence did Jesus give that he was the one?
- How did John prepare the way for Jesus?
Prayer and Celebration
A prayer for Advent
We thank you, Lord God, for the prophets and leaders
who looked forward to the coming of Jesus the Saviour.
We thank you for those who prepared the way for him,
like John the Baptist.
We thank you for the angels you sent with the message
about Jesus.
and we thank you for Mary, who believed the message
and was willing to do your will.
we thank you most of all for Jesus, who was born to
save us.
In this Advent time, when we get ready for
Christmas, help us to hear your message, to be excited that you want to be with
us, and help us to an tto be part of your plan for this world you care so much
about.
Amen.
http://www.lunt.org.uk/resources/pages/liturgy/prayers_school.htm
Service
Here are some more Advent Service Ideas
- Get a group together to sing at a nursing home.
- Go through your cupboard and give some clothes to a charity.
- Encourage your children to think of what toys they have that are still in good condition that they might give to a charity.
- With your family choose a way to give a gift to a needy family. This may be best done through a registered charity or church. If you can make food donations take your children shopping to buy the food so they can actually see what it is they are giving. Some charities have schemes where people give gift-wrapped presents for children from needy families.
Family Time
Are trips in the car a nightmare? Why not turn them
into a family adventure. Here are a few ideas.
Semi Search
All you need is a sheet of paper to keep score, one
person to be scorekeeper and a writing utensil. Each player chooses a colour.
Each player's name and chosen colour is then written down on the score card by
the score keeper, who will announce when there is a winner. Each player
announces each semitrailer on the road that is his chosen colour. One mark, or
point, is given for each semi the person identifies as his colour. The game can
be played until one person reaches a certain number of points. Most people play
Semi Search until one person reaches 50 points, but a longer game can be played
for older children.
Travelling Bingo
Bingo cards
will need to be made prior to the trip, but only take a few minutes to make. Be
sure to make several sets to allow for more then one game of Car Bingo to be
played, especially if travelling a long distance. To make the Bingo cards, draw
five columns of five boxes centered on the paper. You can use coloured or white
paper, whichever is more convenient. Over the top of each column, one letter
per column, print the letters B-I-N-G-O. Next, draw or place stickers of
various items that may be encountered along the trip. Some popular suggestions
are cows, tractors, umbrellas, dogs, horses, sheep, barns, lawn furniture,
radio or television towers, different colours and types of cars (such as a red
truck or blue station wagon), police cars, ambulances or fire trucks. You want
the children, and/or adults, playing to have to search for the objects. Each
player is given one card and a writing utensil to mark their boxes. When an
object on the card is identified, an "X" is marked on the box for the
object. When a person completes a row (up, down, across or diagonal), he wins.
The game can be played until one person wins two games, or if fewer people are
playing, the first to win three out of five.
The State Game
To prepare to play the State Game takes a little
more effort than the other car games. However, if travelling a long distance,
especially across country, the effort is well worth it. To play the State Game,
make a list of all the Australian states on a sheet of paper. Make as many
copies of this list as may be needed while travelling. Each player is given one
list of the states and one writing utensil. The object is to find as many
different states on the license plates of other vehicles as possible. The game
can be played once or again played until one person wins two games. Be sure to
make plenty of copies of the state lists, as this game becomes popular fairly
quickly.
Guess Mobile
Name a guess master -- the person who poses a
guessing challenge. He or she could ask passengers to guess the color of the
next passing car, or how long before you get to the next town. Or, with three
clues, what it is that someone else sees.
Car Scavenger Hunt
Hand your kids a pack of index cards and ask them to
write or draw pictures of 50 things they might see on a trip. Keep the cards
for scavenger hunts when players vie to match what they see with the cards.
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