Faithful Families Resources September 27 2015

Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing.

~ Jim Rohn ~

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.

Opposite Sharing

Brooklyn Lindsey in Opposite Day presents the idea of talking in opposites as a way of helping young people share. In essence this means answering a question the opposite of what you really think.

Using opposites, get your family member to tell you in a few sentences what they really think and feel about:

• Making mistakes
• What makes them happy
• Their favourite hobby

Story

With your family read Mark 10.13-16

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

Questions for Discussion:

• Why do you think people brought their children to Jesus?
• Why do you think the disciples were telling them not to come?
• What do it mean to receive the kingdom of God like a child?

 Prayer and Celebration

Praying in the moment

Praying in the moment means helping children to learn that God is with them every moment of the day. Whenever you are about to do something significant, whether it is the first day back at school or the start of a  day at a fun park, pause to thank God for all that lies before you and invite Jesus to be with you that day. If it is something hard you are about to do ask God to help you and give you the things you need to confront it.

Family Time

Story Night

Dedicate a night to telling stories. Ask each member to bring and tell a story. This could be something that happened to them, a story they have made up or the retelling of a story that they have read. Stories are not allowed to be read.

(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 September 20 2015

A wise person truly said, “It ought to be as impossible to forget that there is a Christian in the house as it is to forget that there is a ten-year-old boy in it.”

~ Roger J. Squire

Family Closeness

Game:

Talkomatic

A family member must talk on a topic for one minute (20-30 seconds for younger ones) without repeating a word (words like “and” “the” are okay), going off track or pausing. What they say doesn’t have to be true but it must stay related to the topic chosen. Try to pick topics that members will know at least something about, but it could be anything at all like dogs, balloons, Wednesday, being happy, you name it.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

Opposite Sharing

Brooklyn Lindsey in Opposite Day presents the idea of talking in opposites as a way of helping young people share. In essence this means answering a question the opposite of what you really think.

Get your family member to tell you in one or two sentences what they really think and feel about:

• Tests
• Eating vegetables
• Good friends

Story

With your family read Mark 9.38-41

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

Questions for Discussion:

• Why did John want to stop the person casting out demons?
• What did Jesus have to say about this?
• What does “Whoever is not against us is for us” mean?

Prayer and Celebration

Pray a Colour

Giving thanks to God is one of the most basic and important forms of prayer. It reminds us that all we have is a gift from God. Choose a colour and invite your family to give thanks to God for everything they can think of that is that colour. Take turns around the table until you can think of nothing else.

Family Time

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 least 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

Faithful Families Resources September 13 2015

Appreciate every moment with your children. Don't wish their childhood away. One hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of car you drove, or what kind of house you lived in, or how many books you wrote, or what your clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better because you were important in the life of a child.

Anon

Family Closeness

Game:

Spoons

For this game you will need a deck of cards and one less spoon than the number of people at the table. The spoons should be placed in the centre of the table. Deal four cards to each of the players and put the remaining cards in a pile. Everyone can look at their cards. The goal is to get four of a kind. Once someone gets four of a kind they take a spoon. Once someone sees someone else taking a spoon they can take a spoon too. The last person who is left without a spoon loses the game.

The first person to play picks up one card from the pile and looks at it without letting others see. They have the option of keeping the card or passing it to the person on the left. If they decide to keep the card they must pass on another card that is already in their hand to the person on the left.

The person to the left takes the discarded card, looks at it and decides whether to keep the card or to pass it on. A card is passed around until it comes back to the person who first discarded it, at which point they put it on the bottom of the pile and take a new one.

This continues until someone has four of a kind and makes a grab for a spoon.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family. 

• Ask your parents about a difficult decision they had to make.
• What made it difficult? How did they decide what to do? Was it the right choice?
• What is a difficult decision you have had to make? 

Story

With your family read Mark 9.33-37

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

Questions for Discussion:

• What were the disciples arguing about?
• How did Jesus respond to them?
• What do you think it means to be “ last of all”?

Prayer and Celebration

Passing of the Cross

Use a small wooden cross or even a metal one on a chain. In a circle the cross is taken up. Who ever holds the cross is the person who prays.  This prayer begins with one person who either says a prayer out loud or silently says or imagines a prayer. The cross is passed when the person who holds it is finished.  Each person takes their turn. 

Prompts may be given by the someone as the cross is passed.

 Eg. See…a friend in need, a hurt that needs healing…etc.

Pray one sentence…prompt:  thank you God for

Family Time

Fast Progressive Dinner

As a fun different meal idea take your family on a fast food progressive dinner. Start at one fast food place for entrée…maybe fries, move to another for main course and then on to another for dessert. To make it even more unusual don't decide where you will go..put the names of all the fast food places you know into a hat and draw them out as you go along.

(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 September 6 2015

A mother understands what a child does not say.

~Anon

Family Closeness

Game:

Body Spelling and Drawing

A really simple little game. Family members must spell out words with different parts of their body (head, elbow, tongue) while other family members guess what word they are writing.  As an alternate, try drawing simple pictures like a cat, house, sun etc.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family. 

• What do you think love looks like?
• What are some ways to show people you love them?
• Is it ever hard to love people? Why?

Story

With your family read Mark 8.27-38

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

Questions for Discussion:

• Who do you say Jesus is? Does it matter who we think Jesus is?
• Why was Peter upset with what Jesus was saying about his death?
• What might it mean to “take up your cross”?

Prayer and Celebration

Praying in Sign Language

This week get your family to learn the Lord’s Prayer in sign language.  Not only is it great to learn how to pray another way, but moving is one of the key ways that many people learn. Prayer comes not just from our mind, heart and mouth, but also from our physical bodies. Go to this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHZiPWxpEvM to learn the Lord’s Prayer in sign language.

Service

Recycle in your community for charity.

There are many charities that take old goods and recycle them to make money or to help others. For example

http://mobile4charity.com.au/: recycles mobile phones

http://www.onesight.org/aus-nz/ : recycles glasses

Type in recycle for charity and see what comes up in your local area. Get together with a group of people and encourage the people in your school, church or club to donate items.

Family Time

Skit Night

Get together with your children and put on a play or skit for each other. IT could be made up on the spot or based on one of the children’s favourite books. Have fun, dress up and film the action so you can watch it later on.

(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 August 23 2015

Good parents love their kids. Great parents build their families.

Family Closeness

Game

Buckerk

Everyone puts their hands on their eyes making fake glasses with thumb and forefinger. Someone starts by moving their right hand out and saying “buck” (like a chicken), the person to their right then does the same, this continues around the circle until somebody moves both hands away from their face at the same time and says “BUCKERK” (like a crazy chicken). The person to their left then moves their left hand away from their face while saying “buck” and the pattern continues. One hand in the direction and “buck” to continue along, and two hands and “BUCKERK” to change the direction.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

• What is the worst tasting food you have ever eaten?
• What food would you never eat? Why?
• What food do you think it is wrong to eat?

 Story:

With your family read Mark 7.1-8, 14- 23

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

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

or  http://www.sermons4kids.com/clean_or_unclean.htm

Questions for Discussion:

• What were the disciples doing that upset the Pharisees?
• What did Jesus say about the Pharisees?
• What did Jesus says makes a person unclean? What they eat or what they do?

Prayer and Celebration

Give each family member a piece of paper and some pens or pencils for drawing. Either in silence or with some quiet music on, invite your family to draw on the paper, the people and things they want to pray for. This could include drawing the outcome that you might desire for particular situations. As your family draws encourage them to do so in silence so they may listen to what God has to say to them. At the end of the allocated time encourage everyone to share what they have drawn and what they are praying for.

Service

Family volunteering allows parents, children and other family members to spend time together while contributing to the community and causes they care about. It’s a great way for families to enjoy quality time with each other and introduce family members to the benefits of volunteering. Family volunteering can be a practical way to express values to children and young people.

Volunteering provides parents and other family members the opportunity to be a positive role model by demonstrating how to be involved with the community, and how to make a difference and enjoy it. People who volunteer when they are young are more likely to continue to volunteer throughout their adult life.

Volunteering in your family group can also improve communication among family members, strengthen family bonds and be a lot of fun.

(excerpt from Family Volunteering: Information for Families)

Family Time

Picnic at Home

If you have a back or frontyard pick a nice spot and have a picnic at home. If it is raining move the picnic inside. Make sure you do it just like a normal picnic with a blanket spread on the grass and food in a basket. Play some outdoor games 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 August 9 2015

There is an interconnectedness among members that bonds the family, much like mountain climbers who rope themselves together when climbing a mountain, so that if someone should slip or need support, he's held up by the others until he regains his footing.

Phil McGraw, Family First

Family Closeness

Game:

...a few of my favourite things

Everyone  at the dinner table says five of their favourite things. This could be a  favourite colour, number, tv show, movies, animal, friend, toy, food, book. The following night you can test your memory and see if you can remember the 5 favourite things that all the family members told you the previous evening.

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.

•  If you could be any animal, what animal would you be? Why?
• What is the bravest thing you have ever done?
• Have you ever wanted to grow up faster? Why? What is good about the age you are now? What would be good about being older?

 Story

With your family read John 6.51-58

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

Questions for Discussion:

• What upset the people listening to Jesus?
• What do we get from eating Jesus body and blood?

Prayer and Celebration

Intercessory Prayer

A useful image used for intercessory prayer is a stretcher.  From Mark 2.3-12, some people lowered their paralytic friend through the roof into the presence of Jesus.  This is a good image of the work of intercessory prayer.  That is, don’t labour too hard with the words  to use, simply do the hard work of placing or ‘lowering’ the person into the presence of Jesus.

Place on the stretcher, someone you know who needs help.

Silence

Lower on the stretcher someone who you can love better this week.

Silence

Put onto the stretcher a place that needs peace.

Silence

Put onto the stretcher one who needs healing.

Silence

Put on the stretcher a hope of yours for your life.

Silence

Lord in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Family Time

Family Time Line

To help your family think about good things God has  given you, work together to make a family time line. Draw a line in the centre of a long sheet of paper. Choose a starting date to write at the left end of the line. Your time line may cover a week, a one  month period, or the school holidays, or a year. To help family members think of time line events, ask questions such as: "What was something we did that we really enjoyed? How did someone help us in a special way? Who are some new friends our family made?"Display the time line on a wall or door. Allow younger children to enjoy drawing pictures to illustrate the time line. (Adventures for Growing Families. Wes & Sheryl Haystead.)

(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 August 2 2015

For me, nothing has ever taken precedence over being a mother and having a family and a home.

Jessica Lange

Family Closeness

Game:

Tapping hands

Each person crosses their arms over those of the person next to them and places their hands on the table. One person starts by tapping once and others follow in order of hands in one direction. When someone else taps twice, the direction reverses. If you tap out of turn, the game starts over. How many times can you go around the table?

Sharing:

Questions for stimulating discussion in your family. 

• How many people from different countries do you know? When might it be difficult to be friendly to someone who is different from you?
• What is the best thing that happened to you this week? What was the worst?
• What unexpected thing happened to you this week?
• What is something new you learnt today or this week?

Story

With your family read John 6.35,41-51

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

Questions for Discussion:

• Why do you think people were upset that Jesus said he was the bread of life?
• What does Jesus say will happen in we eat the living bread?
• What does Jesus say is the bread that he gives? What do you think this means?

 Prayer and Celebration

Actions for a variation of The Lords Prayer

Our Father in heaven, [finger pointing up]

You are a holy God. [open palm pointed high, head dipped reverently]

Come and rule our hearts.[open palm brought down to rest over heart]

Do what’s best on earth [finger pointing down]

as in heaven.[rotate arm to point finger upwards]

Please keep us alive with food.[hand as bowl, 

other doing a scooping action to mouth]

keep us forgiven with you[closed hand warmly rotating over heart]

and forgiving with others.[same hand, finger pointing to all around in sweeping action]

Keep us holding your hand[one hand into the other hand]

and safe from all wickedness.

[two hands up, elbows straight and a firm shielding action]

You’re in charge![strong action, two hands pointing up]

You can do anything you want!  [both palms open out, raised]

You are God, for ever and ever. 

[hands get further apart like measuring something bigger and bigger]

Amen. [closed fist brought down on an open palm].

Service

Anglican Board of Mission – Australia

One mission organisation in Australia that does fantastic work is ABM-A. Their vision is: ABM wants to see people everywhere experience the wholeness of life God offers in Jesus Christ, and to this end support our Partners as they participate in God's mission.

Their website is worth checking out and in particular under their resources menu is a section called “watch” that has videos of some of the work they do. Some of these videos would be appropriate to show family members around the table.

http://www.abmission.org/

Family Time

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