Faithful Families Resources January 17 2016

Weekly Inspiration

The same Jesus who turned water into wine can transform your home, your life, your family, and your future.

~Adrian Rogers

Family Closeness

Game:

Read my lips

Family members have to say something, at least a sentence, without moving their lips. The rest of the family has to guess what they are saying. Pick up a random book at the reading age of your family and read a sentence from it.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• What  about you does only your family know?
• Are there things about you only your friends know?
• What does it mean to know someone?

Story

With your family read:  Luke 4.14-21

 Questions for Discussion:

• Why do you think it means to “be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit”?
• What did the people in Galilee think of Jesus?
• What things did Jesus say God had sent him to do?
• How does your family do these things as part of God’s mission?

Prayer and Celebration

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 Rev 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

 

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.

  

Service

This week encourage your family members to serve each other. Get them to think of one nice and helpful thing they could do for the parents or siblings. Here are some ideas:

• Make someone’s bed for them
• Do someone else’s chore
• Pick up someone else’s mess
• Clean up the dog or cat waste.

Family Time

Bible Story Theme Night

Think of a bible story - like Noah’s Ark or the Feeding of the Five Thousand.

Think of how you might have a family fun night focused on the theme of the story. This might include: Themed food, games, music, decorations, the telling of the story with costumes. Let your imagination run wild.

(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