Faithful Families Resources February 22 2015

Every father should remember that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice.

Anon

Family Closeness

Game:

Finger grab

A simple but fun game to play in pairs or more. Face your partner and both perform the following actions on the count. (It is better if someone else counts out loud for you)

1. Place your left hand out flat with the palm up.

2. Point the index finger of your right hand out, sticking in the air.

3. Place your index finger of your right hand, pointing down, into the palm of your partners left hand.

4. As you try to pull your finger up and away the other person has to try and grab it, while at the same time they are pulling their finger out of your palm and trying to grab your finger.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• Are you more like a cat or a dog? Why?
• What do you think the best thing about being an adult or child is?
• Would you rather never play or never win?

Story

With your family read: Mark 8.27-30

Questions for Discussion:

What two questions does Jesus ask his disciples in this reading?

Why do you think he asked this?

What answer does Peter give for himself? What does Jesus say to him?

Why do you think Jesus told Peter not to tell anyone?

  

Prayer and Celebration

We are in the season on Lent, the forty days preceding Easter Day. This is traditionally a time of repentance (saying sorry and turning from sin). The resources for prayer and celebration for the next five weeks will focus on ways your family might “celebrate” well this season.

Lent is a good time to focus on God’s care and provision and on our dependence on him, but also on saying sorry

Lent is a season of remembering to say sorry to God for missing the mark. While Lent is a time of repentance and penitence it does not have to be a morbid time as we also look forward to the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Why not use some symbols to help your family get a feel for the Season of Lent. Some of the following things could be used during your family prayer time or mealtime ritual to mark the season.

Smell:              Rosemary.

Taste:               Salt.

Colour:            Purple.

Feel:                Hessian

Sound:             “I’m sorry”

This is a possible prayer to use during this season at the meal table or other times.

God calls us to say sorry for wrong doing.

God calls us to remember that he made us.

God calls us to remember his promises.

God calls us to live a new way,

not by might,

not by power,

but by faith…

How will we live by faith:

The cross?
We will take it.

The bread?
We will break it.

The pain?
We will bear it.

The joy?
We will share it.

The Gospel?
We will live it.

The love?
We will give it.

The light?
We will cherish it.

Family Time

Rainbow Wall

This Lent begins with the story of the flood. The rainbow is an enduring symbol of God’s promise. Why not make the rainbow your symbol  for Lent, remembering the promise of God. Create a rainbow on a wall at home adding a new colour each week.

Week 1:           Purple -remember God forgiveness

Week 2:           Blue - remember God healing love

Week 3.           Green - remember Gods creation

Week 4.           Yellow - remember Gods promises

Week 5            Orange re-member Gods presence in time of temptation.

Week 6.           Red - remember God son Jesus, died on cross rose again

  

(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 15 2015

No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?

~Elbert Hubbard

Family Closeness

Game:

Ibble Dibble

An "ibble dibble" is a dot made on the skin with a felt pen. Everyone playing is assigned  a number.  Someone starts by saying: "Ibble Dibble number # (their number) with no ibble dibbles calling ibble dibble number # (another player's number) with no ibble dibbles." The person's whose number has been called must respond by choosing a different player and saying “ibble dibble number # (whatever number they are) with no ibble dibbles calling ibble dibble number # (the number of the player they have chosen) with no ibble dibbles." If a person makes a mistake, stumbles over their words or gets the number of ibble dibbles wrong then they receive an ibble dibble (a spot mark on their cheek). That person then carries on with “Ibble dibble number #  with one ibble dibble calling ibble dibble number # with no ibble dibbles (however many they have). Keep playing until someone has five ibble dibbles.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• Are you more like an apple or an orange? Why?
• What is your favourite thing to think about?
• Would you rather not be able to laugh or not be able to cry?

Story

With your family read: Mark 1.9-15

Questions for Discussion:

• Who saw the heavens open and the Spirit descend like a dove?
• How do you think Jesus felt when he heard what God said to him?
• What did Jesus say when he came out of the wilderness?
• What words would you like your parents to say to you?

Prayer and Celebration

Lenten Seasonings

Wednesday 18th February  is Ash Wednesday, the day marking the beginning of Lent, the forty days preceding Easter Day. This is traditionally a time of repentance (saying sorry and turning from sin). The resources for prayer and celebration for the next six weeks will focus on ways your family might “celebrate” well this season. Lent is a good time to focus on God’s care and provision and on our dependence on him, but also on saying sorry.

Pat-C-Ana

There are many ways and patterns of prayer.  Praying with Pat-C-ana is just one [pronounced Patsyanna].  It was originally written by Fr Richard Browning for use by children at church and school. The prayer below can be used as a way of remembering and teaching which finger represents which type of prayers.

From the thumb to little finger

we pray with PAT-C-ANA:

Praise and adoration -

Thank you, thank you.

Confession saying sorry:

its forgiveness that we need.

Asking 'n asking: for others then for me.

From the thumb to little finger

we pray to God the Father.

        

 The prayers below help to unpack the type of prayer to use with each finger or can be used on their own.

 

Praying with PAT-C-ANA

Thumb: Praise and adoration

Awesome Lord and Father, the earth is yours and all that is in it. You are our God and we are your people;

Index finger: Thanksgiving

Thank you for life and love, for a home to live and a family to love.

Middle finger:  Confession

Forgive us when we hurt others, and when we offend you.

Help us to love like you love us.

Ring finger:  Asking for others

We pray for…

my family and friends and those that I love.

Little finger: Asking for me

And lastly for me, I place myself into your loving care.

Amen.

Family Time Extra

Promise Banner

Each week of Lent create a panel each with a different picture for a wall hanging. This could be done simply on pieces of A4 paper with coloured images or more spectacularly using 50cm square calico, connect each panel together with string so they hang. Each panel will reflect a different story from the Lenten season.

Week 1:           Genesis 9.18-17: Picture: Rainbow

Week 2.           Genesis 17.1-7,15-16 Picture: Footprints

Week 3.           Exodus 20.1-17 Picture: Stone Tablets

Week 4.           Numbers 21.4-9 Picture:Snake on a Stick

Week 5.           Jeremiah 31.31-34 Picture: Heart

Week 6.           Marl 11:7-10. Picture: Palms.

(Seasons of the Spirit 2002)

(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 8 2015

There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained

 ~Winston Churchill

Family Closeness

Game:

Sound affects machine

This game can be played individually or with the whole family working together. The aim of the game is for certain sound effects to be produced using only your voice or your body (clapping, stomping, clicking). You can come up with your own sound effects but here are some examples:

a football game

the rain on a tin roof

a percussion band

angry wasps

a rainforest

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• Are you more like a candle or a flashlight? Why?
• What is something you have learnt from a friend?
• Would you rather have a house with no roof or no walls?

Story

With your family read: Mark 2.1-12

Questions for Discussion:

When the people carrying the paralysed man couldn’t get to Jesus what did they do?

Why were the scribes angry at Jesus?

What did Jesus say he had authority over?

What would you be willing to do to help a friend in need?

Prayer and Celebration

12 Types of Prayer

In his book ‘The hour that changes the world’, Dick Eastman outlines twelve different types of prayer . In this miniseries explore the many different types of prayer with your children.

Contemplation

This type of prayer revolves around thinking and reflecting deeply either on a piece of scripture or on something to do with God. With children this might mean taking a particular story or passage of scripture and encouraging them to think for a moment on a theme coming from the passage, such as God’s love for us, or the wonder of creation. There are many short stories written on different themes that might help children think more deeply about scripture and these can be helpful in developing the prayer of contemplation.

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 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 1 2015

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you. As you are to them.

~Desmond Tutu

Family Closeness

Game:

Pick ‘n’ Choose

This game goes around the table clockwise. Whoever is to start says two similar items for example “pizza and ice cream” (both foods). The next person has to say the thing they like better out of the two within three seconds or less. Then they get to say two things to the next person and so on around the table. The thing named could be anything – including animals, toys, tv shows, songs etc.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

(In the next few weeks we are going to have a focus on parents answering some questions. No doubt when the weekly question is answered, children will have more questions. The question is asked of the child but the parent might need to answer.)

• Do you know what your mother and father do for work?
• Do you know how your family came to live in this country?
• Do you know what your parents happiest memories of childhood are?

Story

With your family read: Mark 1.29-39

Questions for Discussion:

• How did Jesus helped  Peter’s mother in law?
• What did Jesus do early in the morning? Why do you think he did it at this time?
• What did Jesus say he came to do?

Prayer and Celebration

12 Types of Prayer

In his book ‘The hour that changes the world’, Dick Eastman outlines twelve different types of prayer . In this miniseries explore the many different types of prayer with your children.

Thanksgiving

1 Thessalonians 5.18 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Giving thanks to God is one of the most important types of prayer that we can engage children. Everything we have comes from God, from our life and breath, to our food and water. There are many ways that you might pray thanksgiving prayers with your family. At simplest go around the table saying all the things you wish to give thanks for. Try to see how many times you can go around. Remember to thank God for spiritual, material, physical and social gifts he has given us. This should include all the things that Jesus has done for us. Another more permanent way might be to write or draw the things you want to thank God for on post-it notes and stick them on a board or wall somewhere. This can be a great source of encouragement when things are down, remembering all that god has done for us.

Family Time

Family Fun Night

Having a family night is a fantastic and fun way to focus on your family growing together. What is a family night? It is simply putting aside one evening a week or a month or whatever regular interval suits you to do something together that everyone will enjoy. Make sure the dates you pick are in your diaries and give them the first priority – try to plan well ahead. Give each member a turn to plan the program for the evening. Make it a rule that there is to be no complaining or fidgeting and that everyone is to cooperate and participate. This is especially important for the younger children whose self esteem may be damaged by older children's comments. Don't forget to talk about the purpose of the family night. Two key purposes could be 1. To have fun together. (Family night should be the most anticipated night of the week) 2. To worship the Lord together. This is an opportunity for parents to model Christian devotion to their children. (The Big Book of Family Fun. Gwen Ellis.) 

(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