Faithful Families Resources October 30 2016

The best inheritance a parent can give to his children is a few minutes of their time each day.

~ M. Grundler

Family Closeness

Game:

Tickle Tag

Sit comfortably with your feet outstretched. One foot is "home base" and may not be moved. The other foot is the "attacker" which may move in attempting to tickle the home base of the other person, before they tickle you.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• If you had to give up all your toys but one which one would you keep and why?
• What is your favourite breakfast?
• What is one thing that could be invented to make your life easier?

Story

With your family read:  Luke 20.27-38

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

Questions for Discussion:

• What do you think of the Sadducees story?
• How did Jesus answer their question?
• What do you think Jesus is saying about heaven and marriage?

Prayer and Celebration

Hand Prayer

There are many different ways that a hand can be used as a guide to prayer. Some methods have appeared on this blog at other times. Here is another way to use your hand to pray for specific things.

Thumb - those closest to you (family and friends)

Pointer - those who lead and guide you (teachers, pastors, police, coaches)

Middle - those in authority (city, nation and world leaders)

Ring - this weakest finger reminds us of those who are sick, lonely or sad

Pinky - this smallest finger reminds us to pray for ourselves last

Family Activity

Create Self-Portraits

You may have hundreds of photos of your family but drawing a self portrait adds a dimension that a photo doesn’t have. Sit down as a family to create your self portraits. Take your time and use nice paper the same size for everyone. You might like to put your pictures of the wall gallery style and you could even frame them using coloured card. 

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 October 23 2016

The Lord teach you all how precious Christ is, and what a mighty and complete work He hath done for our salvation.Then, I feel confident you will use every means to bring your children to Jesus, that they may live through Him. The Lord teach you all your need of the Holy Spirit, to renew, sanctify, and quicken your souls...

The Lord grant this, and then I have a good hope that youwill indeed train up your children well, — train well for this life, and train well for the life to come; train well for earth, and train well for heaven; train them for God, for Christ, and for eternity.

~J. C. Ryle

Family Closeness

Game:

Quack!
Everyone stands with their legs apart and their bodies hanging down with their hands holding their knees or ankles. While looking between your knees, walk backward. Every time you touch someone, backside to backside, make eye contact through your legs and loudly say "Quack!" Then move on till you bump someone else.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• What do you think will be different about your life by next year?
• What is the best costume you have ever worn?
• If you found a $100 what would you do with it?

Story

With your family read:  Luke 19.1-10

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

Questions for Discussion:

• Why do you think Zacchaeus was so eager to see Jesus?
• Why did the people grumble when Jesus wanted to eat with him?
• What do you think made Zacchaeus have a change of heart?

Prayer and Celebration

Paper Towel Prayer:

Take a roll of paper towels and spend some time putting a prayer concern on each sheet. Then reroll it.Every day tear off one sheet and offer prayers for that particular concern or person. Your family might like to write prayers around the edge of the paper towel.

Family Activity

Make Dinner Together

Once a week or as a one off involve your whole family in the dinner making process. Have different members set the table, help in the preparation and making of the meal as well as in cleaning up. Make it that everyone has to stay together until the whole thing is done. Afterwards you might like to play a family game together.

(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 October 16 2016

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. ~Deuteronomy 6.4-7

Family Closeness

Game:

Blind Draw

Everyone is given a sheet of paper and a pen. You have three minutes to draw a picture of something that everyone agrees to...but you must either close your eyes or be blindfolded or have the light turned out.

Sharing:

• What is the hardest thing about being (your age) years old?
• What is the best thing about being (your age) years old?
• What things don’t boys understand about girls?
• What things don’t girls understand about boys?

Story

With your family read: Luke 18.9-14

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

 Questions for Discussion:

•  What was the difference between the two men?
• Why did Jesus praise the tax collector?

Prayer and Celebration

Prayers of Confession

Prayers of confession are a normal part of a Christian’s prayer life. All of us, including children do things we wish we hadn’t, or don’t do the things we should. Confession, saying sorry and asking God for forgiveness is something that parents should model to children. There are various ways we might engage our children in prayers of confession.

Burning Prayers

Your family might like to individually write down things they would like to say sorry for. These prayers might then be placed in a bowl and burnt as a symbol of God’s forgiveness.

The following words might be used to help children have a language for this type of prayer:

 I got really angry today.  I think I know why, and I wish I wouldn’t.  I feel so out of control.  I feel disappointed.  Jesus, I am sorry for any hurt I have caused today.  Help me to be gentle.  Help me to love more and more.  Help me to love.

Help me to put aside the things that hurt others, you, and me.  I am sorry for . . . .  Grant your grace to me, that I might grow more into who I am, and who you call me to be.

Words from scripture might be used to help children see that God takes away our sins from us and forgives us.

These could include:

“If you sin, Jesus Christ always does the right thing, and he will speak to the Father for us. Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of all the world’s people.” (1 John 2:1–2, CEV)

“How far has the Lord taken our sins from us? Farther than the distance from east to west!” (Psalm 103:12, CEV)

Bonus Family Activity

Collage of Dreams

Use photos, words and pictures from old magazines, glue, sparkles etc to make a collage of the things your family would like to do with their life. This might begin by each member making a list of 10 or 100 things that they would like to do in their life…like skydive or write a book or learn to ride a bike. Alternatively the collage might be about things your family might like to do this year together. Put the collage up somewhere visible to remind you of your dreams and plans.

(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 October 9 2016

Fathers and mothers ... you may send them to the best of schools, and give them Bibles and Prayer Books, and fill them with head knowledge:— but if all this time there is no regular training at home, I tell you plainly, I fear it will go hard in the end with your children's souls. Home is the place where habits are formed; — home is the place where the foundations of character are laid; — home gives the bias to our tastes, and likings, and opinions. See then, I pray you, that there be careful training at home.

 ~J. C. Ryle

Family Closeness

Game:

Tag team drawing

Each family member gets their own colour felt pen and a piece of paper. Players have 30 seconds to begin drawing. You might like to set a timer. When the time is up everyone passes their paper clockwise to someone else. The paper can be turned one quarter at this stage. Everyone then has thirty seconds to continue the drawing. Keep passing around until everyone has drawn on each piece of paper or until the drawings are done.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• If you could only eat three foods the rest of your life, what would they be?
• If you could stay up all night, what would you do?
• What is one thing you could have done better today?

Story

With your family read:  Luke 18.1-8

(for a way of explaining/talking about this reading with children look at http://www.sermons4kids.com/persistence-in-prayer.html

  

Questions for Discussion:

• Why did the judge finally give the woman what she wanted?
• Do you think Jesus was saying we need to pester God for him to answer our prayers?
• The last line suggests we can trust God but wonders if God can trust us? What do you think?

Prayer and Celebration

Centre of attention

On a particular day of the week, pray for one person in your family, around the dinner table. Pray for different family members on different days. Ask that family member what they would like prayer for. Get them to tell everyone about their day or week in detail and make sure everyone listens closely.

Family Activity

Feed Ducks…or other animals

There is something very enjoyable and calming about feeding ducks. Take the family to a local pond…but before you go make sure you have the right food. Sometimes you can buy this from pet stores. The same goes for feeding magpies and other insectivores. While it is probably best (for them) not to feed them, you can get information online on the right food to give them. I frequently have kangaroos sitting on my footpath (this is true but not common in Australia) and although I would love to feed them they never stay long. Again like all native animals it is best to check online for the right type of food to feed them.

(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 October 2 2016

Instruction, and advice, and commands will profit little, unless they are backed up by the pattern of your own life. Your children will never believe you are in earnest, and really wish them to obey you, so long as your actions contradict your counsel.

 ~J. C. Ryle

Family Closeness

Game:

Feely Bag

Get two bags or two old socks. Place identical items in each of the two bags or socks. Some suggested items to use are: bottle caps, cotton balls, small sponge pieces, keys, large buttons, etc. Show your children the two bags and match each set of two items one to one. In this way, the child will see and understand that there are two identical items of each kind. Refill the two bags or socks and give one of the bags containing identical objects to the child. Take one of the objects out of the bag and show it to the child. Tell the child to feel in his bag for an object that is just like the one that you took out of your bag. Remind the child to "feel" not look.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• When do you feel closest to your family?
• When do you feel God’s presence with you the most?
• What is your favourite place to be by yourself?

 Story

With your family read:  Luke 17.11-19

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

http://www.sermons4kids.com/thankful_leper.htm

Questions for Discussion:

• What do you think made the one leper turn back to thank Jesus?
• Do you ever forget to be thankful?
• What would you like to thank God for?

 Prayer and Celebration

Thank You Board

It is easy for children and adults to get into a rut of praying for the same things every night or week. One way of avoiding this is to create a thank you board. This could be a small white board or piece of cardboard. Each time you pray together encourage your children to think of three things they are grateful or want to thank God for. Write them on post it notes and stick them to the board. The next time you come to pray tell your family to give thanks for three things that are not on the board. In this way the imagination is expanded and we come to realise there is a whole world of things to give thanks for.

Family Activity

Photograph Night

Get a new roll of film and take your family on an adventure. Make a list of photos they must take at particular places and go out and get them. Eg. photo with a policeman, a funny photo, a photo with at east two animals.

(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