Faithful Families Resources November 29 2015

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 every day. We wait with anticipation for the kingdom of God to be fulfilled on earth. Over 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.

Weekly Inspiration

Biblically, waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be. 

~ John Ortberg

Family Closeness

Game:

Everyone closes their eyes and must guess how long a minute is, by opening their eyes when they think a minute is up. Try playing this game using a piece of music. Did players guess a longer or shorter time for a minute? Another way to play is to get everyone to walk between two walls trying to move slowly or quickly enough that they will reach the wall just as a minute is up. If you reach the wall before time you are out.

(Inspired by Christine Gapes. New Games for Community)

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• What do you hate waiting for?
• When do you find waiting most difficult?
• What do you do to make waiting easier?
• What can’t you wait for?

Story 

With your family read Luke 3.1-6

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

http://www.sermons4kids.com/fanfare-for-a-king.html

Questions for Discussion:

• How do we prepare for important guests in your house?
• How might we prepare for Christmas?
• How might we prepare for Jesus to change our lives? 

Prayer and Celebration

Advent Prayer Pattern

This pattern may be used this week to begin meal times or to begin a family sharing time.

It may begin by asking everyone to quieten down and to think about what it means to wait and to think of one word to describe that feeling. During the prayer the leader is going to say: “Waiting feels like…” and each person will be free to speak her word aloud. Parents might need to help little ones with a word that describes the feeling of waiting.

1.        Music. Choose a piece of gentle music to listen to. Try some different pieces each time to try and find one that expresses a feeling of waiting.

2.        Prayer: All of us wait. Each day brings its own dose of waiting. We wait in the dentist’s office, at sports practice, at school, for parents and children, for brothers and sisters. We wait for dinner to be ready, for the refund, for the letter from a friend. We wait to be big enough to ride the roller coaster, old enough to stay up late, secure enough to be on our own. Our waiting feels like…(give people a chance to voice their feeling) Advent calls us to celebrate waiting. Each time we wait, help us to remember how the world waited for a saviour. Help us to remember we are always waiting for your return. Help us find and recognise you in each other. As we wait. We are Advent people.

3.        Lord, the N…family is waiting for you.

All: Come, Lord Jesus.

(Rituals and Icebreakers. Kathleen O’Connel Chesto.Ligouri)

Service

Now is a great time of year as we move towards Christmas to begin think about how you may serve those in need. Christmas can be a sad and lonely time of year for many people. How might your family serve Christ the King this Advent and Christmas, and make a different in people’s lives at the same time. Here are a few quick ideas.

• Instead of or as well, buying gifts for each other buy an animal for a family overseas from an organisation like: Oxfam 
• Serve in a homeless shelter or soup kitchen.

 Family Time

Nativity Exploration

 In this period as we move towards Christmas why not use art work to explore the story a Jesus birth. Apart from the many Christmas cards that you may receive the internet also provides a wealth of resources. If you go to http://www.textweek.com/art/nativity.htm you will find links to many depictions of the birth of Christ through the ages. Invite your family to choose their favourite picture and to describe what they like about it? Discuss the different pictures and what you find interesting in them. Get each member to draw their own nativity picture and explain it.

(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 November 22 2015

At the end of this week we enter 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 every day. We wait with anticipation for the kingdom of God to be fulfilled on earth. Over the next 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 (over at top right) for some ideas and resources on how to celebrate the season well in your home.

Weekly Inspiration

Let God's promises shine on your problems. 

~Corrie Ten Boom

Family Closeness

Game:

Pay Off

This simplified version of pay off can be played with any number of family members. Everyone needs a red token or piece of paper and a black token or piece of paper. Family members will get points depending on what token they and others show. At the start you decide on how many rounds you will play. It should probably be at least five. Family members decide which token they will show but not let other family members know. On the count of three everyone will place their token on the table at the same time. Points are awarded in the following way:

• If everyone puts down red – everyone loses two points.
• If some family members put down red and some put down black – those who put down black get 2 points, those who put down red lose 2 points.
• If everyone puts down black – everyone gets 2 points.

Only have discussions after every three rounds about what you put down or to make promises about what you will put down next go. This could be a good source of family discussion about promises and keeping them.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family. 

• What are the biggest promises people make in their life?
• Why are some promises hard to keep?
• How do you feel if someone doesn’t keep their promise?
• What do you think God has promised us? 

Story

With your family read Luke 21.25-31

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

Questions for Discussion:

• What do you think this reading is about?
• What might it mean for the kingdom of God to come near?
• What signs do you see that seasons are changing? 

Prayer and Celebration

This week take a look at the special Advent page to get some great ideas for celebrating this season. Most of the ideas will require some preparation.

Service

The AdventConspiracy website provides a great way to think about Advent with the charge to : Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All. It encourages us to think about how we might reshape the time that leads to Christmas in a life giving and countercultural way.

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Family Time

Begin thinking about how you might do something really special together as a family for Christmas. How might you really spend quality time together, how might you truly give of yourselves to one another. Throughout this blog there are hundreds of ideas for spending time with your family. Find something special and enjoy the time.

(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

Faithful Families Resources November 15 2015

The Family - “That dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape, nor, in our inmost hearts, ever quite wish to.”

-Dodie Smith

Family Closeness

Game:

King of the Table

Everyone at the table gets an empty plastic  cup and places it to the side of them – this is their throne. Screw up some pieces of soft paper into small balls that will fit inside the cups (cotton balls could also be used as an even gentler option). Make sure you have plenty - maybe ten each.  On the count of three everyone begins throwing their paper trying to get it in each other’s cup. The cup can’t  be defended. As soon as someones cup has paper in it they must turn it over. Whoever is  the last to have their cup filled is the King or Queen of the Table.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family. 

• What would be the best thing about being king or queen?
• What would be the worth thing about being king or queen?
• What would a good king or queen be like?
• What would a terrible king or queen be like? 

Story

This Sunday is celebrated by many churches as ‘Christ the King’. It is the last Sunday in the church’s year before the season of Advent, a special time of waiting and preparation for the birth of Christ and his return. Apart from the reading listed below, you might like to read some of the other passage where Jesus uses the image of a king in his parables. Try Matthew 22.1-4 and Luke 19.11-26

  

With your family read John 18.33-37

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

 Questions for Discussion:

• What do you think Jesus meant by “my kingdom is not of this world?”
• What did Jesus say people who “belong to the truth” do?
• What kind of king is Jesus?

Prayer and Celebration

Praise to the King

In this week when we celebrate Christ the King focus on prayers of praise and adoration. Have your family think of all the wonderful things they would want to say about God and put these in a prayer. In 1st Chronicles 29:10-13 King David prays a prayer of praise to God.

“Praise be to You, O Lord,

      God of our father Israel,

      from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power

      and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,

      for everything in heaven and earth is Yours.

Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom,

      You are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from You;

      You are the ruler of all things.

In Your hands are strength and power

      to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give You thanks,

      and praise Your glorious name.” (NIV)

Family Time

King or Queen for a Day

This might best be done in the holidays when there is some time to spend. Let each of your family members, including parents, be king or queen for the day. This might begin with a crowning in the morning along with breakfast in bed. The king or queen doesn’t have to do any chores on this particular day, the rest of the family look after them. Let the regent choose what games and activities the family might engage in for the day as well as what food they might eat. It is important that some family guidelines are set for this so that it remains a fun game and not something that might turn children into “bossy little emperors”. At the end of the day during dinner talk about the experience of being king or queen for the day. What was good about it, what wasn’t so great.

(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 November 8 2015

Acting is just a way of making a living; the family is life.

- Denzel Washington

Family Closeness

Game:

Table Olympics – Part 4

Egg and Spoon Relay Race

Boil an egg (or not if you enjoy a mess) and pass it around the table from teaspoon to teaspoon. The main rule is no extra hands are allowed to touch the egg or spoon and you must stay seated.  Time your family and see how fast you can go. Try to beat your record. To add some difficulty and time have family members go around the table and back to their place before passing on the egg to the next person who does a lap of the table.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family. 

• What is something you are looking forward to?
• What is your favourite thing to daydream about?
• If you had three wishes what would you use them on?

Story

With your family read Mark 13.1-8

Questions for Discussion:

• What was it that impressed the disciples about the temple?
• Why do you think they were interested in Jesus comments?
• What do you think Jesus is trying to tell the disciples?

Prayer and Celebration

Prayer Wall

Create a permanent prayer wall in your home. Select a suitable space and use it to place all the things connected with your families prayer life on it. Make a nice banner for your prayer wall and decorate it. Put post it note prayers on it, or prayers drawn by your family. Stick photos of family members or friends on it to remember to pray for them. Stick newspaper articles of issues you want to pray for. Make sure you clean it up with your family once a week so you have more room to post stuff.

Family Time

Family Book Club

Start picking a book that everyone in your family can read. The book might be read individually for maybe time could be set aside for the whole family to hear the book together. Some great books to read might include those of Dr Suess (short) or Roald Dahl (long). Both these selections probably date me and there are probably lots of newer books that are equally great. As you read together discuss the story and characters, the challenges they face and the values they express.

(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 November 1 2015

Let no Christian parents fall into the delusion that Sunday School is intended to ease them of their personal duties. The first and most natural condition of things is for Christian parents to train up their own children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Family Closeness

Game:

Table Olympics – Part 2

Table Volleyball

All you need for this game is a blown up balloon. How you play it depends on how many people you have in your family. If it is only a few then work as team to see how many times you can hit the balloon to keep it in the air without hoping off your seat. No person is allowed to hit it twice in a row. Alternatively play volleyball across the table. Each side of the table is its own team.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family. 

• How do you think your friends would describe you?
• How do you think your family would describe you?
• How would you like to be described?

Story

With your family read Mark 12.38-44

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

Questions for Discussion:

• What does Jesus say about people who like to show off and have special treatment?
• Why was what the widow put in to the treasury worth more than the rich people?

Prayer and Celebration

 This week learn a new prayer off by heart, together. Write or find a prayer that you can use with your family every night at mealtimes and family sharing times. The prayer does not have to be complicated, but simple enough for everyone to remember. It might include some lines of thanks or praise or asking. Here is on prayer you might learn together.

Lord, behold our family here assembled.

We thank you for this place in which we dwell,

For the love that unites us,

For the peace accorded to us this day,

For the hope with which we expect the morrow;

For the health, the work, the food and the bright skies

That make our lives delightful;

For our friends in all parts of the earth.

Amen.

-- Robert Louis Stevenson

Family Time

Show and Tell Night

Get each of your family members to share something. It could be a picture they like, a hobby or interest, something they have learned, a joke or story, something they have made or made up, a game or something they found in the back yard.

(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