Get Connected In 20 Minutes A Week – Family Traditions

A weekly family activity adapted from: 52 Family Time Ideas by Timothy Smith ©2006
Draw Closer To Your Kids as You Draw Your Kids Closer to God
Bethany House Publishers

By Timothy Smith | www.ParentsCoach.org

1. Main Point: Our family strength and unity comes from God.

2. Materials Needed: Broom stick, twine, tape & paper

3. Warm Up: Ask - "What are some different kinds of tests?" (Tests at school; skills tests; tryouts to make the athletic team; driver's test; tests to get into some schools, etc.) Ask - "What do tests and tryouts show?" (If we know something or can do something.)

4. Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 8:2, 11-16. Read aloud
Remember every road that God led you on for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that he would know what you were made of, whether you would keep his commandments or not. . .Make sure you don't forget God, your God, by not keeping his commandments, his rules and regulations that I command you today. Make sure that when you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant houses and settle in, see your herds and flocks flourish and more and more money come in, watch your standard of living going up and up - make sure you don't become so full of yourself and your things that you forget God, your God. MSG

5. Family Discussion:
What does the Bible Say?
1. Ask: "Why does God test us?" (To help us get stronger; To learn to depend on Him)
What should we Do?
2. Ask: "Why would it be easy to forget God if life was going really well?" (We feel we don't need Him and look to our stuff and money for security)

6. Today's Slogan: "We are strong when we pull together."

7. Activity: Let's Pull Together - (This works best on carpet). Gather a 3-4-foot piece of dowel, broomstick, yardstick or mop handle; twine; a piece of paper; marker and tape. On the paper, write the slogan in big letters and tape to the side of the stick, about two inches from one end. Cut the twine into six foot pieces - one for each family member.
Say: "The stick, twine and slogan represent our family unity. We need to pull together if we are going to stand together in difficult times (as the Hebrews did in the wilderness)."
Have each person tie her string a little above the halfway point of the stick. Lay the stick down on the floor and gather the family in a circle around it. Each person holds the end of his or her string.
Ask one child, "Try to raise the stick and stand it up on end by pulling on your string." (It won't work) Ask two children to try and raise the stick by pulling. (It might work.) Then Say, "Let's all pull together." The object of the activity is to stand the stick up straight, with each person maintaining tension on the stick with their string. The stick should stand up.
Say: "With everyone doing his or her part, we are able to stand tall against the challenges. Ask: "What happens if one person isn't connected?" (Let go of your string. The stick will drop or fall.). Say, "Everybody is needed in this family. We are strong when we pull together."

Adapting for...
Younger Children: Skip the second Warm Up question. For the Activity, sit on the floor in a circle with your feet surrounding the stick. Make the stick shorter, two to three feet in length. If they can't pull the stick up; try standing it up with your hand and holding it up with the strings. Pre-school children often don't have the coordination for precise pulling and balance, so help them succeed at making the stick stand up straight.

Teens: After the Activity, have your teen describe a time when you need to pull together as a family." (Ex. "When I'm learning to drive, you shouldn't make fun of me.")

8. Prayer: "Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You that we have each other. Help us to learn all that we can from the tests of life. Help us to support each other so that we can be strong and stand straight in the middle of life's tests. In Jesus' name, Amen."

©2009 Timothy Smith

Timothy Smith, M.A., is a family coach, author and speaker from Southern CA.
www.ParentsCoach.org He provides coaching in-person and via Skype®; as well as conferences, seminars and retreats.

Blog: www.ParentsCoach.wordpress.com
Twitter: ParentsCoach
tim@ParentsCoach.org, Tel: 805.376.3500