Faithful Families Resources September 25 2011

Weekly Inspiration

If I had my child to raise all over again,

I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I’d finger-paint more, and point the finger less.

I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.

I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play.

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

- Diane Loomans, from ‘If I had my child to raise over again.”

Family Closeness

Game:

Paper Strips

Give everyone in your family a sheet of newspaper and tell them to  tear it into as long a strip as possible. For a greater challenge turn off the lights

Sharing:

• Have you ever worn something in public that embarrassed your parents?
• What was it?
• Where was it?
• What did your parents do or say?
• What happened?

Story:

With your family read: Matthew 21.33-42

 Questions for Discussion:

• Which character is like God in this parable? Which character is like Jesus? Which character is like people?
• Did the tenants have any right to the vineyard?
• Why did they attack the slaves and the son?
• What is Jesus trying to teach us with this parable?

Journey through the Bible

Journey through the Bible will provide five readings each week you can use in order to get a good overview of the full sweep of the story of God and His people. There are a variety of ways you might use these readings. As a parent you might read them to get a better understanding of how the divine drama unfolds. You could read them to your children and discuss them. Some are longer than others and might need to be broken up.

Genesis 32.1-21          Jacob returns home

Genesis 32.22-32        Jacob wrestles with God

Genesis 33.1-11          Jacob and Esau reconcile

Genesis 37.1-11          Joseph’s dreams

Genesis 37.12-36        Joseph sold by his brothers

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

Bonus Family Activity

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 & 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 11 2011

Weekly Inspiration

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Mark 10:13-16 ESV

Family Closeness

Game:

Concentration

Gather about twenty objects and put them on a tray.  When you are ready to play uncover the tray and give everyone about two minutes to memorise what is on it. Then take it away. Give everyone a pen and pencil and give them a few minutes to write down what they remember on the tray. Children might need helping in writing the names of object. (Youth Ministry Encyclopedia. Lyman Coleman)

Sharing:

• What character from a book or television are you most like? How are you like them?
• If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?
• Who is someone who has made a difference in your life?

Story:

With your family read: Matthew 20.1-16

 Questions for Discussion:

• Why were the people who worked all day upset?
• Do you think what the landowner did was fair? Why or why not?
• If in this parable the landowner represents God, what do we learn about God?
• God’s grace means everyone is loved, forgiven and accepted no matter what they have done? What do you think about this?
• What do you think about the statement: God gives us what we need, not what we deserve?

Journey through the Bible

Journey through the Bible will provide five readings each week you can use in order to get a good overview of the full sweep of the story of God and His people. There are a variety of ways you might use these readings. As a parent you might read them to get a better understanding of how the divine drama unfolds. You could read them to your children and discuss them. Some are longer than others and might need to be broken up.

Genesis 25.19-28         Esau and Jacob born

Genesis 25.29-34         Esau squanders his birth right.

Genesis 27.1-27           Isaac blesses Jacob

Genesis 27.30-40         Esau’s lost blessing

Genesis 27.41-45         Jacob escape Esau’s anger

Prayer and Celebration

Prayer Placemats

Use your computer to create some prayer placemats for your dinner table. These could simply have three or four different prayers printed on them for your family to pray together at the dinner table. Your children could then colour them in or decorate them. To finish them off laminate them so they will last longer. If your children are as handy at desktop publishing as many are get them to design the placemats.

Bonus Family Activity

Crowd Squeezer

Step 1: Spread a sheet or blanket on the grass and challenge everyone to pile on top so that no part of any person's body touches the ground beyond the blanket.

 Step 2: If the group succeeds, fold the blanket in half and try again.

Step 3: Continue in this way to see how small an area you can all squeeze.

(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 September 4 2011

Weekly Inspiration

Parents shouldn't give up doing what is best for their children even when their children are ungrateful. 
                                                                                                            Martin Luther

Family Closeness

Game:

Stopwatch Games

With a stopwatch and a bit of imagination, your family can clock hours of crazy contests.

• How long does it take to blow a perfect bubble after you put a new piece of gum in your mouth?
• How long can you chew your food for before it disappears?
• How many times can you click in a minute?
• How long does it take to run around the house?
• How many baskets can you shoot in 2 minutes?

 Sharing:

• If you were told tomorrow that you were going to jail forever how would it change the way you act or live?
• If you were told tomorrow that you were adopted how would it change the way you act or the way you live?
• If you were told today that you are a special child of God how would it change the way you act or live? 

Story:

With your family read: Matthew 18.21-35

 Questions for Discussion:

• Is forgiving someone seventy times a lot?
• Do you think Jesus really meant we should keep count?
• Who do you think the king might be in this story?
• Who do you think the first slave might be?
• Knowing God forgives us, why do we often find it hard to forgive? 

Journey through the Bible

Journey through the Bible will provide five readings each week you can use in order to get a good overview of the full sweep of the story of God and His people. There are a variety of ways you might use these readings. As a parent you might read them to get a better understanding of how the divine drama unfolds. You could read them to your children and discuss them. Some are longer than others and might need to be broken up.

Genesis 9.8-17                        God’s covenant with Noah

Genesis11.1-9                          Tower of Bable

Genesis 12.1-9                        Call of Abram

Genesis 15.1-8                        God’s covenant with Abram

Genesis 21.1-7                        The birth of Isaac

Prayer and Celebration

Gratitude Board

On the fridge or at your table keep a small white board called a gratitude board, and on it things are recorded and dated whenever someone is passing by that they want to say thank you for or that they are glad about. These can be used once a week or one a more regular basis as the focus for family prayers.

Bonus Family Activity

Follow the Leader

Depending on the age of your children play a game of follow the
leader. The leader goes around the house doing a variety of things. Eg. Crawl across the carpet, jump through the dining room, climb over a bed, clap hands in the bathroom etc. Everybody has to do what the leader does.

(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 August 28 2011

Weekly Inspiration

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 _____ years old?

What is the best thing about being ______ years old?

What things don’t boys understand about girls?

What things don’t girls understand about boys?

Story:

With your family read: Matthew 21.28-32

Questions for Discussion:

• Which do you think is better, to say you will do something and not do it, or to say you won’t but do it anyway?
• Have you ever done either of these things?
• Is it better to tell everyone you follow God but not do the right things, or to pretend you don’t follow God yet seek to live how God wants?
• What might be a better way than either of these?

[Jesus was trying to point out that the Pharisees said they loved God but didn’t really live this out in the way they loved others while tax collectors and sinners seemed to be far from God but responded to the message Jesus brought them.]

Journey through the Bible

Introducing a new section to Faithful Families Resources – Journey through the Bible will provide five readings each week you can use in order to get a good overview of the full sweep of the story of God and His people. There are a variety of ways you might use these readings. As a parent you might read them to get a better understanding of how the divine drama unfolds. You could read them to your children and discuss them. Some are longer than others and might need to be broken up. It’s up to you...here are the first five.

• Genesis 1:1 – 2:3         Creation
• Genesis 2.4 - 25           Man and Woman
• Genesis 3:1 – 24          The Fall
• Genesis 6:5 – 7:24       The Flood
• Genesis 8:1 – 19          The Flood Subsides

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 & 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 21 2011

Weekly Inspiration

“My father didn’t tell me how to live, he lived, and let me watch him do it.”
- Clarence Budinton Kelland 

Family Closeness

Game:

Letter On

Choose a category of things; it could be food, movies, places. The first person says the name of something in that category. The next person must say another thing in that category that starts with the last letter of the thing you previously said. There is a 10 second limit and nothing can be repeated. 

(The Source for Youth Ministry)

Sharing:

• Your best friend doesn’t invite you to her birthday party. How do you feel? What do you say to your friend?
• You are on a school field trip and you just found out that a few of the kids have brought along their pocket knives and are planning to carve their name in a tree. Do you tell the teacher? Why/why not? What do you say to your classmates? 

Story:

With your family read: Romans 12.9-21

Questions for Discussion:

• What do you think about these rules for Christian living?
• Are doing these things easy of hard? What makes them so?
• How are we to treat others?
• How are we to treat enemies?
• Why do you think followers of Jesus should live this way? 

Prayer and Celebration

Ways to say “I forgive”

At the top of a piece of paper write the words “I forgive you.” Ask “what did God do to show He forgives us?” Then encourage your family to list as many ways as they can which show forgiveness to others. The list may include words and actions. Suggestions of words might be, “That’s ok.” “Its all right.” Suggestions of actions might be hugs, smiles, and handshakes.

Service

My family just spent a day disconnected from technology, prior to making a donation to a charity connected with the famine in east Africa. There are many charities like World Vision who have activities like the Forty Hour Famine that help young people and adults think about what it is like to go without. These are great events but they can at times be difficult for families with young children to engage with. The truth is we shouldn’t need prompting from a charity to help our children think about others.

My family agreed around the dinner table that we would go without technology – tv, computers, games etc – for the day. Now this might seem trivial but the purpose of it was that every time we felt like we wanted to watch TV or go on the computer we remembered that others in the world are going without a lot more than we are, and that we can use what we have to help. Why do this and not just give money? I am passionate about helping my children to grow as thoughtful disciples of Christ and so I want them to engage in a small action of self denial so they can reflect more deeply on what it means to give.

I wonder what creative ways you might engage your children’s hearts and mind so they may grow to love and serve others?

Bonus Family Activity

Hands and Feet

Draw around the outlines of your children's hands and feet onto cardboard. Cut them out and write words on them that might help them to remember how they help Jesus build his kingdom. They might be words like serve, share, love, grow. Alternatively draw pictures of these things or get your hildren to draw pictures of these things. Blue tack or sticky tape them around the house so that they might be reminded throughout the week that they are workers in the kingdom of God.

(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 August 14 2011

Weekly Inspiration

You don’t really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around – and why his parents will always wave back. – William D. Tammeus.

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:

• 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 Mathew 16.13-20

 Questions for Discussion:

[In this reading Jesus asks his disciples who they think he is. This is done against the backdrop of the region of Caesarea Philippi which had numerous temples to different religions including one to Ceaser as God. In this passage we hear Jesus refer to himself as ‘Son of Man’ a phrase he often used to refer to himself.]

• What is the first question Jesus asks?
• Why do you think he wants to know what others think of him?
• What is Jesus second question?
• Why do you think he asks his disciples this?
• How does Jesus respond when Peter gets it ‘right’?
• Why do you think Jesus tells the disciples not to tell anyone who he is?

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.

Service

Once again we are confronted in the news with images of young children starving in east Africa. Considering the luxury that so many of us live in, I want to encourage you to dig deep to help those who are not in a position to help themselves. It is hard to come to terms with the statistic that a child is dying every six minutes. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in a situation like that. There is nothing more I can say on this except we who have need to use our abundance in whatever way we can to help. There are many charity organisation out there taking donations for this crisis so lets do what we can.

Bonus Family Activity

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.)

Have a great week. May you help your family to step out and trust Jesus in all you do. God Bless - Stephen. 

(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 August 7 2011

Weekly Inspiration

If you haven't time to respond to a tug at your pants leg, your schedule is too crowded.  ~Robert Brault

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:

Would you rather… 

• 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 Mathew 15.21-28

Questions for Discussion:

[This can be a hard or confusing reading to hear. Jesus seems not only to ignore this woman from a different religion who needs his help but says some seemingly negative or antagonistic things to her. Is it possible Jesus knew how deep her faith was, that she would not be discouraged, and desired her to demonstrate this? In the end Jesus points out how great her faith is and gives her what she wants. It is interesting that so many of the religious leader rejected Jesus but this foreign woman believe.]

• Why do you think Jesus ignored the woman at first?
• What was Jesus saying about why he shouldn’t help her?
• What do you think Jesus thought the woman’s faith was so great?
• When have you shown persistence and perseverance in your faith life?

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/

Bonus 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.

Have a great week. May you help your family to step out and trust Jesus in all you do. God Bless - Stephen.  

(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