Sunday, October 18, 2015

Faithful Families Resources October 18 2015


Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. 
~ Chuck Swindoll

Family Closeness
Game:
Table Olympics – Part 1
Spoon Balancing
I am always amazed when I watch the gymnasts balancing on the beam or catapulting across the mat. In this Olympic event get your family members to balance tea spoons on their fingers or nose. See who can balance a spoon for the longest or while moving their hand around in complicated patterns. See if your family can come up with any gymnastic like hand and spoon tricks.

Sharing:
Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

In this week’s family sharing time try to come up with a motto for your family.  Your motto can act like a family mission statement helping you to stay focussed on what is important. It could be something that your family aspires to be like or do,  “We help one another” , or it could be a description of your most important values, “Honesty, Love, Service” or some aspect of what you as a family need to work on for example: “Love More”.  Don’t rush you motto, spend some nights talking it out over the family dinner table. When you have come up with something you all love and agree on print it up on some nice paper and have it framed so it is in a place you can all see and be reminded of.

Story
With your family read Mark 10.46-52
(for a way of explaining/talking about this reading with children look at http://www.sermons4kids.com/i_want_to_see_jesus.htm
Questions for Discussion:
  • Why do you think people told blind Bartimaeus to be quiet?
  • Why do you think he ignored the people?
  • What did Jesus do for him?
  • How would you describe Bartimeaus?

Prayer and Celebration
Balloon Prayer
There are two ways you might use this idea to pray. Both involve writing words in permanent marker on a balloon. The first way involves your family writing one or two words naming the things or people they wish to pray for at different places over the balloon. When you have finished doing this toss the balloon around the dinner table. The words that your hands touch or a near to when you catch the balloon are the things that person must pray about. The second way uses the same method but instead of things to pray for write down different types of prayer like: praise, thanksgiving, asking, confession, waiting. Whatever your hands land on that is the type of prayer your family must do – this probably works best if everyone takes turns at each individual type of prayer.

Service
One really interesting way to get your family involved in service is to go on a volunteering holiday. By doing this your family can go somewhere different, meet new people and get involved in making a difference in the world. Organisations such as http://www.volunteerholiday.com.au  arrange and oversee the trips and provide guides and other necessary information.

Family Time
Music Night

Have a music evening together where you take turns at picking songs and listening to them. Family members share with one another, what they like about a particular song and how it makes them feel. To take it a step further get everyone up an dancing to the different songs. Remind you family that although they may not like all the music it is good to learn to appreciate other family members tastes.

(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

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