Sunday, December 25, 2011

Faithful Families Resources December 25 2011



Weekly Inspiration
To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself.
Josh Billings

Family Closeness
Game:
Rip a Christmast Tree
Give each player a piece of green paper and ask them to rip it into the shape of a Christmas tree behind their back. Compare trees and declare a winner!

Sharing:
What if...
  • you sent a thank you note to everyone who ever taught you something?
  • You had to leant to walk and talk all over again?
  • You could be someone else for a day? 

Story
 With your family read: Luke 2.22-40
Questions for Discussion:
  • Who does Simeon and Anna think Jesus is?
  • How do you think Simeon and Anna knew the baby Jesus was the one promised by God?
  • What does this passage say about Jesus growing up? 

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.

Judges 7.1-25                          Gideon defeats the Midianites
Judges 13.1-25                        Birth of Samson
Judges 14.1-20                        Samson’s marriage
Judges 15.1-20                        Samson defeats the Philistines
Judges 16.4-31                        Samson’s death

Prayer and Celebration
12 Types of Prayer
In his book ‘The hour that changes the world’, Dick Eastman outlines twelve different types of prayer . In this miniseries explore the many different types of prayer with your children.
Praying Scripture
In this type of prayer, scripture can be used as a guide or springboard. One helpful way of doing this is to explore the promises God makes in the Bible. Here are some examples of how you might pray using scripture. The best way to teach children how to do this is to model it. This type of prayer may take a bit of practice for both child and adult but I encourage you to give it a go. It will help bits of the Bible stick in your mind and in your childrens.

John 10.10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
You might pray: God thank for your the abundant life you bring us. Please help us to live abundantly. Teach us that this doesn’t mean having lots of money but being abundant in the things of God. Help us to know that the riches of your grace and mercy overflow in our life. Help us to live life fully in the freedom you gained for us.

John 15.5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
You might pray: Lord Jesus thank you for the life that flows from you the vine. Help us to remain in you always so that we may bear much fruit in our life. Remind us that all that we do flows from you. Strengthen us in our connection with you in all aspects of our life. 

Service
This blog has provided a whole range of ideas for service involving families over the last year but maybe you or your children are asking the question: Why should we serve? Why should we try to make a difference. Over the next few weeks I will provide some passages from scripture that will help us explore Jesus ideas in relation to these questions.

Read Matthew 25.31-46
This passage is very confronting but it highlights the idea that those who are blessed by God are those who feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked and visit those in prison. Not only that, but when we do these things for people we do it for Jesus, we personally serve him. How is your family doing these things? What opportunities are there in your community to serve Jesus? 

Family Time

A Visit to the Art Museum

Most people don't think of taking young children to an art museum.  Children like to be active, so how could they possibly enjoy standing around and looking at paintings? With a shift in thinking and some advance planning, parents can find lots of excitement for their kids within the walls of an art museum. Keep in mind that children learn through their senses and through interaction with their world. Then plan an interactive experience for them. Choose from any of the following activities, or create some of your own.

As you walk into a room in the museum, scan the paintings and sculptures. Then use a variation of the I Spy game: "I spy a boat." "I spy something red." Your children will look carefully at the art work while they try to find your item.

Encourage your youngsters to play "mirror" games, assuming the positions of people they see in the paintings. Have them assume the identity of a person in a painting and tell something about themselves.

For landscapes or seascapes, your child can imagine what it's like to
be in that setting and can describe the weather or tell what might happen there in five minutes.

For one museum visit, take along a small mirror for each person and simple clipboards made of cardboard and paper clips. Add some plain paper, pencils and erasers. Have your children look at a variety of portraits and discuss the shapes of the eyes, noses, and faces they see. Then give each child a mirror, paper and pencil. Have the children study the shapes in their own faces and then draw self-portraits.

For a quick and easy activity, have each child identify a colour he is wearing. Now have the children find items of matching colours in the paintings in the room. Briefly talk about the paintings the children identify.

Extract from A visit to the art museum by Barbara F. Backer for Real Families, Real Fun


(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

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Faithful Families Resources December 18 2011



Weekly Inspiration
Your children need your presence more than your presents.
Jesse Jackson

Family Closeness
Game:
Christmas Card Toss
Gather together a collection of old Christmas cards and  cut off the backs. Set up a course by placing a large box or bin on the floor and marking a place to stand some feet away from it, depending on the age of the children. If you are playing with mixed ages, older children should stand further away than younger children. Each child takes turns tossing a stack of cards like a frisbee into the box. Count up and the child with the most cards in the box wins.\

Sharing:
  • What makes a home a home?
  • If you were invisible for one day, what would you do?
  • What is your favourite place in the house and why? 

Story

With your family read: Luke 2.1-20
Questions for Discussion:
  • How do you think Mary felt about giving birth in what was probably an animals shelter?
  • Shepherds were lowly people in Jewish society. Why do you think God chose them to be first to hear about the birth of Jesus?
  • How did seeing Jesus effect the shepherds? 

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.

Joshua 1.1-18                          Joshua Succeeds Moses
Joshua 3.1-17                          Crossing the Jordan               
Joshua 5.13-6.27                     The fall of Jericho
Judges 2.6 – 3.6                      Israel’s disobedience
Judges 6.1-40                          Call of Gideon           

Prayer and Celebration
12 Types of Prayer
In his book ‘The hour that changes the world’, Dick Eastman outlines twelve different types of prayer . In this miniseries explore the many different types of prayer with your children.
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)

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Service
This blog has provided a whole range of ideas for service involving families over the last year but maybe you or your children are asking the question: Why should we serve? Why should we try to make a difference.

Read Luke 14.12-14
In this passage Jesus encourages us to do good to others who cannot repay us. God blesses us when we do this. How is your family seeking to show hospitality to those who cannot repay you? How are you caring for those who no one else cares about?

Family Time
Dress Up Night
Hold a night where all the members of your family must dress up according to a theme. Take photos of one another and play some games together. Possible theme ideas might include: super heroes, international dress, monsters. Another simple dress up idea is to  make everyone dress up using garbage bags and newspaper. Have a fashion parade.


(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

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Faithful Families Resources December 11 2011



Weekly Inspiration
We cannot fashion our children after our desires, we must have them and love them as God has given them to us.
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Family Closeness
Game:
Wooden Spoon Guess Who
After being blindfolded, one player has to guess the identity of another by touching that person with the spoons only. Meanwhile, the "touchee" tries not to crack up while being poked and prodded.

Sharing:
  • When is the first time you remember winning something and how did it make you feel?
  • I am most like my mom or dad in that I....
  • Do you like your name? If you could choose another name what would it be? 

Story
 With your family read: Luke 1.26-38
Questions for Discussion:
  • What did the angel call Mary to begin with? Why do you think he called her this? What do you think it means?
  • What do you think surprised Mary the most, seeing an angel or the news he gave her?
  • What things did Gabriel tell Mary about who her baby was? 

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.

Exodus 12.29-42                     The tenth plague
Exodus 13.1-10                       The festival of unleavened bread       
Exodus 14.1-31                       Crossing the Red Sea
Exodus 20.1-21                       The Ten Commandments
Exodus 32.1-35                       The Golden Calf

Prayer and Celebration
12 Types of Prayer
In his book ‘The hour that changes the world’, Dick Eastman outlines twelve different types of prayer . In this miniseries on prayer we will explore how you might engage your family with the whole range of approaches to prayer.
Waiting on the Lord
One important approach to prayer is to be still and silent before God. Tell your family that you are going to have a time of silence to become aware of God’s presence. Let them know that doing this is a type of prayer. In this time think of nothing but God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Tell them to not worry about the time but to relax in God’s presence and love for them. Remind them of the words of the psalmist: "Be still, and know that I am God”  (Ps. 46:11.)
 Don’t make this time of silence too long for little ones in order that they may succeed in keeping still. You may need to help them be still and quite. This could be done by working your way up the body with words such as: “My feet are still and quite, my legs are still and quite etc.” When they are still begin a time of silence. This time of still can often be used at the start of a mealtime in order to stop to remember God before other prayers may be said.

Service
This blog has provided a whole range of ideas for service involving families over the last year but maybe you or your children are asking the question: Why should we serve? Why should we try to make a difference. Over the next few weeks I will provide some passages from scripture that will help us explore Jesus ideas in relation to these questions.

Read: Luke 4.16-21
Jesus said that the words he read from Isaiah were fulfilled as he read them out. In other words Jesus said he was the one the Jewish people had expected for a long time. Look at the things Jesus said were part of his mission: Good news to the poor, recovery of sight to the blind, proclaim release for captives... If we want to be part of Jesus mission then these are the things we also must be doing. How are you and your family doing some of these things. How might you use your time, money and power to bring good news to the poor, recovery of sight to the blind, proclaim release for captives? 

Family Time
Scavenger Hunt Night
Make up a list of things for your family to find around the house.  Alternatively make up a list of things that don't exist like a  flippleflanger or a hooming haha and get your family to
"find" it by making it. Another alternative is to race to find something beginning with every letter of the alphabet or things in different shades of the one colour.


(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

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Faithful Families Resources December 4 2011



Weekly Inspiration
"A parent's love is whole no matter how many times divided."  Robert Brault

Family Closeness
Game:
Mark One Minute
Everyone closes their eyes and must guess how long a minute is, by opening their eyes when they think a minute is up. Try playing this game using a piece of music. Did players guess a longer or shorter time for a minute? (Inspired by Christine Gapes. New Games for Community)

Sharing:
Sharing questions serve many purposes but basically they are about stimulating discussion so that you can listen to what is happening in your family’s life. It is also about getting to know your family better, connecting with them, discovering and exploring them. How often is it that we think we know our wife or husband or children or brother or sister…yet there is so much to still discover? Listening and being listened to is a profound experience for people of any age.
Sharing may be as long as you like but should not be an interrogation. You may not need any questions to have a great listening conversation with your family but do encourage everyone to participate, especially the youngest. Here are some ideas to get you going:

  • What do you think of when you hear the word “Christmas’?
  • Because God  wanted us to know what He was like, He sent Jesus to be with us on earth. What was Jesus like when He lived on earth? How would you describe his actions? How did He help people learn about God? (Adventures for Growing Families. Wes & Sheryl Haystead)

 Story:

Song Stories. A great way to explore the story of Christmas would be to listen to some Christmas Carols or hymns with your family. One option would be to listen and sing together and just enjoy the music and your family. Alternatively, listen very carefully to the words and to the feel of the song. Discuss what this particular carol is saying about the birth of Jesus. Are there any words or phrases that children don’t understand? Discuss what these might mean.

Pictures Stories. In this period as we move towards Christmas why not use art work to explore the story a Jesus birth. Apart from the many Christmas cards that you may receive the internet also provides a wealth of resources. If you go to http://www.textweek.com/art/nativity.htm you will find links to many depictions of the birth of Christ through the ages. Invite your family to choose their favourite picture and to describe what they like about it? Discuss the different pictures and what you find interesting in them. Get each member to draw their own nativity picture and explain it.

With your family read: Luke 1.39-56
Questions for Discussion:
Mary and Elizabeth were cousins. Mary was pregnant with Jesus and Mary with John the Baptist.
  • What did the unborn John the Baptist do when he heard Mary speak?
  • What happened to Elizabeth when this happened?

Mary is so overjoyed by Elizabeth’s response she almost breaks into poetry. This speech she gives we call “The Magnificat”
  • What are some of the things Mary’s says about God in this?
  • What do you know about John the Baptist and his role in Jesus life?

 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.

Exodus 9.13-35                       The Seventh Plague
Exodus 10.1-20                       The Eighth Plague                  
Exodus 10.21-29                     The Ninth Plague
Exodus 11.1-10                       Warning of the Final Plague
Exodus 12.1-28                       The Passover Instituted

Prayer and Celebration
Advent Prayer Pattern
This pattern may be used during Advent to begin meal times or to begin a family sharing time.It may begin by asking everyone to quieten down and to think about what it means to wait and to think of one word to describe that feeling. During the prayer the leader is going to say: “Waiting feels like…” and each person will be free to speak her word aloud. Parents might need to help little ones with a word that describes the feeling of waiting.

Music. Choose a piece of gentle music to listen to. Try some different pieces each time to try and find one that expresses a feeling of waiting.

Prayer. All of us wait. Each day brings its own dose of waiting. We wait in the dentist’s office, at sports practice, at school, for parents and children, for brothers and sisters. We wait for dinner to be ready, for the refund, for the letter from a friend. We wait to be big enough to ride the roller coaster, old enough to stay up late, secure enough to be on our own. Our waiting feels like…(give people a chance to voice their feeling) Advent calls us to celebrate waiting. Each time we wait, help us to remember how the world waited for a saviour. Help us to remember we are always waiting for your return. Help us find and recognise you in each other. As we wait. We are Advent people.

Lord, the N…family is waiting for you.
All: Come, Lord Jesus.

(Rituals and Icebreakers. Kathleen O’Connel Chesto.Ligouri)

Service
Here are a few quick ideas for serving your community during Advent.
  • Go through your cupboard and give some clothes to a charity.
  • Encourage your children to think of what toys they have that are still in good condition that they might give to a charity.
  • With your family choose a way to give a gift to a needy family. This may be best done through a registered charity or church. If you can make food donations take your children shopping to buy the food so they can actually see what it is they are giving. Some charities have schemes where people give gift-wrapped presents for children from needy families.

Family Time
Share the Joy. It is often difficult for parents to keep the focus of Christmas on the story of Jesus born into our world. Here are some ideas that might help you change the focus of Christmas and at the same time teach your children some valuable lessons in living the Christian life.
  • Each day choose a Christmas card you received. Put it in a central location such as your dining room table. Pray for the people who sent the card.
  • Make a special Christmas recipe to share with your neighbours. Include a card with pictures that tell about Jesus birth. (One easy recipe is for Rocky Road. Ingredients. 375g chocolate,100g mini marshmallows, 200g red & green glace cherries chopped. Slowly melt the choc. in the microwave on medium stirring every minute. Mix in mallows and cherries. Pour onto a paper lined baking tray. Refrigerate until firm.) 


(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