Faithful Families Resources June 19 2016

There are few principles of human nature stronger than that of imitation. 
~ Lord Palmerston

Family Closeness

Game: Card Flipping

For this game you will need a bucket or container and a pack of cards. Place the bucket about two meters away (or closer for young ones). Take turns to flip or throw cards into the bucket. See who can get the most cards in.

Sharing

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• Tell a story about your favourite holiday and what made it so great.

Story

With your family read:  Luke 9.51-62

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

http://www.sermons4kids.com/making-excuses.html

 Questions for Discussion:

• What do you think about the disciple’s question of Jesus?
• What did Jesus do?
• What do you think it means to follow Jesus?
• What might you need to give up to follow Jesus? 

Prayer and Celebration

Weaving Prayer into Daily Life

Prayer and worship are not just activities, they are a whole of life response and orientation to God. There are many ways that we might encourage our families to weave prayer, thankfulness and worship into our daily patterns. One of the easiest ways to do this is to connect it to the activities that we have to do everyday, such as brushing our teeth or hair, going to the fridge for food, feeding our pets or leaving the house for work or school. Think of one of your daily routines that you would like to connect prayer to such as brushing your teeth. Attach a sticky not or label to your toothbrush with a word that will remind you to prayer for a specific thing. The same thing can be done with out routines. Make sure it is something that will catch your attention. When you see it, don’t stop the activity but pray in the midst of it ask God for help of give thanks for what God has given you, pray for a family member or someone in the world in need.

Service

 Service Project for Families with Elementary Age Children

 Have families cut out grocery coupons to give to a local foodbank

• Make gift baskets for a nearby nursing home or assisted facility for older adults
• Schedule a time for families to hold and rock babies in a hospital nursury
• Be welcoming attendants as a family at a shelter or drop in centre.
• Have families volunteer to stuff a church bulletin with a large mailing at your church.

 Family Activity

No electricity night

This is a great idea to help your family think about their dependence on electricity and also how they might be able to reduce their energy consumption to help the environment. It also might help you all to think about how many people live throughout the world.Have a night at home where you cannot use anything that requires electricity. This includes cooking the meal and lights and everything else. 

(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