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PART 1
Hello Parents,
At the beginning of every year we make some promises and resolutions for ourselves personally, but what about for our families? Why not make a resolution as a family, starting today? The challenge for you going forward is to have dinner together as a family on a regular basis every single week!
Family dinners can be a powerful time for your family to connect and discuss, if you are willing to leverage those moments. Check out this month’s Online Parenting Class for some helpful ideas.
The Bible speaks often about food and meals. There is something that is spiritually significant about meals. Think about it for a moment. Christ referred to Himself as the “Bread of Life” (John 6). The way He asked His disciples and us to remember Him was around a meal (Matthew 2). Even when we look to the future and eternity, we will be celebrating at a meal, the “Wedding Supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19).
Meals are powerful moments for your family. Do not miss out on those moments and the power they can provide this new year.
Please check out this month's video below:
Partnering with you,
The NAC USA Family Ministry Team
PART 2
Hello Moms, Dads, and Families,
We are excited to share with you another great resource to help leverage the dinner table better! This month’s Partnering with Parents is all about the power of meals together as a family. It explains how to make the most of those times when you are together around a table talking face to face. Your family routine and schedule may not allow this to be a nightly occurrence, but it is important to have some rhythm of gathering everyone at home around a table to have a meal together.
Consider these tips and suggestions when establishing your family's rhythm:
- Link dinner with something else that brings connection. // Dinner and a family show you watch together. Dinner and a board game. Dinner and ______! You can connect dinner nights with something else fun.
- Have a question each meal. // Leverage a question that everyone around the table can answer. As your kids get older questions change but intentional questions spark connection.
- Have a quick family devotional and time of prayer. // Have someone in the family share a thought from the Bible and then pray together as a family. Your church provides tools that can help.
- Let kids plan the meal once a week. // Get kids involved in cooking or planning the meal. It’s just fun and making it fun will make it stick as a family.
- Embrace dinner nights as a priority. // Schedule your week so this time becomes a priority meaning you say no to other things that might break the tradition.
If you're concerned about bringing the family together and not having enough to talk about to spark meaningful discussion, or not even knowing where to start, pdf download this "52 Family Dinner Discussions" document (42 KB) . Some of the suggested questions are silly or fun and some of them explore more personal or deeper topics. Either way, these are possible starting points for you to make it your own.
You will never regret making these memories. This month give this a shot and see how your family comes together!
Hope you enjoy a meal together this week!
Trusting Him together with you,
The NAC USA Family Ministry Team