Sunday, December 21, 2014

Faithful Families Resources December 21 2014


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

I pray that all who read this blog may have a blessed and holy Christmas as we celebrate the coming of Christ our saviour into the world and human history. I hope these resources might help you to enjoy the time with your family and tell the story of Jesus birth really well.

Family Closeness
Game:
Christmas Card Toss
Simple gather together a collection of old Christmas cards and carefully cut off the backs. Avoid glittery cards.

Now 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?

Prayer and Celebration
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.

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 and Richard Browning: An Unless Ideas Production.) Unless otherwise noted all material on this blog is copyright Stephen Harrison and Richard Browning

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