September 1st, 2010
Seven ways to prepare kids for a memorable year of learning and growth
This fall, more than 20,000 churches worldwide welcome nearly 1.5 million children and youth to a new Awana ministry year.
Is your child one of those million-plus kids?
If your answer is yes, you’re making a crucial investment in his long-term spiritual maturity. A recent survey of alumni who participated in Awana for six or more years showed they were more active as adults in all areas of their faith than the rest of their generation – even more active than the nation’s most committed churchgoers.
All parents want to see their kids own a lasting faith in Christ. So, how can your children get the most out of their Awana experience? Just like a new school year, it requires preparation and a plan.
Here are seven steps you can take to gear up your son or daughter for a memorable year of learning and growth in Awana.
1. Learn about Awana
New to Awana? Take time to discover what Awana is about. We help churches and parents work together to raise spiritually strong children and youth who faithfully follow Jesus Christ. We offer weekly programs for ages 2 to 18 that are tailored to each age group and grow kids spiritually right where they are.
How old are your kids?
- If your child is 2 or 3, learn about our Puggles program.
- If she’s 4 or 5, check out Cubbies for preschoolers.
- If she’s in early elementary school, look into our Sparks club.
- If she’s between third and sixth grade, she would attend T&T.
- Our Trek program is for middle-school youth.
- Our Journey program is for high-school students.
2. Locate Awana at a church near you
If you’re ready to enroll your child in Awana but don’t know where to find a local Awana ministry, check out our Awana locator. After you enter your ZIP code, you’ll receive a list of churches closest to you that offer Awana. The locator even lists which age-specific weekly programs each church runs. (Churches can choose to operate all of our weekly programs or just specific ones based on their needs.)
The locator includes each church’s address, phone number and Web site if applicable so you can contact churches for more information.
3. Help your child get the most out of Awana
One of the chief goals of Awana curriculum is to give children a biblical foundation for faith in Christ. We offer tools to equip your kids to learn as much as possible from God’s Word, though the best resource is a consistent routine where your child and you work on Awana lessons together (or individually if your child is older).
To help your child memorize Bible verses, you can get a handbook music CD. These CDs put verses to song so your child can learn verses more easily through catchy tunes. We also offer parent handbooks that allow you to study the same lessons your kids are learning in Awana. These books give you insights and ideas for teaching these Bible truths to your children.
4. Get to know your child’s Awana leaders
The local-church Awana volunteers who work with your kids each week play a critical role in your children’s spiritual development. They serve in Awana to support your own efforts as your kids’ primary spiritual leader.
Awana leaders make a significant commitment of time and energy to your children’s spiritual growth. Take time to get to know them. Encourage them, support their efforts and share with them key details about your children that will help them work more effectively with your kids. This relationship will prove to be mutually beneficial.
5. Pray for your child’s participation in Awana
Your children won’t get anything out of Awana unless God is part of the process. Your consistent prayer is vital to inviting God’s work in their Awana involvement.
Here are some ways you can pray:
- For open hearts and minds to the teaching of God’s Word
- For motivation to learn Bible verses, study Scripture, complete curriculum and participate enthusiastically in weekly gatherings
- For Awana leaders to positively impact your kids’ spiritual development
- For your kids to respect their Awana leaders and build healthy relationships with them
- For the Bible truths your kids are learning to take root in their hearts and impact their faith, character and attitudes
- For Awana to be a fun and dynamic place that your kids are eager to attend
- For your kids to build friendships in Awana with peers who will positively influence them
- For you and your spouse to work with your kids on their Awana curriculum and help them understand the truths they’re learning
6. Invite other kids to Awana
Awana is designed to be an easy outreach opportunity for your kids. Awana is built to be fun so that children and youth can confidently invite non-churched friends from school and their neighborhood to come with them.
Make this the year your kids bring a carload of peers to Awana with them – or at least one friend. Here’s a practical way to get started:
Search: Identify friends that don’t know Jesus.
Ask: Ask God for them to be able to come to Awana.
Link: Be a link to Jesus – invite friends.
Transport: Give them a lift to Awana!
7. Start family nights
Awana is only one tool in a child’s spiritual development. It isn’t meant to meet all of your child’s spiritual needs. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is clear that parents must lead their kids’ spiritual growth.
Do you need a good place to start this process? Try an Awana at Home Parent Kit. These kits make it easy for families to spend 30 to 60 minutes together learning Scripture and growing spiritually. Parent kit family nights could quickly become the best night of your week.
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August 2nd, 2010
A new school year is here. This means you’ve already probably been shopping for supplies to prepare your children for the start of school.
Are they prepared spiritually, too?
Here are some ideas to get your kids—and yourself—off to a great start this school year – and not just academically.
Educators offer these first week back-to-school tips for parents:
- Clear your own schedule. Postpone trips, meetings and extra projects. Be available to help your children acclimate to the school routine and overcome the anxiety some experience at the start of a new school year.
- Set alarm clocks. Have school-age children set their own alarm clocks to get up in the morning.
- Leave plenty of extra time. Make sure your child has enough time to get up, eat breakfast and get to school. For young children taking the bus, pin an index card to their backpack with pertinent information, including their teacher’s name, bus number and your daytime contact information.
- Be patient. It’s natural for your children to be a little nervous anytime they start something new.
Make church and Awana a priority in your family’s fall routine
- Take your family to church on a regular basis. If you don’t have a church home, find a Bible-teaching church in your community and get involved.
- Sign up your kids for Awana or find a program in your area. Programs for kids and youth ages 2 to 18 are offered in churches around the country.
Set academic, spiritual and relational goals
Blogger Karen Loritts asks each of her children to think through two goals in each category:
- physical
- relational
- academic
- spiritual
What measurable goals can they strive to achieve in each area? To be a better friend or to make wise decisions about friendships? To set better study habits or to remain on task with school work? To memorize portions of the Bible that promote good character?
“We reviewed their progress throughout the year and applauded their efforts even when they faltered,” Karen said.
Encourage your kids
Your kids take a lot of notes during the school year. Surprise them with some notes from you!
- Be your child’s biggest encourager and use words to communicate love, value and support.
- Write an encouraging Bible verse on a piece of paper for your child to read at breakfast or on the bus.
Prayers and blessings
- Pray for and with your children to ease their fears at the start of the new school year.
- Besides praying individually, consider praying regularly with your spouse and with other parents. You could start your own prayer small group, or some schools have Moms in Touch groups.
- Bless your children before they leave for school each day. Try these verses and insert your child’s name into the blank:
“The LORD bless you, ___________________,
and keep you;
the LORD make His face shine upon you, ________________,
and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn His face toward you, _____________________,
and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
Equip your kids to shine Jesus’ light
Do your children have a personal relationship with Christ? Help them take advantage of opportunities to be an example to classmates and others – and point others to Jesus.
- Regularly ask your kids what went on during their school day. If they mention facing difficult situations, discuss how God would want them to handle these challenges. Read Bible verses explaining how we should react when others tempt us, ridicule us or ask us to make wrong choices or engage in inappropriate behavior.
- Role-play ways your children can react when faced with trials and temptations at school.
- Encourage your kids to invite non-churched peers to Awana, youth group or weekend church services.
- If your kids are home-schooled, find opportunities in the community for them to serve others. If they’re involved in community-based programs, encourage them to invite other kids to Awana or your church.
- Read a book or Bible study with your teen about how to share your faith.
- If your teen attends a public school, find out if a Christian organization or Bible study group such as Young Life meets at the school and get her involved. Connecting with other Christian students will strengthen your teen’s resolve to walk faithfully with Christ.
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June 30th, 2010
When you think of family vacations from your childhood, what memories come to mind? Did you drive for hours with no air conditioning? Perhaps you bickered with your sister because she crossed the line in the back seat of the station wagon. Maybe your whole family crammed into one hotel room for a week and you now recognize your need for a little space.
Whatever your experience, make this year’s family vacation one to remember.
Grow closer to each other—and to God—as you embark on a family adventure.
Make memories
Spending time together on vacation offers a chance to make lifelong memories:
- Give your kids a journal or scrapbook and ask them to record their summer memories. One family keeps a vacation scrapbook and takes it on every vacation to record special memories or places visited.
- Take pictures or video to record each part of your vacation. You’ll treasure looking back in the years to come. Give each of your children a disposable camera so they can record vacation from their perspective.
Have fun in the car
Time in the car can be enjoyable with a little prior planning:
- Before you leave, print out the free monthly Day Light™ calendar filled with ideas to apply God’s Word and grow together spiritually.
Enjoy God’s creation
Summer is a great time to be outside in nature and thanking God for His creation:
- If you visit the mountains, ocean, lake or the city zoo or aquarium, remind your kids that God is the Creator of everything. Enjoy His creation and marvel at His handiwork. Use everyday moments to teach spiritual lessons.
- Visit a national or state park and take in God’s beauty. Consider giving younger children a bag or container and ask them each to collect rocks, leaves and other items that they find most interesting in God’s creation. (But no creepy crawlies!)
- Read a few chapters in Psalms that speak of how we are to respond in praise to God’s world.
Worship together
Don’t use vacation as an excuse to miss church. Worship as a family:
- Visit a local church. Expose your kids to Christians in different parts of the country and world. Fellowship with other believers.
- Review the verses your kids learned in Awana this past year. Memorize a few of them yourself and say them together as you travel. Try this fun Bible memory game.
- Pray together. Go on a family prayer walk on the beach, in a forest preserve or at a local park. Take turns praying for your family, church, friends and neighbors and global needs.
Bless others
Every person you come in contact with matters to God and has a story. Demonstrate God’s love to others in big and small ways:
- Look for opportunities to bless others you meet on your travels. When the car breaks down, how will you treat the mechanic? When the waitress mixes up your dinner order, how will you respond?
- Your kids are watching how you model Christ, not only in your own family but in how you treat others. Be consistent in word and deed.
- You and your family can shine for Christ and share your faith as God opens doors for spiritual conversations. Come prepared with an open spirit and watch how God uses you and your family.
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June 1st, 2010
Father’s Day is the one day a year we officially honor all dads. But what happens on the other 364 days of the year? How can all of us continue to honor and encourage the fathers in our lives? Perhaps you’ll find some helpful ideas below.
The value of a dad
Times have changed since the first official Father’s Day in 1966.
In the ‘60s, a father came home from work to find his wife and children at the dinner table. Today, he comes home to a note: “Jason’s at a baseball game, Nicole’s at band practice, I’m at the gym, pizza in fridge. Could you do the dishes and laundry?”
Encourage the men in your lives who are dads and let them know how valuable their roles are in their families.
Billy Graham had this to say about fathers: “A good father is one of the most unsung, un-praised, unnoticed and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.”
How true his statement is for families around the world!
Children: honor your father
God has made it clear how kids are to treat parents. Exodus 20:12 says:
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Father’s Day is the perfect chance to show honor to dads:
- Make him a card and express appreciation to him.
- Bake his favorite cookies.
- Do chores around the house without being asked and do more than what’s expected.
- Have a good attitude toward siblings.
- Spend time with Dad doing something he enjoys.
- Listen to his instructions and counsel.
- Pray for him.
- Give him a hug and tell him “I love you.”
Wives: pray for your husband
Wives, commit to praying daily for your husband. FamilyLife® offers these prayer suggestions:
Lord, I lift my husband to You today and pray that:
Dads: spiritually lead your family
Fathers, you’ve been entrusted with a very special role in your family. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 says:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Lead by example and with boldness. Ask God to give you wisdom and direction as you spiritually lead your family.
Try these next steps as you continue to develop your family’s plan for spiritual development:
Build a legacy
Dads, you have an opportunity to influence the next generation for Christ. Don’t miss it! Make the investment now to spiritually lead your family and watch how God blesses and honors your commitment.
You have the power to shape what your kids love. Impress the hearts of your children with a love for God.
We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, His power, and the wonders He has done (Psalm 78:4).
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May 4th, 2010
Make summer a season of spiritual growth and special memories for your family
Lemonade, parks, baseball, sprinklers, barbecues, ice cream, pools, hammocks and warm sunshine. Does this list make you excited for summer?
School’s almost out. Your kids are ready for some summer fun. But what about you – do you have a summer plan for your family?
Perhaps some of these S-U-M-M-E-R ideas will provide inspiration as you develop your family’s activities. Enjoy each moment and soak it all in.
Set spiritual goals
Talk about what each family member would like to do this summer and include one or two spiritual goals.
Consider these ideas:
- Find books that present a strong spiritual message. Check out missionary stories that will inspire your kids about the adventure of following Christ.
- Keep church attendance consistent in the summer months. Even visit local churches when you’re on vacation.
- Continue or try starting a weekly family devotional. The new Awana® at Home™ resources offer fun and engaging material for you to spiritually lead your children at home.
- Fill a bowl with slips of paper containing the names of family members, relatives, friends, schoolmates, teachers, leaders, ministries you support and others. Then pull one or two names before family meals and pray together for them.
Utilize free or inexpensive resources
Keep costs low this summer by using a variety of resources:
- Planning a summer vacation? Try using the AAA Tour Book to find inexpensive or no-cost activities near your vacation spot.
- Research your family tree. Ask relatives about their spiritual heritage, too.
- Visit a national or state park and marvel at God’s creation.
- Find great discounts and deals in your city on Groupon.
- Encourage summer reading. Enroll your kids in your local library’s reading program. Most offer prizes and rewards for reading all summer.
Make memories
The summer months come with great anticipation but always seem to go so fast. Make the most of this summer and create memories that will last a lifetime.
- Give your kids a journal or scrapbook and ask them to record their summer memories. One family keeps a vacation scrapbook and takes it on every vacation to record special memories or places visited.
- Hold a drive-in movie night in your driveway and invite your neighbors. Set up a white sheet on your garage door. Find someone with a projector and laptop computer and play a family-friendly movie complete with popcorn.
- Serve together as a family. Find an elderly person in your church your family could help with a house project. Visit a nursing home. Organize a food drive. Set up a lemonade stand and donate the profits to a ministry.
Memorize and study God’s Word
If your kids participated in Awana this past year, keep reviewing the verses they memorized in their handbooks. You might even try memorizing a few and saying them together as you play outside or take road trips this summer.
Here are a few more ideas to help with Bible memorization and study:
- If memorizing verses is a challenge for your kids and you, check out these memorization tips.
- Think of creative ways to make the Bible come alive. In Linda Massey Weddle’s book How to Raise a Modern-Day Joseph, she offers practical ideas for spiritually training kids of all ages. Try to figure out how many pennies make up a shekel or measure the size of Noah’s ark the next time you’re at the park.
- Use TruthScripts™ for Bible memory. The free downloadable memory cards, bookmarks and certificates motivate kids and adults to keep memorizing the truths of God’s Word.
Enjoy nature by being outdoors
Warm days and balmy nights encourage numerous outdoor activities. To get you outside, try these ideas:
- Go on a family prayer walk on the beach, in a forest preserve or at a local park. Take turns praying for your family, church, friends and neighbors and global needs.
- Read Psalm 8 and thank God for His beautiful creation. Ask your children about their favorite things God created. If possible, find those things outside.
Relax!
Slow down the family schedule and relax. Enough said!
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April 5th, 2010
Ideas to help you implement celebration into your family life
cel·e·brate
1: to observe a holiday, perform a religious ceremony, or take part in a festival
2: to observe a notable occasion with festivities
There’s a notable occasion to celebrate at Awana this year: the ministry’s 60th celebration! In 1950, God gave Art Rorheim and Lance Latham a vision for empowering churches to reach children and youth with the good news of Christ.
Awana now partners with nearly 20,000 churches worldwide. Millions of kids have been spiritually impacted, and that’s cause for tremendous celebration. Awana is celebrating generation after generation of lasting faith in Christ and thanking God for His faithfulness.
Taking time to celebrate the big and small blessings in your family is important, too. Think back to the last time you celebrated something or someone in your family. What did you do to mark the occasion and make it festive?
The practice of celebration offers many benefits. Richard Foster, in his book Celebration of Discipline, explains that celebration gives us perspective, helps us not take ourselves too seriously, brings joy into our lives and this joy begets more joy.
Here are some ideas to help you implement celebration into your family life:
Celebrate traditions: ‘You belong in this family’
Traditions bind your family together and create close bonds. You may have long-held family traditions passed down generation to generation along with some that are new for your family.
- Start a celebration plate tradition. Celebrate the small and big accomplishments of a family member at mealtime by using a special plate. Choose someone to use the plate at the next meal to make that person feel loved and valued.
- Plan family vacations each year. Visit new places or return to your family’s favorite spot. Some families plan “staycations” and do fun things around their area.
- Celebrate holidays and birthdays with favorite foods and extended family members. Learn about family traditions from the older generation and record stories in a journal or on video.
- Family traditions can be as simple as getting together for lunch every Sunday after church to organizing a family reunion each summer. Small things can be special occasions and filled with celebration, too.
- A new tradition to start in my family is _________________________.
Celebrate birthdays: ‘I’m glad you were born’
Birthdays are special days to tell friends and family members you’re thankful they were born and that God created them just as He did. It’s also a time to thank God for another year and to celebrate being alive.
- For some great birthday ideas and themes, look online or visit a party supply store. If you’re planning a kid’s birthday party, Family Fun magazine is loaded with creative ideas.
- For the next family member’s birthday, I will______________________.
Celebrate family meals: ‘I care for you. Tell me about your day’
Research shows that regular family meals help kids resist peer pressure and improve their school performance. Sitting around a table, sharing a meal and talking about each other’s days give kids a sense of belonging and security.
Social scientists say family meals ”act as a kind of vaccine, protecting kids from all manner of harm,” particularly in the teen years (Time Magazine).
Here are some conversation starters and activities for your family meals:
- Ask interesting questions. Select a question for family members to answer. A few resources:
Table Topics Conversation Cards—Family Edition
Food for Talk
The Complete Book of Questions: 1001 Conversation Starters for Any Occasion.
- More questions for the dinner table:
“What was the best part of your day today?”
“What is your favorite _____?”
“What was one way you saw God work in your day?”
- Memorize a Bible verse. Explain what it means. Practice during meals. After a specified time, family members recite it.
- Practice verses your kids are learning that week for Awana or Sunday school.
- Joke night – family members share favorite jokes.
- Read a short passage of Scripture or devotional lesson and discuss it.
- For one family meal this week, we will try _________________________.
Celebrate everyday moments: ‘We’re alive and given this day.’
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, but today is a gift.” Celebrate life’s everyday moments.
- Celebrate no cavities at the dentist, blooming tulips, the first day of no coats after winter or your dog’s new trick. Don’t miss the little things God presents to us each day.
- The next time I ___________________, I will __________________.
Celebrate God’s blessings: ‘Thank You for Your goodness to us’
God’s goodness is all around us. Take time to remember and reflect on His faithfulness to you and your family.
- Read Psalm 57:7-11 as a family. Worship God together. Pray and thank God for the many ways He has blessed your family.
- Make a thankful book. Buy a journal or notebook and place it in a high-traffic area of your house. Encourage family members to write down things they’re grateful for all through the year. At Thanksgiving, take time to reflect on the entries and thank God for His goodness to your family.
- Celebrate spiritual milestones like your child’s baptism or spiritual birthday. Mark these days in your child’s Bible. Tell your child about your baptism and journey of faith, too.
- This week, we will thank God for ____________________________.
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March 3rd, 2010
Holy Week is an important time to reflect on all that Christ has done on our behalf. It’s also filled with teachable moments as you explain to your children the significance of Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter.
How crucial it is for our kids to know that these holy days are about much more than chocolate, the Easter Bunny and jelly beans!
Prepare for Good Friday and Easter
Holy Week is the last week of Lent, when we follow Jesus from Palm Sunday to His death on Good Friday in preparation for His rising from the dead on Easter.
These family activities offer ideas for the week prior to Easter Sunday and give creative family activities beginning on Palm Sunday.
Make sure to also prioritize attending church as a family this week. Even younger children will appreciate and better grasp the story of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to His resurrection on Easter Sunday if they participate in Sunday school and special Good Friday services.
Read the Bible together as a family
The foundation of the Christian faith is built on the events that took place Good Friday and Easter Sunday over 2,000 years ago. Take time during Holy Week to read the biblical accounts of what happened on these important days.
- Ask each family member to choose one of these Bible passages to read at the dinner table one night during Holy Week:
● Read the story about Jesus’ resurrection in Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24 or John 20 at breakfast on Easter morning. Pray together as a family, expressing thanks that Christ is risen!
Teach Bible truths in the kitchen
The kitchen might not be the place you think of to explain biblical truths to your kids. But at Easter, the truths of God’s Word can come alive in creative ways:
- Make resurrection cookies to explain the Easter story. Find the recipe on the Family Life Web site and search for resurrection cookies. Each step of the recipe connects with a particular aspect of the Easter story. The ingredients are minimal. Make them the night before Easter because they turn into “empty tombs” on Easter morning!
- Dyeing eggs is a fun tradition that can also be a teaching moment. Explain to your kids that eggs are the promise of new life just as Jesus’ death and resurrection has promised us new and eternal life. Consider writing messages on the hard-boiled eggs with crayons before dyeing. This will remind your family of the true meaning of Easter. Examples: “He is risen,” ”Jesus loves you,” “Hallelujah” and “Remember.”
Explain Easter words to your kids
When reading the Easter story from the Bible, pay attention to any words your children don’t recognize. Use a Bible dictionary or concordance for help in explaining any confusing words.
- More than any other religious holiday, Good Friday and Easter are full of terms your children may not understand. Words like resurrection, crucifixion, betrayal, the Last Supper, cross and burial may require some age-appropriate explanations.
Reach out to friends and neighbors
For some non-believers, Christmas and Easter are the only times of the year they step foot in a church. As a family, think about neighbors and family members who don’t know Christ and might be open to going to church this year.
- Pray together as a family for who you might invite. Ask God for boldness.
- Challenge your kids to invite friends from school or sports teams to your Easter church service or to Awana if their Awana ministry is doing an Easter-themed night. Teach your children about evangelism and why it’s important to tell others about Christ.
- Go as a family to a nursing home or hospital. Hand out flowers, Easter bookmarks or other simple gifts to residents along with an Easter-related Bible verse on a note card, picture or card made by your kids.
- Consider hosting a neighborhood Easter egg hunt with a twist. Focus on the Family suggests leaving one egg empty. Give a large basket filled with Easter gifts or candy to the child who finds the empty egg. Explain to the kids that this egg represents the empty tomb. After the hunt, share the Easter story with the children. Focus recommends The Parable of the Lily.
Have a blessed Easter!
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January 25th, 2010
Use this test to rate your family’s love quotient
Valentine’s Day is a day of flowers and chocolate and a time to communicate love to those important to us. But hopefully loving your family members happens the other 364 days of the year, too.
Perhaps you’re familiar with some of the most widely quoted verses on love in the Bible found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
So how is your family doing showing love to one another day to day? Organize a family night and find out!
Directions: Print a copy of this love test. Ask each family member to write a number on the scale according to his or her answers to the following statements. Use this as your guide:
1: “Wow, I need some help here.”
10: “I’m doing really well in this area!”
Love is patient: I am willing to wait when needed or help another family member when necessary. I try to maintain reasonable expectations.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea for showing more patience with a family member: Wait your turn for the bathroom or shower.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love is kind: My words and actions express kindness toward other family members.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea for expressing more kindness toward other family members: React with sympathy and gentleness when a family member is facing a problem or challenge.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love does not envy: I celebrate a family member’s accomplishment, victory or award at work or school without being jealous.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea to keep from envying other family members: Make a card when your sister gets an ‘A’ on her test.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love does not boast: I value everyone’s role in the family and respect each person’s opinions and beliefs.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea for valuing and respecting family members: Listen carefully when a family member talks.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love is not proud: I am not more important than anyone else in the family.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea for safeguarding yourself against the temptation of pride: No bragging or putting others down at the dinner table!
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love is not rude: I don’t use careless words or demand my own way.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea to show kindness and respect to family members: Do something for another family member without being asked.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love is not self-seeking: I try to think of another’s person’s needs before my own.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea you could implement: Let your brother have first dibs on choosing dessert.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love is not easily angered: I try to listen and understand before speaking or acting.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea you could implement: When my little sister is annoying me, I will walk away and not cause a fight.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love keeps no record of wrongs: I don’t keep score.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea you could implement: I won’t keep reminding my mom of a mistake she made.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love does not delight in evil: I hate the sin, but always love the sinner.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea you could implement: Study the Bible and see what God has to say about certain issues.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love rejoices with the truth: I am a truth-teller even when it’s hard.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea you could implement: Be honest in all things.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love always protects: I am willing to do whatever it takes to protect and stand up for my family no matter what.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea you could implement: Protect your younger brother when other kids are being unkind to him on the playground.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love always trusts: I trust in God’s plans and provisions and believe the best about my family members.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea you could implement: Follow through on what you say.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love always hopes: My eternal hope is in Christ and I know He has a plan for my life.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea you could implement: Memorize a Bible verse about hope.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love always perseveres: I am fully committed to my family and will work to make my family thrive.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea you could implement: Pray together often.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Love never fails: I know that I am radically loved by God and my family.
1__________________________________________________________10
One idea you could implement: Write an encouraging note to each family member and express your love.
This week, I will try to______________________________________
Pray together as a family and ask God to fill your hearts with love for each other and for Him. Commit to improving in one or two of these areas this month. Make Valentine’s Day last all year long!
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January 6th, 2010
How to invest more time in spiritually training your kids
All of us experience 168 hours every week and 1,440 minutes each day. The question to regularly ask ourselves is: Am I using the time God has given me in ways that best honor Him and my family?
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)
Think about how you spend the valuable commodity of time in these different areas.
Time for dinner
Research from The National Center on Addictions and Substance Abuse at Columbia University shows that time spent as a family around the dinner table can produce long-lasting benefits. Children who regularly eat family dinners:
- Are significantly less likely to get involved with drugs, alcohol and early sexual behavior
- Enjoy more nutritious diets, which leads to better overall health
- Perform better in school and have higher test scores relative to the amount of time spent with family
- Are less prone, in the case of teen girls, to develop eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.
To learn more about the benefits of family mealtime, visit:
Research indicates that the average family shares only three to five meals together a week. What can you do to guard your family mealtime and make it meaningful?
1. Talk. Go around the table and ask each family member:
- “What was a high/low from your day?”
- “How did you see God at work today?”
- “What made you laugh today?”
- “Did you face any challenges?”
Here are some additional conversation starter resources:
The Complete Book of Questions: 1001 Conversation Starters for Any Occasion
Table Topics Conversation Cards—Family Edition
Food for Talk
2. Ban television and phones from the table. Turn off all electronics and don’t answer any phone calls during dinner.
3. Memorize a Bible verse. Practice saying the verse during meals.
4. Read a short Bible passage or devotional and discuss it.
Create family night memories
According to one study, only one out of 20 churchgoing families ever opens the Bible outside of church. Make family devotions and spiritual activities a priority in your family’s week. We need homes that are discipleship centers.
Try these ideas:
- Look for ways your family can begin growing spiritually together. The Awana® at Home™ ministry offers tools for parents to use in their efforts to spiritually train their kids. One resource that can get you started is the free monthly Day Light calendar.
- Work with your children on their Awana curriculum. Help them memorize and understand their verses.
- Ask one family member to determine the theme or activity for family night and rotate each week. This gives everyone a chance to do a favorite activity or plan a special outing.
Plan purposeful conversations
Be intentional with whatever time you have with your children. Use your time to engage in meaningful conversation.
Maybe these ideas will spark some new ways to connect with your child:
- View car time in a new way. You have a “captive” audience, so ask specific questions about your child’s day, concerns they’re facing or what God is teaching them. Avoid talking on your cell phone and take advantage of the time together.
- Plan a one-on-one activity with each child once a week. It could be a fun outing to bowl together or a mundane chore like grocery shopping. The idea is to focus on one child and give your undivided attention.
- Pray together. Ask your child for any prayer requests and tell her how she can pray for you. Take time to pray for each other on a regular basis.
Bless your children at bedtime
John Trent’s book, Bedtime Blessings, offers five different components that parents can use to make bedtime spiritually meaningful for their kids. They are:
- Meaningful touch communicates affirmation with no words. Hold hands while you pray with your child or hug your child before leaving the room.
- Spoken words “can etch a deep sense of being loved into your child’s memory.”
- Attaching high value blesses your child. “The word for blessing in the Scriptures means to ‘bow the knee,’” Trent writes. “We bow before someone who is very valuable. When we bless the Lord, we’re saying, ‘Lord, You’re so valuable, I bow my heart before You.’ When we bless our children, we’re attaching high value to them through our words, appropriate touch and genuine commitment.”
- Help your child see that God has a plan for his life (Jeremiah 29:11) and a purpose while on Earth.
- Genuine commitment gives your child a sense of stability.
Try these “Mr. Potato Head” prayers for your child during bedtime.
Family priorities that stick
So many things compete for your family’s time and attention. You probably feel pulled in many directions. It’s a challenge to keep priorities in order.
One mom wrote: “Ten years from now, will it matter more that we signed our child up for one more team or activity in order to collect one more trophy, or will it matter more that we said no to another activity and instead set aside several nights a week to have dinner together as a family to nourish family relationships?”
As a new year begins, what is most important to your family? What are the non-negotiables that will not get squeezed out, like mealtime, family nights, church and Awana? Pray as a family. Ask God to honor your commitments as you strive to honor Him with your time.
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December 2nd, 2009
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:10-11
Does the Christmas season bring thoughts of silent nights and joy to the world into your home? Or do you struggle to deck the halls and hope in your haste that Grandma didn’t get run over by a reindeer?
It’s a busy—and sometimes stressful—time of year, but we must not miss the true spirit of the season – or fail to convey that true spirit to our kids. How can you prepare your children—and yourself—to grasp and appreciate the true meaning of this holiday season?
“Away in a Manger”: focus on the miracle of Christ’s birth
- Read the Christmas story in Luke 2:1-20. Use a nativity set to make the story come alive to younger children. Locate Bethlehem on a map. Act out the story and have each family member play a part.
- Prepare a birthday party for Jesus. Bake a cake and honor Him whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. Encourage guests to bring a gift for Jesus—perhaps something for a friend or neighbor in need.
- Place an empty “manger” in your home. Throughout the Christmas season, when someone performs a kind act for another family member, he or she gets to put some straw in the manger. Before the Christmas story is read on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, lay the baby Jesus figure on top of the straw bed.
“Silent Night”: take time to reflect on the wonder of the season
- Go to church on Christmas Eve . Make this a treasured family tradition.
- Use Christmas cards you receive for family devotions. At dinner during the Christmas season, pray for each of the families who sent cards from that day.
- Teach your kids about the symbols of the season. Some ideas:
Wreaths: show God’s love never ends like a circle
Holly: the sharp green leaves remind us of Christ’s crown of thorns and the red berries remind us of the blood He shed for us
Candles and lights: signs of hope that show us Christ is the light of the world
Angels: the heavenly host that filled the skies the night Jesus was born
Stars: the star guided the wise men to the birthplace of Jesus
Evergreen: symbol of life
Candy cane: a tasty tradition with rich symbolism and a well-known legend
“Deck the Halls”: make your home festive and inviting during the holidays
- Decorate your home with a Christmas tree, nativity set and stockings. Hang a stocking for Jesus, too, and ask each family member to write what gifts they’d like to give to Jesus (patience with a sister, a grateful heart, etc.) Place the papers in the stocking. On Christmas morning, share your gifts to Jesus with each other and pray together.
- Teach about the symbolism of all the lights surrounding Christmas. Read Bible verses describing Jesus as light, like John 8:12, John 9:5, John 12:46, 1 Peter 2:9 and 1 John 1:5,7. Discuss what life would be like if we didn’t have the light of Christ. Light candles throughout the season. Drive around town and look at the outdoor Christmas light displays.
- Invest in relationships this season. Don’t neglect the important people in your life because your to-do list is a mile long. Invite your friends and neighbors to a holiday open house. Keep it simple. Ask guests to bring canned goods for the local food pantry or a new toy for needy children.
“The 12 Days of Christmas”: give meaningful gifts
- Don’t just buy something so you can cross that person off your list. One mom gives her children three gifts in an attempt to simplify and teach a lesson on contentment. She reminds her kids that the Christ child received three gifts—gold, frankincense and myrrh—and so each year that is the same number they receive.
- Make a Christmas “thanks list” instead of a Christmas “wish list” with your kids. Name 10 things for which you are thankful—gifts that God has already given you. Post your list in a place to remind you of all that you’ve received and to help foster a spirit of gratitude this season.
- Teach your children the joy of giving. Encourage them to buy or make gifts for each family member. Recognize their excitement in receiving gifts, but show them the real joy that comes from giving.
“Joy to the World”: share your faith through loving acts of service
- Go caroling in the neighborhood and spread God’s love through music to your friends and neighbors.
- Visit a nursing home and share the message of Christmas with the elderly.
- Stock a food pantry in your community. If possible, help distribute meals as a family.
- Adopt a needy child or family through your community or church outreach ministry. Provide for any physical needs they might have as best you can and pray for their salvation and spiritual growth throughout the upcoming year.
- Invite a non-churched family to join you for Christmas service. Take a bold step of faith and be aware of people’s increased receptivity to spiritual matters during the Christmas season.
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