FUMC Phoenixville

Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of the six weeks of Lent. If your family does not have a set apart time for devotions, Lent provides an excellent opportunity to  begin the practice. 

The General Board of Discipleship of  the United Methodist Church (www.gbod.org) has posted an excellent family study for Lent. Written by MaryJane Pierce Norton the article include suggested Scriptures for each week of Lent along with activities, object lessons, crafts, discussion starters and prayers. Use this link  to access the article

http://www.gbod.org/minister-to-people/general-resources/resource/2013-family-study-for-lent

Or search 2013 Family Study for Lent at www. gbod.org

Janet R. Knight, writing for Pockets, The Upper Room's magazine for children, suggests making a family worship center that includes "a purple cloth to represent penitence...a Bible opened to the Gospel lesson, an empty bowl to symbolize fasting, a sharing box for money for the poor, ..a cactus to symbolize a desert journey, and a cross of small branches tied together with twine." She also suggests choosing one or more ways to practice simplicity as a family.  Some of her recommendations are:

• Eat one simple meal each week, soup or rice and beans, and put the money you save by eating simply in your sharing box to donate to a cause of your choosing after Lent.
• Go through your closets and donate gently used toys, clothing, and books.
• Turn off the TV and computers one night a week and play family games.
• Plant spring seeds in a pot. 
• Tell I-remember-when family stories.
• Help children decide on one small thing to give up (fast from, even though it may not be food) to help them focus on the purpose of Lent.
• Practice the ancient custom of "burying" something for Lent and taking it out again with great joy on Easter.  You could put away a decorative household item, or your family could make an alleluia banner to put away until Easter Sunday.
• Take on an act of service as a family. Adopt a grandparent, visit a homebound neighbor or church member, serve in a soup kitchen, collect blankets for homeless shelters.
• Each week let each person draw the name of someone in the family to do something nice for. That something can be as simple as giving someone a hug. 

Lenten practices are a good way to begin incorporating Christian Education into your family's routine. Contact me if you have questions or need resources. 

Blessings!

Carol Herdic

P.S. If your family practices a Lenten Discipline please leave a description in the Comments section.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a time of preparation for Easter. During the Ash Wednesday service we confess sin and recall that we are made of dust and to dust we will return. The ashes we receive are symbols of penance and contrition.  Parents may wonder if the solemn service is appropriate for children.  In her blog Worshiping with Children Carolyn Brown gives the following three reasons to include children in the Ash Wednesday service.   

1. When children see all the adults they love and respect wearing ashes and they themselves are marked with ashes, they know they belong.  They are one of God’s people. Other days they may know that in their minds, but on Ash Wednesday they know it in a powerful way with their eyes.
2. Because we are all marked not with golden markers but with messy black ashes, children learn that all of us mess up and are forgiven.  The most loved and respected adult they know does and they do.  In a world where they are constantly told they can do better and can make good choices and should be special, this is important life-shaping information.
3. After experiencing Ash Wednesday service, especially one in which the presence of children is planned for, children and their families are more likely to come back for Holy Week services to worship around the most important stories of our faith.

I look forward to greeting your family on Ash Wednesday.

 Blessings,

Carol 

Are you looking for a way to bring your devotional time into the 21^st century?  A quick search of a favorite download store (iTunes, Google Play or Amazon) can yield a large selection of books, Bibles, and devotionals for adults and children. These are a few of my FAVORITE Websites, Apps and eBooks…If you have a favorite find please leave it in the comment box. 

For Adults….

§  www.ewordtoday.com/year/ - This FREE website offers several plans for reading through the Bible in one year. In a few simple clicks you can choose a Bible translation and begin the journey.

§  www.Bible360.com –Developed by the husband and wife team of Mark Burnett (Survivor and The Voice) and Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel), this is a beautiful on line Bible. Pictures from the Holy Land, maps, timelines and re-enactments are available to enhance your reading. Available on line or through iTunes for your iPad or iPhone. This is my favorite iPad Bible app and it is FREE!!

§  Jesus Calling app for iPad or Android– From the bestselling author Sarah Young, this is an updated app for your e-reader or tablet. Each day’s devotion includes space to journal, links to Scripture and the ability to share on Facebook or Twitter. Cost is $9.99. Available for Kindle $1.99 and Nook: $7.50. Of course you can still purchase a hard copy of the book for under $10.00.

§  ​Chuck Knows Church from the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church.  FREE Download featuring “Chuck” in a series of 2-3 minute short videos explaining “Church”.  What is a narthex?  A tutorial on the hymnal. Why are the banners a different color this week? Clergy fashion and other fun and informational factoids!  Did I say FREE from the Apple Store.

For the Kiddos…

§  The Beginner’s Bible App for iPad. Based on Zonderkidz’s The Beginner’s Bible, this app presents Bible events in a fun and entertaining way for children ages 2-6. Picture book stories, compelling narration, interactive games, coloring pages, puzzles and other activities. First story pack (6 stories) is free, additional installments are $1.99 each.

§  Bible Heroes App for iPad. Designed for kids 3 and older, each download features a Biblically accurate Bible story and includes automatic reading of each page, interactive games, coloring, animation and songs. Noah, Joseph, David, Daniel, Jonah, Queen Esther, and baby Jesus. Some downloads are free, others cost $2.99 or less.

§  Children’s Bible Daily Prayer by Barcelona for iPad. A free new Bible prayer delivered every day. Includes a weekly plan for reading, discussion, and prayer.

Check out these bargains in Amazon’s Kindle Store:

·         Where is God When it Hurts? By Philip Yancey. FREE

·         Grace: More than we Deserve. By  Max Lucado. $1.99

·         The Story of Jesus, NIV: Experience the life of Jesus as One Seamless Story $1.99 (Adult and Children’s editions              available.)

Happy Shopping!

United Methodist Communications recently posted eight tips on how to have regular, in home, family worship. Family worship is setting apart a time of the day or week for your household to actively focus on God. While the article is geared to families with children in the home the following tips can easily be adapted to adult families or incorporated into a visit with grandchildren.  8 Solid Tips

You don't have to know everything to lead. Parents don’t have to be Bible scholars or know all the answers to start a family worship time. You just need the willingness to lead your family and follow God's guidance.

Create a worship space in the house. This place should show the connection between Christ and the family. Praying and bonding together in this space will make it sacred.
 

Set a time for spiritual bonding. The time and length of family worship depend on the age and attention span of family members. If someone isn’t available, have a backup plan. Set a virtual prayer time (for example, at 6 p.m. remember to say a quick prayer with and for the family, no matter where you are). Be consistent about bonding at the same time and it will soon become a habit.

Challenge your family to a night without television. Even better, make it a “No Screen Night,” which excludes video games, computers and phones as well. This time can occur as often as a family determines (perhaps monthly or weekly). Blocking all distraction frees time for family worship, letter writing, board and active games, sports or general conversation and discussion. Mix up the activities, especially for younger children with short attention spans.

It won’t be long before family members look forward to the time and realize the most important things in life are free. Children will love the extra attention from their parents. Don’t be surprised if the stories of memories made from this time together get a little bigger each time they are told!

Work together on a community volunteer project. This is a chance to focus on others (and on what Jesus calls us to do) while spending time together. It's also a great teaching opportunity that will enrich the community and lives of others. 
Parents can start by asking their pastor about community ministries that can use the family’s help.

Prepare. It doesn’t have to take a long time. Read a favorite Bible verse and think about the theme that you’d like to share. Cokesbury offers several family devotionals to help with this process. Develop a list of simple faith questions (e.g. Where have you seen God today? How do you think we can apply Sunday's sermon?) While watching a television show, plan to discuss, during a commercial, how one of the characters could have acted like Jesus.

Create a family gratitude journal to promote interaction.
Create a family gratitude journal using a hole punch and some ribbon. Keep the book in the family worship space. Each person is responsible for documenting at least one thing for which he or she is most grateful every day ... more than one is highly encouraged. Little ones can draw something special, cut out a picture or glue on something from nature that they found. Ideally, everyone will have something positive to share.

Provide examples on how to pray aloud. Discuss times and situations when it is appropriate to pray, such as before bed, before meals, upon waking, upon receiving good news, when worried or afraid, when you hear an emergency siren, when you hear bad news or when facing a problem with a friend or sibling.

I discovered a similar approach in a three part blog entitled “Discipling Children”. Part 2 gave the following pattern for developing a family devotional time during dinner.

Begin the mealtime with a song and a blessing. In the beginning adults will need to model this behavior. During the meal enjoy regular conversation but allow the questions below to guide the discussion:

·         What is the best thing you saw today? (or that happened?)

·         What was the saddest or worst thing?

·         Where did you see God today?

·         What was the hardest thing for you to do today? Were you able to do it? How or why?

·         Did you do anything today that you feel was wrong? Describe or explain it. How did it make you feel afterwards? What can you do to make it right? What can you do to help you not do it again?

·         Did you help anyone today? Describe or explain. How did it make you feel afterwards?

·         How did God help you today?

·         How can we pray for you?

·         What can you do tomorrow to grow closer to God? (Make sure the answer is specific, make a note of it and follow up tomorrow)

·         What can you do tomorrow to help someone else? (Make sure the answer is specific, make a note of it and follow up tomorrow)

Don’t use every question on the list. Pick a few to keep the conversation going. The purpose of the questions is to get your children to 1) reflect on the day’s events; 2) consider where they saw God at work; 3) how they might live more faithfully as Jesus followers; 4) what you can do to help them.

Close with prayer concerns and a prayer. In the beginning the parents will pray but as time goes on it is important to allow children to offer their own prayers. Over time they (and you) will become more comfortable and natural in their prayers.

The weeks leading into Thanksgiving are a perfect time to begin the discipline of family worship and devotions. Your family will be prepared to observe Thanksgiving as a standalone holiday, not “Black Friday Eve” or the kick off to the Christmas season. Following Thanksgiving you can keep the focus on Christ’s birth by observing Advent. There are many great resources for holiday and every day devotional time.  Contact me in the church office or by email if you need help choosing something right for your family.

Grace and Peace! 

Carol Herdic