Family Bible Events

There is nothing new about this as a suggestion, just that some churches and family workers are now wanting to be more intentional in how they use the Bible with families.

• To provide a fun, Bible discovery time (from 90mins to a whole day!) which enables families to meet with God together as units, along with other families and gives everyone ideas about how they can nurture the faith of other family members.
• To model good practice of nurturing children
• To strengthen a church’s or group of churches’ family ministry

Decide when most people will come
This could be a Saturday morning, or afternoon, over Sunday lunchtime or afternoon or early evening, even a special alternative all-age service, an INSET day or half-term day. If setting this up with other churches, a Sunday morning might not be appropriate! It is important that as many family members as possible can come, not just children and the occasional parent.

Food
Combining with food makes it more of a treat and gives everyone a chance to unwind together and share wisdom and useful experiences.

Cost
Free or charge? Free food or shared food or a charge for food?
A charge for each family could include food and a copy of the Family Activity Organiser.

Children need to come with family members. You may have a mixture of parents, depending on the make up of the family, availability and faith commitment. Members of the church who act as surrogate grandparents or are mentors in some way or are involved in nurturing faith could also be invited, such as Sunday group leaders.

• If you are familiar with SU’s Family Activity Organiser you could develop a programme around that.
• Activities will be done in single family groups, two families together or altogether. Decide what suits best.
• Make a note of questions people ask (of all ages) and comments made. These will help you evaluate how far you are on the right wave-length with the families.

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The most important part of this programme is families talking together about and with God. It may be low-tech but conversation is low-tech and communicating with God is tech-free, although we may use a variety of tools to facilitate this!

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1. Make sure everyone is welcomed, especially if from a variety of churches. Play a game where at least 2 family groups join together for something like pictionary with pictures of different things that make sounds. Making clay modelled shapes rather than drawing is a variation.
2. Build in a half-hour slot when children and adults can be separated, to allow some input to adults on the importance of nurturing faith and answering questions/sharing insights and to encourage the children to pray for their families and expect them as children to help other family members get to know God. This needs to be fairly light but is important to raise expectations.
3. Make something together in family groups such as a prayer post box. You will need to provide the materials. Encourage families to make this as elaborate as possible. Have one to show as a model. Older children may want to be more sophisticated. Each family should identify someone to pray for in their church, write a prayer on a card, pray for this person and post the card in the box – the first of many!
4. Print out the full version of the Bible passage or have plenty of child-friendly Bibles available. Introduce the story and have it read in an engaging/interactive way – using drama, sound effects, visual aids. In small groups or all-together explore its meaning. You will find a wide range of suggestions in Light Years.
5. In family groups talk about the story/passage and encourage discussion about what God has been saying to you all. Each family could record their comments in a small scrap book, either writing or drawing.
6. Introduce a contemporary issue which calls for intercessory prayer – either something local or worldwide.  Make connections with what you have discovered about God in the Bible exploration.
7. Create sign language or visual aids to accompany a Learn and remember verse – a challenge to adults as much as children!
8. Enjoy your food!
9. Be quiet and still, maybe lying on the ground or making yourselves comfortable. Play quiet music and ask everyone to think about the story and ask God to help you listen to him. Pray for everyone to be able to hear God. After 60 seconds or more, ask family groups to talk about what God put into their minds and what they have discovered in the Bible event.
10. Plan for how you can follow this up.

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Psst: Slough Baptist Church provided for over 70 family members in a Bible event late one Saturday afternoon. Some children simply played football most of the afternoon in the main hall. Other family groups joined in a wide range of fun Bible activities and good food and talked about God together in an environment where such conversation was high on the agenda! A church member who is close to one family joined in with that family. He and the 13 year boy in the family had a conversation about faith that was not finished by the end of the afternoon so they went out to MacDonalds the next week to finish it off! That was very special.