Faithful Families Resources July 15 2012

Weekly Inspiration

As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live

~ John Paul II

Family Closeness

Game:

One Word

In this game the family must have a conversation with each other by speaking only one word messages back and forth. Some possible topics for discussion could include:

• a favourite food. 
• a favourite sports team. 
• a fear. 
• a dream
• a recent accomplishment. 

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

Finish these sentences:

• I would like to be more like ________ because . . .
• Something I really like about myself is . . .
• I have a dream: that . . .

Story

With your family read Mark 6.30-34

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

Questions for Discussion:

• Where did Jesus want to take the disciples?
• Why did he want to take them there?
• What do you think this says about serving God and working?
• How do you like to renew your energy?

Prayer and Celebration

Secret Hat Prayer

Put all your family members’ names in a hat. Each member of the family must draw out a name but not tell anyone. During the week encourage the member of your family to pray for that person each day. Get them to choose a time when they will do this. Help them to think about things they might pray for such as: health, work/school, growth, knowledge, faith, things they need help with or giving thanks for the person. Parents might need to remind children of the time they have chosen each day. This activity helps children to start thinking about praying for others when they are on their own.

Service

One of the profoundest ways that we might share our love of Christ and our love of life with others is not through words but through our loving actions. Here are some suggestions for your family to share with those who live around you.

Invite another family who you are friendly with to church followed by a BBQ.

Bake something for your neighbours – maybe biscuits or a cake. (Do you know your neighbours? Where I live I have had six sets of neighbours on one side in the space of five years.)

When you see people moving in why not invite them over for some food or take a cake or biscuits over to them or some cold drinks.

If you know of an elderly or chronically ill person who is having difficulty with their garden why not get your family to adopt them. That is, regularly as a family go and mow the grass, weed, clean up and maybe plant some flowers.

Family Time

Bonus Family Activity

Kickball

Get the family outdoors this week with a game of kickball. Line up facing each other across the yard and kick the ball to each other. Trying kicking the ball as close to the person your trying to reach as possible. Re


(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 July 8 2012

Weekly Inspiration

A tree is known by its fruit
~ Proverb

Family Closeness

Game:

Egg Cracking Contest

Each family member holds an egg in their hand, small end up and challenge someone to crack their egg. The challenged player taps the egg of the challenger with their own egg. If the challenged cracks the egg of the challenger they win the challengers cracked egg. If their own is cracked they turn in over to the challenger. This continues until only one uncracked egg remains and the player is declared, “the great uncracked”. Needless to say, hard boiled eggs are used for this game.

(Taken from Games for all ages and how to use them – Wackerbarth and Graham)

  

Sharing

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

Finish these sentences:

• If I could become a colour, I would be … because
• I can help the environment by  . . .
• The best thing about a true friend is . . .

Story

With your family read Mark 6.17-29

(for a way of explaining/talking about this reading with children look at http://www.sermons4kids.com/one-thing-leads-to-another.html

Questions for Discussion:

• Why did Herod have John the Baptist arrested?
• Why did Herod refuse to kill John? What changed his mind?
• What are your thoughts about this story?

Prayer and Celebration

 m & m prayers…

 After dinner pass around a bowl of m & m’s. Everyone must take a handful but no one can eat any yet. For each different colour they get they need to pray for a different person or thing.

For every green M & M  tell God something that you are thankful for.

For every red M & M pray for a member of your family by name

For every orange M & M  pray for a teacher in your life

For every yellow M & M  pray for one of your classmates or friends.

For every dark brown M & M pray for a leader in your life.

For every light brown M & M you chose, pray for Christians in other countries.

Service

Winter can be a very difficult time for people living on the streets. Find a charity in your area that takes donations of blankets or winter clothes. Donate items you no longer need or use, or go to the shop and buy some warm blankets to donate. Before donating ring the charity to ask what they could use.

Family Time

Bonus Family Activity

Go to the theatre

Take your family to see a local play. Discover what performances are happening in your local theatre or even what school productions are happening. This doesn’t have to be an expensive outing.

(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 July 1 2012

Weekly Inspiration

Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to the country and to mankind is to bring up a family.
~ George Bernard Shaw

Family Closeness

Game:

Unlimited Object

Take an ordinary every day object, like a spoon or a hat or a pot. Take turns at imagining what else that object could be and acting it out with your family. For example a spoon might become a hat on your head, or a bicycle that you ride around the living room or a pen that you write with. You are only limited by the unlimitedness of your imagination.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

Finish these sentences:

• I think people say “I don’t care” because
• The biggest differences between someone in their 80’s and me is . .

 Story:

With your family read Mark 6.1-13

(for a way of explaining/talking about this reading with children look at http://www.sermons4kids.com/prophet-without-honor.html

Questions for Discussion:

• What did the people who heard Jesus think about his teaching?
• Why do you think they were upset and offended?
• Why do you think Jesus sent out the disciples in pairs?
• Why do you think he told them to take so little with them?

Prayer and Celebration

A prayer to share with your family: 

God made us a family.
            We need one another.
            We love one another.
            We forgive one another.
            We work together.
            We play together.
            We worship together.
            Together we use God's word.
            Together we grow in Christ.
            Together we love all people.
            Together we serve our God.
            Together we hope for heaven.
            These are our hopes and ideals.
            Help us to attain them,
            O God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Taken from "Favorite Catholic Prayers" Prayer Book

http://www.catholicsupply.com/existing/prfamily.html

Family Time

Bonus Family Activity

Compliment Board

Buy a cheap, small white board and  a non-permanent marker. Anyone can write on it about anyone in the family. When anyone does something that deserves a compliment it can be written on the board. Once a week take the board down at the dinner table, read all the compliments and clean or for the week to come. Encourage your family to be generous with compliments through the week.

(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 June 24 2012

Weekly Inspiration

Ohana means family - no one gets left behind, and no one is ever forgotten. 

~Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, Lilo & Stitch

Family Closeness

Game:

It Could be Worse

The first family members says something like: "I almost overslept."

The next family members then says something like, "It could've been worse. You could've been late." Then member says something worse, such as, "It could've been even worse than that. You could've been in your underwear."

And then the next person tries to find something worse than that.

And the game continues until everyone has a chance to contribute (or it gets to be too much).

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

Finish these sentences:

• One of the most beautiful sound is . . .  When I hear it I think . . .
• The most peaceful place I know is . . . because
• The best thing about my family is . . .

Story

With your family read Mark 5.21-43

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

Questions for Discussion:

• What do you find surprising about this story?
• How would you describe Jairus and the woman’s faith in Jesus?
• What do we learn about Jesus from this story?

Prayer and Celebration

Praying in the car

Driving children to schools can be stressful but it could also be an opportunity to stop and pray and bring a moment of peace before a hectic day. Encourage your  children to name some of the things they will do or confront in the day and pray for them.

Service

Throughout any year there are many days that are dedicated to different charities or issues in society. There are websites like the following http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/calendar/  that list these days  that are occurring in your state, region or country. This can be used as a tool to broaden the horizon of your children about the many needs in the world and the ways people seek to address them.

•  Look up what is happening in any particular week.
• Explore the organisation that is sponsoring it or the issue behind it.
• Pray as a family for the needs highlighted by the day or week, being celebrated and for the organisations working in the area.
• Consider attending events or running your own to support a particular need.
• Think about ways you might contribute or donate to make a difference.

Family Time

Bonus Family Activity

Family Walk

Going for a walk with your family is not only a great way to get exercise but provides an ideal opportunity to talk and enjoy one another’s company.

(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 June 17 2012

Weekly Inspiration

The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works is the family.  

~Lee Iacocca

Family Closeness

Game:

Food, Friends and Fireworks

This game has three motions which are:

Food - rub your belly and say "mmmmm"

Friends - hold out both arms wide and say "heeeeyyyy"

Fireworks- clap both hands over your head and then say "shhhhhhhh" as you slowly lower your arms to your sides.

                                                

Family members close their eyes. On the count of three they must open their eyes and try to match one of the three motions with everyone else at the table. There is to be no talking or planning and everyone at the table must do the same thing.

Count to three and say "Go!"

If everyone matches yell out "Yes!" and pump your fist in the air.

If you do not match say "D'Oh" and lightly bump yourself on the head.

See how many turns it takes to get it right.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

Finish these sentences:

• I am grateful to my parents for . .  .
• My mum/dad is/are proud of me when . . .
• One way to try to help at home is. . .

Story

With your family read Mark 4.35-41

(for a way of explaining/talking about this reading with children look at http://www.sermons4kids.com/peace-be-still.html

Questions for Discussion:

• Why were the disciples scared?
• What does this reading teach us about Jesus?
• What do you think the disciples thought about Jesus after this event?
• How can we trust Jesus in the storms that surround us?

Prayer and Celebration

Stillness

At the moment I am playing with teaching my daughters about stillness. I am doing this in a pretty simple way by getting the family to stop, close their eyes and count twenty breaths before we eat dinner. Being still in the presence of God can be powerful for people who are used to twenty four seven connectivity. Often we forget to connect with God. Instead of counting breathes you could just time a minute but the act of counting breaths can provide children with something to focus on while they are learning to be still.

Service

Start a mini project with your family to discover the local charities or service organisations in your neighbourhood or local area. Find out what they do, who they help and how people can contribute to them in terms of service or goods.

Encourage your family to go without a particular treat for a week or a month. Save the money you would have spent and donate it to a charity that you have discovered.

With your family donate some things you no longer need to a local charity such as LifeLine or Salvation Army. Encourage your children to think about what toys or clothes they no longer use that they might give away. Talk to them about how some children have no toys.

Family Time

Bonus Family Activity

Captured Sounds

Use a recording device (iphone or other) to capture sounds from around the house. Play them back for your family to hear and see how many of the sounds your family can guess correctly. 

(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 June 10 2012

Weekly Inspiration

In time of test, family is best. 

 ~Burmese Proverb

Family Closeness

Game:

What’s the object?

One family member writes the name of an object on a piece of paper and gives it to another family member. The person with the card then has to describe the object to the rest of the family without actually saying its name. Other members of the family then have to guess what the object is. Other words that might be helpful in describing the object could also be written on the card to make it harder to describe. Pictionary cards could also be used for this game if your family is made up of two people.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

Finish these sentences:

• The best way to enjoy each new day is . . .
• One way to stop bullying and mocking is . . .
• Some thing which puzzles me is . . .

Story

With your family read Mark 4.26-34

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

Questions for Discussion:

• Why do you think Jesus told stories (parables) to explain God’s kingdom?
• What do you think these two stories say about God’s kingdom?
• Why is a seed a good picture for the kingdom of God? 

Prayer and Celebration

Praying on the Spot

Sometimes we forget that prayer is a good response to the daily hassles of life. When your children come to you with a problem use it as an opportunity to pray for them and with them. There are many situations where inviting God in is a reminder for us to put our trust in our creator and redeemer. These might include a bad day at school, difficulty with someone at school or even boredom. There are so many opportunities throughout the day to pray.

Service

Referring again to the Go Volunteer website http://www.govolunteer.com.au/volunteer/default.htm

Here is what they say families can get out of volunteering: 

• Parents act as role models and can demonstrate helping others in need
• An increased sense of worth and accomplishment from making a difference
• A stronger sense of community and decrease in social isolation
• Respect for different people and conditions
• Relative or family members could benefit from the activity
• Learn new skills or using existing skills
• Volunteering is fun and something families can do together

 On the site it says that projects for families can be searched for using the word “team”

Bonus Family Activity

Camping at Home

Put up a small tent indoors or build one out of sheets and chairs and whatever else you have at hand. Cook your food on a BBQ and have hot chocolate and marshmallows. Tell stories and play board or card games just like you would if you were going camping

(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 June 3 2012

Weekly Inspiration

Having a place to go  is a home.  Having someone to love is a family.  Having both  is a blessing.  

~Donna Hedges

Family Closeness

Game:

Investigator

One family member leaves the room. Everyone else decides on a certain rule to follow when answering the investigators questions. Rules could include: tell the truth when legs uncrossed, tell a lie when legs are crossed; answer all questions with yes, no or I can’t answer that; begin all sentences with a vowel; answer using only five words. When a rule is decided upon, the investigator returns to the room and starts asking questions to family members. The questions can be about anything at all including things they know the answer to. They continue asking questions until they recognize the pattern. They have three guesses to try and figure out the rule. When the investigator guesses correctly or guesses three times incorrectly, the round is over, and someone else gets to be the investigator.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

Finish these sentences:

• I feel scared when . . .
• It’s good to think twice before saying something hurtful because . . .

Story

With your family read Mark 3.20-27, 31-35

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

Questions for Discussion:

• Why do you think people were saying bad things about Jesus?
• What do you think Jesus family wanted when they turned up to see him?
• Are there times when people need to do what God wants even though their family does not like it?

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.

Service

Came across this website during the week for people looking for service opportunities for their families:  http://www.govolunteer.com.au/volunteer/default.htm

“GoVolunteer is an initiative of Volunteering Australia and is Australia's first volunteer recruitment website. It is a not-for-profit site that provides free Internet advertising for not-for-profit community organisations looking for volunteers. GoVolunteer provides you with all you need to find out about volunteer opportunities, and helps you make the best match possible between your personal requirements and choice of volunteer work.” (Govolunteer.com.au)

They have a section talking about family volunteering – in it they say: “Family volunteering allows parents, children and other family members to spend time together while contributing to the community and causes they care about. It can be a fun activity that can improve communication within the family resulting in stronger family relationships.”

“A growing trend overseas is for families to volunteer together. Family volunteering can involve siblings, parents, spouse and children. Families can volunteer to help a cause close to their heart.” 

Bonus Family Activity

Build a Family Scrapbook

This is a great activity to get the whole family involved in, including Dad. Create a scrapbook that tells the story of your family from beginning up to the present. There is a wonderful opportunity in doing this to tell some of the important stories of your family, including how mum and dad met, preparing for babies, moving to new home, growing up stories and milestone moments. Use print outs of photos and write key words or ideas around them. This could be a well planned and elaborate project or it could be a slap dash evolving one done of the spur of the moment.

(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