Home Connect, December 26, 2010

Date: Sunday, December 26, 2010
Foreign Visitors Worship Jesus

Link:

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/dictionaryhome.aspx

Go to this dictionary site to look up the gifts that the foreign visitors brought to the baby Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. One by one, place the words in the Find Box and see what definitions a search yields. Then discuss the following questions as a family:

• Why do you think the visitors brought gifts to Jesus?
• Do you think it mattered to Mary and Joseph that the visitors were from a foreign land? Why or why not?
• What do you have to offer Jesus in worship?

b>Link: 

http://directory.crosswalk.com

Use this site’s directory to learn about denominations, ministry organizations, and mission trips. Try clicking on “Ministries.” Go to some of the web sites listed and look at the variety of people who worship Jesus. What kinds of differences do you see? What do the people have in common? Who can worship Jesus?

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-4-(december-26,-2010)

Christmas Morning Family Worship

Christmas Morning

Family Worship

Gather everyone around. If you have a manger scene that is “kid-friendly” have it nearby.  Make sure to place Jesus in the center.  Light a candle.  Sing a favorite Christmas song, like “Joy to the World, the Lord has come.” Have someone read this:

Luke 2 (The Message)

^1-5″About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

^6-7While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

^8-12There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

^13-14At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

^15-18As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

^19-20Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!”

Sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.  Pray, “Thank you God for this special day and for sending Jesus.  Help our family to remember You all through our day.  Amen.”

We hope your Christmas morning is full of faith filled traditions, to pass your faith in Christ to the next generation.  Merry Christmas!

Home Connect, December 19, 2010

Date: Sunday, December 19, 2010
Jesus Is Born

Link:

http://www.bluemountain.com/

Find a Christmas card at this site that will communicate the reason Jesus was born. Send the card to at least one person. You can even add a message that expresses your thoughts of why Jesus was born!

Link:

http://www.biography.com

Click on Biography Search and then type in the name “Jesus Christ.” What does this biography say about Jesus? Of the things Jesus did, which does this biography highlight? What do you think is missing from this biography? Do you think the research adequately explains why Jesus was born? Explain your thoughts on this.

Read Hebrews 1:1-4. Discuss the following questions:
• Why did God send Jesus to free us from sin?
• Who does God say Jesus is?
• How does who Jesus is affect your thinking when you communicate the reason Jesus was born?

Join hands as a family and bow your heads. First, thank Jesus for who he is. Then thank God for sending Jesus.

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-3-(december-19,-2010)

Home Connect, December 12, 2010

Date: Sunday, December 12, 2010
An Angel Appears to Joseph

Link:

http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/_angel.html

Browse this page of angel craft ideas. Do you find anything that interests you? Make one of the crafts as a family project. As you work, discuss the following questions:

• What do you think it was like for Joseph when the angel appeared to him? Do you think he was frightened? Why or why not?
• What were God’s plans for Joseph? What do you think made Joseph decide to trust God?
• Why should we trust God’s plans?

Link:

http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-S2000/Hansen/postalr.html

Click on this link to read a short lesson on the postal service. Look at the picture of the postal worker. Would you trust news that is delivered by a postal worker like the one pictured at this site? How would it be different from plans that were delivered by an angel? Which would you trust more? Why?

As a family, make a list of ways God shows us his plans for our lives. Post it in a prominent place in your home, perhaps on the refrigerator. Set a time to get back together to discuss how God guided you through the week when you trusted his plans.

Group Publisher: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-2-(december-12,-2010)

Home Connect, December 5, 2010

Date: Sunday, December 5, 2010
Solomon Tells of Jesus’ Coming

Link:

http://www.nflrush.com/rush

Go to this football Web site and check out the games. How fast are your reflex effects? Whew! That was fun. But getting ready for real football games is hard work. Spend a few minutes and talk about what it must take to get ready for each NFL game. Compare that to what we should be doing to get ready for Jesus’ coming. Solomon encouraged the people to prepare for Jesus’ coming. Are we ready today?

Link:

http://www.travelocity.com

Find the Travelocity site and then click on “Vacation Packages.” Pretend you are planning a vacation to one of the places mentioned there. Discuss what each member of the family would need to do as a part of the family’s preparation for the trip. Be sure to discuss the following questions:

• Why would you look forward to this trip? In what ways would you need to plan and prepare?
• What if a friend or family member that doesn’t live with you decided to plan a trip to come visit you? How would you prepare for his or her arrival? Would you get the guest room ready or buy groceries to prepare a special meal?
• If you had lived in Solomon’s day, would you have believed him when he told of Jesus’ coming the first time? What do you suppose Solomon wanted the people to do in order to prepare for Jesus’ coming?
• Why should we look forward to Jesus’ coming? How can we prepare for Jesus’ return?

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-1-(december-5,-2010)

HomeConnect Week 2, December 13, 2009

Date: Sunday, December 13, 2009
Week 2: John Prepares People for Jesus’ Coming (Luke 3:7-18)
Bible Point: Repenting prepares us for Jesus.

Link:

http://home.ivillage.com/cleanandorganize/cleaning/0,,75vd,00.html

Link:

http://songsofpraise.org/song.php?songid=80

Enjoy these two “cleaning” sites. The first gives a list for last-minute house cleaning when guests are expected. The second site shares a song about a clean heart. As a family, make your own list of what you would do if someone called, giving you only a 30-minute warning of his or her arrival. Discuss how and what you would wash, dust, or remove from sight. Then make a second list. This time, write down what you feel you’d need to do to “cleanup” spiritually if Jesus were about to visit your heart.

Ask a family member to pray. Commit to God that you will endeavor to have a clean heart.

Group Publishing, http://www.group.com/tips/Default.aspx?tipID=8085