ENGAGING ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIENCES FOR YOUR FAMILY
FEW THOUGHTS TO BEGIN
You asked for a few “prompts” to help further engage and inspire more meaningful family conversations on your upcoming vacation. While we may have more than you need, we wanted to give you enough ideas to get the juices flowing to cover you for your seven days together if things start flowing from the first day.
You asked me the other day something to the effect of, “Five years from now what will you do to help a family like ours become a Flourishing Family? What will your “playbook or game plan” be to help a family over time? The last ten years has taught us a lot about this process, and real life experience in a family of wealth has given us a sensitivity to what we can do together, along with my 30 years as a pastor, and informed what we will be recommending. That said, some of this is a whole new mindset and ministry to this unique community.
I wanted to let you know that your presence on our team has significantly accelerated our progress. We greatly appreciate your generous contributions and consider you a valued member of our family. As a result, we have already developed a version 1.0 in addition to our initial proposal. This progress began with the creation of the "Flourishing Family Reunions" document, which we recently put together for your friend John Kafka. Since then, we have expanded its scope to include other families, exploring new features and ideas that we wouldn't have pursued without you and your family.
To give you a glimpse of what we are developing for families, we would like to share a link to a more comprehensive document. While we can unpack it in more detail at a later date, we hope this will give you an encouraging overview of our progress. This is the same link we shared with John. It contains various ideas and suggestions that you can explore in a simplified form with your family. Our goal is to help your family, as well as others in the future, by providing a broader range of support.
For your upcoming Family Reunion, we have created a simpler plan that takes into account the time and setting. Each of our recommended activities and questions can be customized and adjusted to suit your specific context. We have developed a personalized mini "playbook" as a first step in this longer journey of helping you build a flourishing family for generations to come.
Please consider this as the initial step of an extended journey that we hope to embark on with you and your family over the next few years. Our goal is not just a one-time event but the beginning of something magical and meaningful for your family.
FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK,
WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING FOR YOUR FAMILY:
First, we have prepared a simple set of ideas to help you facilitate 7 Family Dinnertime Conversations. Additionally, we suggest 7 Family Activities that you can consider hosting in the evenings. While the order can be adjusted, and you can replace them with different ideas, we believe these questions and activities will engage, entertain, and bring meaning to your entire family. If you'd like, I am available to discuss a few things with you before your trip.
In this document, we have aimed to serve as your personal "Flourishing Family Coach," providing encouragement and equipping you every step of the way. Some things may feel natural, while others might be uncomfortable, but we encourage you to give them a try. Step into a place where you feel stretched but not entirely uncomfortable. Remember, it's impossible to please God, and Brett (just kidding), but do your best to try what we are suggesting and push the envelope for yourself, your spouse, and your family.
You can also mention to your family that a friend recently encouraged you to explore a few ways to bring your family even closer, engage at a whole new level, and discover fun ways to enjoy each other's company, allowing your family to flourish in new and exciting ways over the next few years. If it doesn't work out, you can blame it on us and let them know that you're trying something to help other families like yours, so they feel like they are part of a broader initiative rather than following a rigid program.
Furthermore, we recommend taking a brief moment each day, before dinner, to share a question around the table. This shouldn't take more than 20-30 minutes, allowing you to connect over a meal.
MORE ACTIVITIES
Secondly, we suggest a series of activities, either in the evening or during the day, designed to deepen your connection as a family, foster better understanding among family members, and create unique and memorable experiences. Some of these ideas are more traditional, but they have stood the test of time and have been enjoyed by other friends and families, making them proven winners in terms of entertainment and engagement.
We have listed far more than you will need but enough for you and the family to decide together. Pass these out and you will get your best response. They will figure it out together and you just let them pick their favorite and find a time we can work it in the schedule. You are the final gatekeeper but just watch and the family will pick exactly the number of questions and activities that it needs for a glorious time together.
FAMILY DINNERTIME CONVERSATIONS:
1. "Two Truths and a Lie": This game is a favorite for both adults and kids. Each person writes down two true things about their life that others may not know, along with one lie. The rest of the group tries to guess which statement is the lie. Encourage immediate family members who know the answers to remain silent and let others guess. This game allows everyone to share fun, entertaining, and even surprising aspects of their lives. Keep the momentum by having individuals write their responses down and letting them choose who goes next.
2. "Gramma and Grandma Hot Seat": Distribute 3x5 cards to everyone and have adults and kids ask questions they've always wondered about you as grandparents but never had the chance to ask or were too afraid. Questions can be funny or serious, touching on your life and marriage. Fold the cards and place them in a jar. Take turns answering the questions, with you and your wife alternating. Make sure to provide heartfelt and honest responses, demonstrating emotional engagement. You can save some questions for later if time is limited, answering them at home. Sit close to your spouse and be prepared for an exciting conversation.
3. "Emotional Check-In": Perhaps on the first or second night, ask each family member to rate how they are feeling on a scale of 1 to 10 in various areas such as emotions, family, work, travel, and health. Additionally, ask them to share one reason they are excited about being together for the week.
4. "Kids' Choice Question": Let the children know that they get to choose the question for one of the family conversations, making it fun and engaging for everyone.
5. Request each person to share two photos at the table. The first should be their favorite photo taken or received in the past year that held significant meaning for them, such as an accomplishment, family moment, work-related event, or relationship milestone. Keep the sharing brief but personal. The second photo should capture a cherished family memory from the past, whether it's funny, heartfelt, or simply unforgettable.
6. "Photo of the Day/Video of the Day": Encourage everyone to share their favorite photo or video taken each day and explain the significance behind it. This activity promotes sharing and capturing memorable moments throughout the trip, providing a unique perspective through everyone's eyes.
7. "Flourishing Family Stories":
Allocate time for each family member to share a story that highlights the concept of a flourishing family. These stories can inspire, encourage, or bring laughter to the table.
8. "Flourishing Family Album":
Create an album featuring significant events like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and role plays. Each person can contribute by sharing their favorite memories and moments.
9. "Family Contribution": Request each family to bring 25 photos from their collection, along with 5 photos from each individual, showcasing their personal experiences and perspectives.
This activity promotes unity and support within the family.
16. "Share the Floor: Kids' Questions": Provide an opportunity for younger kids (around 6-10 years old) and older kids (around 11-16 years old) to write down a question for the group or specifically for the kids. Encourage everyone to participate, and make it a fun and engaging experience for all.
17. "Most Embarrassing Moment": Start with grandpa and grandma and take turns sharing memorable and amusing embarrassing moments. This activity is always a family favorite and creates a lighthearted atmosphere for laughter and bonding.
14. "Cherished Family Values": Discuss the family values that you love and appreciate, and invite everyone to share their thoughts. Additionally, encourage each person to suggest one value that the family should consider adding and explain why it would be meaningful to include. Emphasize the importance of discussing why certain values are significant in fostering a strong family bond.
JUST A FEW THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
You model going first or ask someone to share first and not put someone on the spot.
Monitor time and keep the convo flowing…..may ask someone to help facilitate some of the convos.
You may want to pass around the responsibility some to different members so they have ownership and stay engaged you do the first few and maybe have one of the younger kids lead one night.
You may want to let it be a surprise what the question will be so they don’t over think it and hopefully enjoy the moment.
This is something I put together for leading small groups in a church setting but a number of the segments may help you navigate a few things ……as i work on this document i will call out more ideas that my specifically help you and others manage the conversations and activities. Just flip the conversations about small groups to your family group……
CATHEDRAL FAMILY ACTIVITIES:
As you explore the list below, you'll come across various activities that may feel familiar, as you may have already done them with family and friends in different settings. You might think that your family wouldn't be interested in certain activities, considering that you've been there and done that, or they may not align with your personal preferences. However, it's important to remember that sometimes the common, simple, or familiar activities can be revitalized and enjoyed together as if it were the first time for you and your entire family.
"Family Talent Show": Organize a special evening where each family member can showcase their unique talent. Whether it's singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or any other hidden skill, provide an opportunity for everyone to perform in front of the whole group. Encourage participation by having individuals sign up for acts or allowing impromptu performances. Sit together as a family and enjoy the incredible show!
"Storytelling Night": Set aside an evening dedicated to sharing stories. Each family member can take turns recounting a memorable experience, whether it's a funny anecdote, a heartwarming moment, or an adventurous tale. Encourage active listening and engagement from everyone, creating an atmosphere of laughter, emotion, and connection.
"Outdoor Movie Night": Transform your backyard or a cozy corner of the house into a makeshift outdoor cinema. Set up a projector and a large screen or hang a white sheet, and gather the family for a movie night under the stars. Prepare popcorn, snacks, and blankets for a cozy and enjoyable experience together.
"Family Game Night": Dedicate an evening to playing a variety of games that cater to different age groups and interests. Choose classic board games, card games, or interactive group games that encourage teamwork and friendly competition. Rotate through different games, allowing everyone to participate and have a great time together.
"Cooking Challenge": Divide the family into teams and assign each team a cooking challenge or theme. Provide ingredients and let the creativity flow as they prepare a dish within a specific time frame. Encourage collaboration, communication, and friendly rivalry as they showcase their culinary skills. Once the dishes are ready, enjoy a delicious family feast together.
"Nature Scavenger Hunt": Plan a scavenger hunt in a nearby park or natural setting. Create a list of items or clues that family members need to find or solve together. This activity promotes teamwork, problem-solving, and appreciation for the outdoors as you explore and discover hidden treasures as a family.
Watch a slideshow of family memories: Set up a projector and gather photos, videos, and music from the past year or family archives. Enjoy reminiscing together as you watch the slideshow of cherished moments. From Dad's fraternity days to Grandma with the beach lifeguards, it's a trip down memory lane for everyone.
Interview family members: Take the time to connect with the elders in your family. Record interviews where you ask them questions about their life experiences. This activity allows you to learn from their wisdom and create a meaningful keepsake for future generations. Prepare conversation starters to make the interviews engaging and mix serious and lighthearted topics.
funny memory or story about themselves or another family member. This activity creates a joyous atmosphere and builds lasting memories.
Make a family music video: Get creative and have everyone pick their favorite tune. Collaborate on creating an epic lip-sync performance or dance routine together. Assign a tech-savvy family member to edit the clips into a fun and memorable music video. Alternatively, you can pair people up into groups and have them perform their routine live, recording the performance for a delightful keepsake.
Family Karaoke Night: Bring your own boombox or use an online karaoke app or YouTube. Sing your hearts out and have a blast with a classic karaoke session. Get dressed up, and consider giving out awards for the best performances. Let grandma and grandpa kick off the night with their acting, singing, and dancing skills!
Family Awards Show: Create hilarious awards for everyone in the family, complete with printed gift certificates or dollar-store trophies. Choose a lively family member to host the award ceremony, inspired by The Office. Make it fun and lighthearted. For a deeper touch, have one of the grandparents host a second half of the awards, focusing on personal virtues, character qualities, or unique passions to affirm each family member.
Have a bonfire or stargazing session: Cozy up together by a bonfire or find a spot to gaze at the stars. Share stories, enjoy s'mores, and sing campfire songs. The atmosphere will be magical, and it provides an opportunity to engage in the conversations from the Flourishing Family Playbook.
Have a water balloon fight: Divide everyone into teams and let the water balloon war begin! For younger kids, pair them up with their parents for a water balloon toss. After the activity, use it as an opportunity to discuss and debrief how people worked together, their sensitivities, aggressiveness, and displays of initiative. Explore how different family members responded based on their temperaments, fostering a conversation about the uniqueness and beauty of your entire family. It can make for a great dinner-time conversation and serve as a basis for an award later.
Share family history: Ask everyone to bring family albums and share their favorite memories using the photos as illustrations. Let the family history inspire decorations, food choices, presentations, and other aspects of the reunion. Display photos and videos that showcase your family's story and lineage, honoring past generations, celebrating noteworthy family members, and introducing new additions. This helps pass down the family's legacy and teaches younger generations about their roots and the importance of coming together.
Storytime: Engage the kids with storytelling. Choose a representative from each nuclear family to tell a story about someone else in the family. Encourage them to share something sweet, unusual, or funny about a specific family member that most of the extended family may not know. Rotate between families and have the grandparents share stories that the kids might not be aware of. Keep the momentum going by involving the more humorous and dramatic storytellers in the family. Make it an ongoing activity as long as you have time.
Family Trivia: Organize a family-focused trivia night or afternoon, perhaps on the deck of a boat. Create questions that center around your family, with topics ranging from work-life and sports to love, marriage, and personal anecdotes. Encourage family members to come up with trivia questions as well. Make the questions specific to your family, such as asking about Uncle Jack's college soccer team or the year Grandma arrived in the U.S. It's a fun way to engage everyone, foster competition between different families or generations, and discover more about your family's unique story.
Family Blessings: Set aside time for mom and dad to share one thing about each of their adult children and in-laws that they believe is a gift from God and a blessing to everyone who knows them. Express love, belief, and appreciation for who they are within the family and in the world. Then, have each child's parents do the same for their own children, one by one. This activity can be spread over a longer period of time but can be incredibly powerful in affirming and cherishing each family member.
PERSONAL FAMILY INTERVIEWS (BONUS IDEA)
To capture memorable moments and create killer trailers and videos later, here are three questions you can ask each family member during the last few days of the trip. Encourage them to record their answers on their phones individually, and then come back together as a group to have a few people share their responses briefly. Promise to listen to all the answers and compile a medley of the responses to share with everyone. Here are the questions:
nvite each family member to express their gratitude for a specific aspect or quality of the family. This question encourages reflection on the family's strengths, values, and the relationships that make them feel grateful and blessed.
Remember to collect the video recordings from each family member and designate one person to upload them to a private Google Docs file or another suitable platform for easy access and compilation.
Capturing Photos and Videos to Share with Everyone Forever and all Together.
To capture the family discussions and activities during the trip, it's a great idea to involve your daughter or daughter-in-law in filming some of the dinner conversations and family activities. Here's a plan to ensure you get the best audio and video clips while respecting everyone's comfort and privacy:
express that her participation is voluntary and that you appreciate her help.
2. Ensure comfort levels: It's important to respect everyone's comfort levels. Discuss with her the minimum level of involvement she feels comfortable with. Assure her that there is no pressure, and she can contribute in a way that suits her.
3. Possibly use two cameras: To capture the best footage, consider using two cameras. One option could be using an iPhone or another smartphone for video recording. One on the whole group and one capturing what each person says….
4. Smartphones nowadays have good quality cameras. It would be convenient and familiar for your daughter or daughter-in-law to handle.
5. Prioritize audio quality: Good audio is crucial for capturing meaningful conversations. Provide guidance on how to position the cameras to capture clear audio. Encourage her to get closer to the conversation and ensure the microphone is not obstructed.
6. Keep it private: Emphasize that the recordings are for family use only. Ensure that no social media sharing is allowed without prior consent from all family members involved. Assure her that you have access to a private platform exclusively for the family where the recordings will be stored securely.
7. Transparency and control: Make it clear that nothing will be uploaded without the family's knowledge or consent. Assure her that if anyone wishes to take down any content, they have the freedom to do so. This will help maintain trust and respect everyone's privacy.
8. Set up for outdoor activities: If there are family activities taking place outdoors, suggest setting up the camera to capture the moments. Provide guidance on framing the shots and angles to ensure the best visuals.
9. Three questions: As mentioned, have a set of three questions prepared that you would like family members to answer. Instruct your daughter or daughter-in-law on how to conduct these mini-interviews to capture heartfelt responses.
memories forever.
So that is why the aggregation and curation of the content in some shared google doc or drop box can be most helpful. But being able to convert these quickly on the trip can be complex and difficult to the untrained eye.
We are hoping the 20 tips and techniques will help you and your family discover the best ways of leveraging the favorite past, present and even future photos, and videos of your most sacred stories shared around the table, amazing moments in the water, afternoons hanging out, evening times of affirmation, favorite evening activities, memorable events, and lasting legacy building content.
The range of this question could be just as simple as who and how do you put things together to the more significant conversation about curating and even producing after the event content to send to the family in the weeks following your time together.
First, we are sending (or I recommend you create on your own) a simple google doc file for everyone in the family to upload photos capture at the gathering so they could be shared with something like “Apple play” that somebody needs to make sure you will have ready so you can share photos for the whole family to see at anytime in the dining room.
Second, I recommend you find one person to assume the role of aggregating and collecting all the photos and family videos. Both before, during and after the event. They could curate the best of from the family or collect what the family shares up on the screen for all to see. We could help coach.
Third, you could do a “daily highlight reel” with a collection of the best short videos and photos to share at beginning or end of the day or do a “mid and/or end” of trip highlight reel.
Fourth, make it a fun family competition out of it each day and have grandma and grandpa do the voting for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Maybe have a few prizes for kids and adults.
Fifth, motivate and mobilize every family member to become a videographer and photographer. That way you get the best volume and library to chose from for making albums digitally and physically. Plus the broll options are amazing. The more the merrier.
blast and you will have video forever. You will be glad you did.
And while you are there grab a waterproof moble boom box for $200 ….they will have multiple in same places. Music gets families singing and dancing and makes great video footage for the library. A dance off would be great afternoon fun.
Eighth, Typically we do all of this for you at major events but not for intimate family gatherings like this trip. There is a 4 step process that we use or we can coach you and your family. This is over simplified but wanting to make sure you have all you need.
Ninth, Capturing is vital in this exact moment, uploading is second, editing is third and showing/sharing is fourth and archiving is last…..there are numerous options and I mentioned a few above but few other things to add.
Capturing ….for now just get the cameras rolling. And as many as possible. Later we could help you capture some of the legacy stories, values, conversations and panels between the family. Look at Johns series ideas and the questions of the 5 capitals.
Feel free to cherry pick any of these questions for your dinner conversations and activities. iPhones and any moble phone is good enough for this stage. Record you (and others) sharing the stories of each photo. You can put pictures to video of this later. It will be sacred.
Ideally, you hire professionals for the more vital and timeless content down the road. Especially for big stuff and longer more important stuff. More on that later but for now we need empower everyone to be a family photographer of the moments and memories of the day.
Editing…..you could have someone do some simple editing so people don’t get board or have somebody like us do it in post production and send later. We need to have all your family photos digitized anyway. You have a lot of them but bring a few of them on a backpack or purse so doesn’t get lost and could share w family in a relaxed and intimate setting to share the stories.
Showing, Sharing could be projected as mentioned or created in small segments and clips later to begin your journey of building your fully secure Flourishing Family Legacy Library.
Archiving …..go to FamilyArc.com. It’s incredible.
Tenth, We are doing our best in this section to introduce you to our Flourishing Family University Coaching program. It’s a work in progress but it will take all of this kind of content and process to a whole new level of training and proven techniques. Helping multiple member in your family become certified in some of these soft skills and production skills. Another progress report.
Eleventh, this basic training is designed to equip, educate, encourage and empower you to do this yourself or selected family members not just for this trip but for ANY birthday, anniversary, wedding shower, high school graduation, retirement party, but we do this as a family for ANY celebration….big or small,,,,,the other big opportunities we never miss include MOTHERS DAY AND FATHERS DAY, CHRISTMAS OR EASTER (share a praise report, prayer request as family or individual) Thanksgiving share one thing thankful for last year and on thing prayerful this year. And record these public for “ family eyes only” on day loaded to the Famiky Arc library).
they have from baby pictures to wedding pictures to cute videos from kids plays, sports etc and aggregate them digitally once and for ALL. key work is ALL.
Fourteenth, as mentioned It may be helpful to get some outside help making this happen professionally comprehensively and creatively. And to put new videos with the photos as broll to this project. This is big task and worth getting it done right but only it only need be done one time for the past photos and videos. Then you have them for your family forever. And for future videos it’s all the conversations and commentary at different stages of your families life and legacy.
Fifteenth, make sure you get and capture at least the audio of every significant conversation. Put the phone next to the primary person sharing. Especially grandma and grandpa. Multiple iPhones could capture this audio but ask a few to capture the main speakers with video. But just having audio because they are sensitive to video in some cases will work but plead for them to be open it will just be our family. The people need to be assigned and discreet.
Especially you, your kids about the history and stories behind that photo that really matter. May not seem like much then but later I promise it will be like gold.
A FEW NEXT STEPS
1. I’d Love to chat briefly to make sure things are clear and I could help you navigate some of the topics and categories that may not be clear.
2. Let’s see if we could have a quick call tomorrow or Monday (if you like and can) and if you like we could make a simple 2-4 page document with your final choices for questions and activities if you like. We could have it before you leave.
3. Always use the current gathering to engage the key influencers, family members and selected grandkids in the hopes of building on the foundation and the new traditions we started together on this reunion….. See it as a catalyst for how we could explore more and better ways for your family to flourish!!!
4. I can’t recommend something stronger than this digital frame to give as a Gift for the whole family. Perfect way for them to share and swap photos all year long…..we could collect a number of the highlights and send in medley form just to coach your crew……
5. Grab a good Boom box that could be portable incase you need to do any of the activities away from the boat……I could suggest a few….
6. Be sure to set up Apple play for anyone to share or show a photo or video from the day with the larger group. Having a small screen iphone will work but having one person coordinate sending photos and videos would be awesome and make the experience so much better……making sure you are good technically is key. Especially with Karaoke and a music video night should you choose……
Click the link above
7. Loading photos for people can be cumbersome and looking at photo albums clunky…..getting as many of the families to find their selected family photos before the trip would be idea and send to one central place to displace smoothly inside by the dinner table or outside on the deck
8.. Begin with the end in mind…..let them know you are hoping and wanting to just keep the family fires burning stronger and your heart and hope to create a pathway and plan to do whatever it takes to have our family flourish not only for my grand kids but for your grandkids and beyond….
9. Lead with the high level “Why” questions and the “Vision” for your family flourishing for generations to come…
10. .Finally, know we are praying for you and your entire family. We know some of this is more natural than others but we know this will help take your family deeper each day both in learning more about each other and laughing with each other.
help “sharpen the saw” as a parent, grandparent, and patriarch/matriarch generational leader. Some of what is below represents repurposed content I have used for decades in literally coaching and developing the largest volunteer army of small group leaders in over 50,000 churches around the world. The crossover between leading a “small group” of any kind in a home, business or church has an 80 percent vision, value and strategy crossover with a large “Family Group” or simply family like yours. I have done generic “Family Ministry” in churches for over 30 years that includes working with not just the parents but with the kids of all ages, so I’m aware of the challenges.
While I know some of the content and coaching material is not transferable, the SAMPLE of segments below, I think you will see, are building blocks in a “Flourishing Family University” playbook, masterclass, and family group curriculum for the future. We are shooting with live ammo here!
I appreciate your grace and willingness to both engage and support our efforts to serve a million families of wealth over the next decade with tools and resources that could change the world for Christ.
FAMILY SHEPHERDS--A GUIDE
FOR FAMILY LEADERS
God is our Father and as fathers and mothers we should learn to take care of families from the way He takes care of us. Family leaders, that is, mothers and fathers are shepherds and need to have a shepherd’s heart.
Scripture teaches that the father looks across the earth and seeks those whose hearts are fully his (2 chronicles 16:9). Jesus wants every lost sheep to have a shepherd and be brought into a flock. He calls each of his followers to become a shepherd investing in the spiritual lives of others.
As the acrostic HEART explains, to be a shepherd, all you need is a shepherd’s heart.
In Matthew 9:35-38, we read that Jesus looked over the multitude and saw that a shepherd was necessary for every sheep. His own small group of disciples is a model—not only for caring for sheep, but for cultivating an unlimited harvest of shepherds. Jesus noted that “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” Are you willing to be sent out into the field of your own household and the households in your extended family?
RELUCTANCE AS A LEADER OF THE PACK
It is common for most good leaders to feel unready to lead, even parents and grandparents sometimes struggle. Some of the best biblical leaders were reluctant and uncertain of themselves. Moses gave God five reasons why he wasn’t humanly qualified for the task of delivering God’s people. Peter needed to be told three times be a shepherd for Jesus’ sheep. People who are hesitant are sometimes the best candidates to be used by God as a leader, especially when it comes to being leaders of their families.
Three reasons we are reluctant actually grow out of a powerful understanding of what God is doing in family life, and they make you a better leader.
1. This is bigger than my abilities. Leading a family so that they develop healthy and godly lives is a part of God’s grand plan to transform the world. It is definitely bigger than your abilities! It’s not supposed to be something you accomplish on your own. But you are not alone; God does the work through you and others. God invites ordinary people like you to join His extraordinary mission. Reluctance that comes from recognizing that this is beyond your abilities is a good thing because it makes you dependent on God.
You aren’t seeking to lead your family in order to have power over others or prestige in the eyes of others. Your motive is to serve God. You will grow as you step out in faith, cooperate with God’s plan, and trust in Him instead of trying to do your own thing in your own strength. God has promised to be present with you, lead you, and empower you for the task as you humbly follow Him.
family should have is the ability to talk with people about your experience of God in ordinary language that an unbeliever will understand. In the church we use some specialized words like “repentance” and “being saved.” Of course, the average person who hasn’t been to church very often has no clue what these words mean. Even if your family has been to church faithfully, there may be children in your family who have not learned and internalized these special words yet.
But you speak ordinary language, and you have a story. You may not think your story is all that interesting, but our families will be interested in our experience of God—if we talk in ordinary language and if we give them brief pieces of our story that fit into an ordinary conversation.
A good way to do this is by shaping ahead of time how you would tell your story. Having your story prepared in your mind before an opportunity to share it arises helps you make the most of that sharing opportunity. Here are some guidelines on what you might include in your story:
1. What my life was like before I met Jesus. What substitutes for God I used in order to find meaning in life.
2. How I realized I needed Jesus.
3. How I committed my life to Jesus.
4. The difference this choice has made in my life.
For each of these categories, you should come up with a one-minute story to weave together—or to be individually popped into a conversation. If any part of your story goes on longer than one minute, you may lose your family’s interest.
substitute something for God sometime in your Christian life. It may be work, money, success, or the perfect family. These are all things someone outside the church can relate to. Your story will pack its biggest punch when you then tell why Jesus is better than these things.
Take a few minutes to write your one-minute story using whatever organization works for your experience. Then practice sharing it with one or two other family members you trust and ask for their feedback on what they observed. What resonated with them?
might obscure your main message? Take their feedback and revise your story until you are confident it would communicate clearly to your family members, even if some are unbelievers.
This is a great exercise to do with your family. Give them these instructions and time to draft their spiritual stories. Then have them gather in pairs or triplets to practice sharing their stories with one another and get feedback in the safe space of your family gathering.
Being asked to tell your story may make you feel like Moses when God told him to speak in front of others, and he said, “Oh Lord, I can’t do it! I am slow of speech and tongue!” And the Lord said, “I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:10-12). If you’re nervous about how you’ll tell your story, remember that God will help you as you write your story and as you share it with your family. This will be a powerful experience for everyone.
FAMILY DISCUSSION LEADERSHIP 101
Congratulations! You have responded to the call to help shepherd Jesus’ flock by shepherding your family. There are few other tasks in the family of God that surpass the contribution that family leaders (mothers, fathers, and grandparents make. As you prepare to lead—whether it is for one gathering, an entire series of gatherings, or for life—here are a few thoughts to keep in mind.
and He knew that you would be called to lead your family even though you may not feel ready. This is common for all good leaders. Moses, Solomon, Jeremiah, and Timothy—they were all reluctant to lead. God promises, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Whether you are leading for one evening, for several weeks, or for a lifetime, you will be blessed as you serve your family in this way.
2. Don’t try to do it alone. Pray right now to prepare yourself for this sacred task. Also, if you can enlist a co-leader, a spouse or other family leader, to help you lead the group, you will find your experience to be much richer. This is your chance to involve as many people as you can in planning your family gathering time. All you have to do is call and ask someone to assist—you’ll be surprised at the response.
3. Just be yourself. If you won’t be you, who will? God wants to use your unique gifts and temperament. Don’t try to do things exactly like another leader; do them in a way that fits you! Your family will appreciate the variety, and you will have a lot more fun.
4. Prepare for your family meeting ahead of time. Review the session, and write down your responses to each of the questions. Pay special attention to exercises that ask family members to do something other than engage in discussion. These exercises will help your family live what the Bible teaches, not just talk about it. Be sure you understand how an exercise works and bring any necessary supplies (such as paper or pens) to your gathering.
pray, or do anything. If you give them a safe setting, they will blossom over time.
7. When guiding the discussion, always read the transitional paragraphs and the questions out loud. Ask the family if anyone would like to read the paragraph or Bible passage. Don’t single anyone out, but ask for a volunteer —and then be patient until someone begins. Thank the person who reads aloud.
strongly encourage you to have the group gather in discussion circles of three or four people during the discussion time. With a greater opportunity to talk in a small circle, people will connect more with the study and ultimately get more out of it. A small circle also encourages a quiet person to participate, and tends to minimize the effects of a more vocal or dominant family member. When you gather again at the end of the discussion time, you can have one person summarize the highlights from each circle.
Small circles can also be helpful during prayer time. People who are unaccustomed to praying aloud will feel more comfortable trying it with just two or three others. Also, prayer requests won’t take as much time, so circles will have more time to actually pray. When you gather back with the whole family, you can have one person from each circle briefly update everyone on the prayer requests. Family members are more willing to pray in small circles if they know that the whole group will hear all the prayer requests.
9. One final challenge, especially for those leading family gatherings for the first time: Before your first opportunity to lead, look up each of the five passages listed below. Read each one as a devotional exercise to help prepare yourself with a shepherd’s heart. Trust us on this one. If you do this, you will be more than ready for your first meeting.
Matthew 9:36
1 Peter 5:2-4
Psalm 23
Ezekiel 34:11-16
1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, 11-12
Why Have a Family Discussion Agreement?
One of the most helpful tools for a healthy family gathering and discussion is an agreement or covenant. An agreement is a document that spells out the family’s priorities, values, expectations, and ground rules. This helps communicate clear expectations for participation and any potential challenges with logistics so that families can proactively work together for solutions.
If the leader encourages the family to discuss and decide its direction early on and write down its expectations up front, they can work through conflict before people get to the point of frustration. It also gets people to think more intentionally about what doing life together as a family will look like.
WHAT’S IN A FAMILY DISCUSSION AGREEMENT?
A family discussion agreement should include a statement of the gathering’s purpose as well as its values and expectations of members, such as attendance, participation, confidentiality, and openness. It is also an opportunity to hammer out basic logistics like meeting location and times, who will provide snacks, and how childcare will be handled. Here’s a sample template:
HOW DO WE MAKE A FAMILY DISCUSSION AGREEMENT?
It is a good idea to introduce the family discussion agreement to your group early in the process. It’s worth taking a few minutes early on to lay this foundation for genuine fellowship. Start by spelling out the importance of having a simple agreement so that everyone is on the same page. This idea of a family agreement may be new to your family, so be sensitive to questions and try to disarm any fears.
Explain that this is just a simple tool, used by tens of thousands of intentional families like yours, to help build trust, connection, and group health over time. Once you have explained how having a family discussion agreement can help your family, open discussion for the group to decide together how to handle potential challenges such as schedules or communication with the group.
If some people have concerns about a specific item or the agreement as a whole, be sensitive to their questions. Feel free to customize your family’s agreement to fit your family according to your goals.
For example, your family might choose to add a commitment to plan and participate in some kind of service activity or decide that rotating hosting responsibilities doesn’t work for the current situation. Involving the whole group in making these decisions invites everyone to take ownership of making this family gathering work.
Finally, putting the agreement in writing and asking each person to sign it calls for a commitment to doing life together for this season. Your family discussion agreement is a living document. Your family can revisit and revise its agreement at the end of its whenever there is a significant change in the family. This document exists to help your family grow as a healthy family doing life together.
What areas would your family benefit from discussing up front? Make it a priority to establish a solid foundation for your family discussion gatherings with a family agreement like the one on the next page
OUR FAMILY DISCUSSION AGREEMENT
To be reviewed quarterly, or as needed.
Attendance: To give priority to the family meeting. Call when absent or late.
Safety: To help create a safe place where people can be heard. No quick answers or judgments.
Confidentiality: To keep anything that is shared strictly confidential. What’s said in family gathering stays in family gathering.
Encouragement: To give permission to family members to hold you accountable to the goals you set for yourself.
Responsibility: To take an active role in the responsibilities of this family gathering and discussion.
DEVELOPING THE SKILLS
One of the common things that makes new family leaders feel uncertain is the expectation that leading a family discussion gathering requires special skills. The fact is, you probably already have the basic skills that will help you lead a family meeting, you just need to learn how to use them for the various tasks involved in leading your family gathering. In fact, leading a family gathering will help you practice and develop your skills. Even if you feel pretty confident in your skills, everyone has areas where they can improve
Let’s talk about some tips for developing leadership skills in a number of these areas. Think of who you look at as an example of someone who seems to be a natural at some aspect of leading a small group gathering. What do you admire about them?
1 Corinthians 12:7 says that God gives every believer spiritual gifts not just for their own benefit but to be used to benefit the community and family. Jesus sent His disciples to minister to others in pairs, and He instructed them to pray to the Lord of harvest to send more workers (Luke 10:1-2). They weren’t meant to carry the load all by themselves. But most families end up being led by just one person. That’s a huge burden that you aren’t meant to carry alone.
The load usually falls on one person because many leaders feel like the only way to get things done is to do it themselves. And it doesn’t occur to family members to volunteer because they don’t know that taking on a responsibility is part of being a full member of God’s family or your family. If you’re part of the family, you pitch in. In fact, the Bible clearly teaches that every member of the Christian community is a minister, not just the handful of people who serve in defined roles. The challenge here is that everyone who joins your family gathering should be in ministry, no matter how small or large the role.
in a safe community. So give your family members a chance to be part of the family and experiment with what their gifts might be.
Dont wait for people to volunteer, because that probably wont happen! You have to explain that this family is a team and everyone has something to contribute. Then you have to specifically ask them to be involved. The most effective way to identify and select people to serve comes out of a discussion of every members personal gifts and personal goals (see the gifts assessment in the appendix). You might do this with your entire family, or you might do it with your committed family leaders even before your group starts. In whichever setting you choose, have everyone fill out the gifts worksheet and share their results with each other. This naturally leads to clarification of which role best suits each person.
The second method is for you as a family leader to pray over who you think would be best in which role. Then simply ask them. Take the pressure off by suggesting that they test drive it for a few weeks. Sometimes the best time to ask people to take on a role is right after a great meeting. You close in prayer and then say, heres the task. Will you take this on or coordinate this one project? Nine out of ten people will say yes if you ask them, especially if its a one-time deal or for a short duration like the next three weeks, not forever. Promise to rotate roles every month so that people can try different things.
One concern of nearly every family discussion leader is how to get everyone to open up and participate. There are five main areas where you can promote greater participation.
1. Personal example
When it comes to getting everyone to participate in your family discussion, it’s important that you—their leader—know your level of openness is the primary factor in setting the tone for the family’s involvement and openness. Being authentic yourself will make all the difference in your family’s participation. Sharing yourself openly is not just about what you say but also about how you lead. When you lead a group, don’t try to do things exactly like another leader, just be yourself. God wants to use your unique gifts and temperament.
After someone responds, affirm them and their response, whether it is a great answer or a one-word response. It could be a simple thanks or good job. This makes it safe for people to share their thoughts. Then ask, how about somebody else? Or would someone who hasnt shared like to add anything? Be sensitive to reluctant family members who arent ready to say, pray, or do anything. If you give them a safe setting, they will blossom over time.
3. Asking for readers
A good way to decrease response time is to provide transitions between questions. When guiding the discussion, always read aloud the transitional paragraphs and the questions. Ask the family if anyone would like to read the paragraph or bible passage. Dont read around the circle or call on anyone. Even if you know they dont mind reading, it can make more anxious readers nervous that you might call on them next time. Ask for a volunteer, and then be patient until someone begins. Be sure to thank the person who reads aloud.
4. Sub-groups
participation is especially problematic in larger groups. As we said above, if your family gathering has more than seven people, heres a great technique for encouraging sharing: separate your family into discussion circles of three or four people after the teaching segment. This will double the amount of time any one person can share. When you gather again at the end of the section, you can have one person summarize the highlights from each circle.
With a greater opportunity to talk in a small circle, people will connect more with the study, apply more quickly what theyre learning, and ultimately get more out of it. The more vocal people wont dominate as much, and the quiet people will get drawn out. And it can help people feel heard and loved in your family.
5. Prayer groups
If you dont want to subgroup for the study discussion, at least do it for the prayer time at the end. People who are unaccustomed to praying aloud feel more comfortable trying it with just two or three others. Even if they want to pray silently, its less scary in a circle of three. Also, prayer requests wont take as much time, so circles will have more time to actually pray. When you gather back with the whole family gathering, have one person from each circle briefly update everyone on the prayer requests, or keep a prayer sheet for the whole group so that everybody knows whats happening with everybody. People are more willing to pray in small circles if they know that the whole group will hear all the prayer requests.
Which one or two of these tips do you want to try to increase participation with your family gathering?
CONVERSATION STARTERS
If your family members seem reluctant to talk, realize that good questions draw people in and keep a conversation flowing.
Be on the lookout for good questions.
Below are some suggestions:
1. What’s your preferred ice cream flavor? Where do you usually enjoy it?
2. How many brothers and sisters do you have? What is your birth order?
3. Which do you prefer: the hustle and bustle of city life or the quiet and serenity of country life? Why?
4. What’s your all-time favorite meal, and how often do you enjoy it?
5. What’s one of your nicknames? What do you prefer to be called?
6. As a child, what was your idea of fun?
19. What are you a “natural” at doing? What skills have you just always had?
20. How often do you leisurely eat a meal with friends?
Why cultivate authenticity?
One of the key traits of a healthy family is authenticity, but it can be hard to get people to feel comfortable sharing themselves with others. This applies to leaders like you too!
The apostle Paul said that his own weakness was a blessing because it made God’s power stand out far more obviously in his life (2Corinthians 12:9). This is clearly the opposite of the myth most leaders believe: that people in leadership need to appear perfect. Instead, Paul says being authentic with people about our weaknesses provides the most powerful model of humility, authority, and spiritual power.
So tell your family about your struggles along with your successes, share what you wonder about along with what you have learned, confess your sins to one another along with your celebrations, and ask for prayer for yourself along with praying for others. God will be pleased, and your family will grow deeper.
You are the role model, and your family will follow your example. When you’re authentic, your family will be more authentic. Your openness lets your family know you don’t have it all together either, and this makes it safer for everybody else to be open as well. So, lead the way for your family to start opening up so that they let themselves be known and loved.
Ideally, give people ten minutes to figure out what they want to talk about and do the drawing, and then five minutes apiece to share with the family. Share these key influences from your own life first, and be sure that whatever you share about yourself comes from the heart and gives the family members a real glimpse of who you are deep down.
Depending on timing, maybe you want to ask people to share just one person or event that has left a lasting impression on their lives. Another option is to have them share their lasting impressions and pray together in smaller circles of three or four people.
the group stays in the group. Make it clear that you still accept, embrace, and value people no matter what they share.
Pay attention as people share, and when they’re done, genuinely thank them. Acknowledge when someone says something that moves you. Even if someone shares something that seems bland, let them know that you appreciate their story just as much as someone else’s.
One of the dangers of being authentic is that all of a sudden hard, real-life stuff can come in and run headlong into your faith. As a family leader, at first I thought I was supposed to have all of the answers, but I have learned that people aren’t really looking for answers. They are just looking for someone who understands what they’re going through. They are comforted when they can look across the room and find that you’re struggling, too. Through you, they hear Jesus say, “You’re not alone. You don’t have to go through this by yourself.”
Your goal as a family leader is to create a community where people are known and loved. Cultivating authenticity by inviting everyone to start sharing their stories is the first step.
Think about the baseline level of authenticity in your group. What would it look like for you to lead the way to take it to the next deeper level?
When this happens, smart leaders say, “Hey, here’s a chance for everybody to grow.” If your family is at this point, I hope you’ll tell them straight out that conflict is part of every family’s development and can lead to great things.
Don’t run from challenges, questions, or conflict in your family. However, there are practical things you can do to ensure that conflict doesn’t dominate your family gathering.
1. Make a family gathering agreement. Much conflict can be avoided if the leader lets the family openly discuss and decide its direction using the family gathering agreement. This agreement outlines the ground rules for your family discussions. If you write down your expectations early on, conflict will occur less later on and can be addressed before it grows. When conflict does arise, you can revisit this agreement and decide whether it needs to be revised.
2. Periodically facilitate discussion to evaluate the progress of your family gatherings. After a few sessions, assess how things are going and just throw out questions: “How’s it going? What is one thing you like? What is one thing you’d change if you could? What is something you’d like to say to the family but haven’t said?” You may want to have your family members write out their answers on 3x5 cards to make it safer. Tell them they can write anonymously or even ask that what they write be kept private. Thank the family members for being honest, and tell them that you’re going to take the cards home and read them prayerfully. When you read these cards, please don’t take what people write as personal criticism. But don’t let it end there either. These are issues for your family to work together to resolve.
time (Matthew 18:15-20). Take the time in your next meeting for the family to discuss these issues. What you shouldn’t do is read a problem from a card and tell the family how you’ll deal with it. Instead, state an issue, express that you hear it as a real issue that needs to be addressed, and throw it back to the group to discuss and resolve it. If two cards give opposite opinions, put that on the table. Let the family take responsibility for resolving the issue. Ask for everyone’s opinions, and don’t try to control the outcome. The gathering belongs to the family, not to the leader.
3. Though issues within your family should be held confidentially, sometimes you may need to get outside counsel. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to admit to a trusted advisor that your family is struggling with something. Instead, look at conflict as an opportunity to grow.
A good family leader wants family members can grow in community. There is no shame in seeking help navigating a conflict for the health of your family. Maturity is not measured by the absence of conflict in a family but by the ability to handle conflict well. Following these three practical tips will help your family mature through conflict instead of running away from it.
Think of an area where your family is currently experiencing tension or conflict. How can you lead your family to address this area in a healthy way that will strengthen the family?
In Matthew 9:35-38, Jesus looked at the crowds following Him and saw them as sheep without a shepherd. He was moved with compassion because they were “distressed and downcast” (NASB); the NIV says they were “harassed and helpless.” The Greek text implies that He was moved to the point of tears. Jesus came to earth and died to save this flock. He wants every sheep—even the one stray from the flock of 100—to have a faithful shepherd. Family discussion gatherings help fulfill His desire.
Never forget that you were once one of those sheep yourself. We urge you to keep yourself and your family focused, not just inwardly on each other, but also outwardly to people beyond your family.
God’s dream for your family members really is that over time each will grow to shepherd other people and their own families. The start they often need is simply reading in the family; then they might facilitate a circle of three or four people for prayer.
Eventually, Lord willing, some of them will go on to leading a family or mentoring a new believer. This is the end that you are looking toward even before you start your first meeting. A family leader’s goal is to build a healthy family that produces healthy people over time, people who go on to invest in the spiritual lives of others.
As a leader, you can ignite in your family Jesus’ compassion for outsiders. Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19, NASB). We assume that you and your family are following Him. So how is your fishing going?
wrong gifts. Each of us receives different gifts, and when we show others what we think our gifts are, they can look at them and affirm them or say, “You know what? I don’t think that’s yours--it’s probably somebody else’s. Try this one instead.”
The best way to test the results of the Assessment is to have each person try serving in some area at your church or in your community where they think their gifts are. Start a conversation with your family about ways each person in your family could put their gifts into practice by taking on a responsibility within the family or serving in some ministry outside the family. Then support and encourage each other to actually try it out!
The question is not whether the people in your family have gifts but rather what gifts God has given them and how He wants to use them. When can you set aside time for your family members to identify and affirm their gifts in the next few weeks?
GIFTS ASSESSMENT
Use the GIFTS Assessment exercise as a starting point for your family members to discover their particular gift-mix. Distribute a copy of the worksheet to each member in your family. Have them fill it out and then share it with the family.
Gifts (Spiritual)
Preaching (1 Cor. 14:3)
Evangelism (Acts 8:26-40)
Discernment (1 John 4:1)
Apostle (Rom. 15:20)
Teaching (Eph. 4:12-13)
Encouragement (Acts 14:22)
Wisdom (1 cor. 2:1, 6-16)
Missions (1 Cor. 9:19-23; Acts 13:23)
Service (Acts 6:1-7; 1 Cor. 12:28)
Mercy (Rom. 12:8)
Hospitality (1 Peter 4:9-10)
Pastoring (1 Peter 5:2-4)
Giving (2 Cor. 8:1-7)
Intercession (Col. 1:9-12)
Music (Psalm 150)
Arts & Craftsmanship (Exodus 31:3-11)
Healing (James 5:14-16)
Miracles (Mark 11:23-24)
Leadership (Heb. 13:7, 17)
Administration (1 Cor. 14:40)
Faith (Rom. 4:18-21)
Gifts (Spiritual)
Design/Develop
Pioneer
Organize
Operate/Maintain
Serve/Help
Acquire/Possess
Excel Perform Improve Repair
Lead/Be in Charge
Persevere
Follow the Rules
Prevail Influence
Familiar Experiences
HI LOW HI
Extroverted
Introverted Routine
Variety
Self-controlled
Self-expressive
Cooperative
Familiar Experiences
Spiritual Painful Educational
Vocational Ministry
Familiar Experiences
Entertaining
Recruiting
Planning
Evaluating
Managing
Researching
Artistic/Graphics
Interviewing
Counseling
Teaching
Writing/Editing
Promoting
Repairing
Feeding
Recall
Mechanical Operating
Resourceful
Counting/Classifying
Public Relations
Welcoming
Composing
Landscaping
Arts & Crafts
Decorating
Musical
4. What are some things you’ve done that have increased affinity between members of your immediate family or the broader extended family? What do you see as the long-term multigenerational benefit of doing these things that would increase affinity?
spouse’s families? Why might it be valuable to incorporate multiple family names when referencing your family?
8. In what ways do you share, celebrate and perpetuate the family stories from both spouse's lineage? What could be the benefits of doing this more now and for future generations?
relationship or group involves giving up something in the hope of gaining something. For example, committing to a marriage or family means giving up the freedom to decide everything on your own in favor of making decisions with other family members in mind.
9. What does it mean to you to voluntarily choose to be committed to and engage with your extended family? And in choosing to be an integral part of this family, what are you giving up as an individual in hopes of gain something more?
10. What are some reasons that you might want to give up something (or give up some freedom) in order to fully engage in this family? (I.e.. what are you hoping to gain as a result of what you are giving up?)
11. Fill in the blanks on the following statement: If I were to more fully commit myself to enhance the happiness and success of each member of our family to help the whole family, I might be willing to give up ____________ in hope that I might eventually gain more ___________________. (For example, I might be willing to give up my freedom to make decisions on my own in favor of making joint decisions with others in our family believing that this will ultimately create a greater freedom.)
12. Why are people in your family interested in enhancing the journey and happiness of others in your family? What are some things that you do to enhance the journey and happiness of others in your family? What difference has this made in your life and/or in the life of the family?
RE-DEFINING WEALTH
13. How does your family define wealth? Why does your family define wealth the way it does?
14. How would you prefer your family to define wealth? Why would that definition of wealth be valuable to you or to your family?
15. If wealth is defined as well-being, why would the well-being of every other member in the family be important to you?
16. Why does your well-being matter to others in your family?
17. What would make you want to have a family where each individual family member seeks the well-being of each and every other individual family member towards the flourishing of the entire family?
YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY
Context for Questions: For purposes of this discussion, we’ll identify that there are five forms of capital in your family. (Maybe briefly describe each.)
18. What is the purpose of financial capital in your family?
19. What is the purpose of each of the other capitals in your family? (Discuss each qualitative capital, one at a time.)
20. Why are each of these capitals important to you and your family? (Discuss each capital, one at a time.)
21. What is the purpose of the inheritance you have received or (or will receive)?
22. What do you see as the purpose of any inheritance you might give?
benefits and challenges of inheritance?
26. How could inheritance create more of a blessing to others in our family now and in future generations?
27. How would you describe the difference in an inheritance that is seen as a transfer, versus one that is seen as a gift? What is the difference in impact on the giver and receiver if an inheritance is seen as a transfer or as a gift?
serves to help your family relationally? How does it serve your family spiritually? How does is serve your family socially? How does it serve you family intellectually?
your family served your family qualitative capitals even more effectively? How would you describe your dreams for how this could work best in the future?
32. What are the benefits to you and to our family that could result from growing each of the five forms of capital? (For each of the five capitals ask: Why is it important for your family to develop and transfer this capital? Why is it important for you?)
33. What are the potential downsides to our family if we were to focus primarily on developing and transferring financial capital?
SEVEN GENERATION THINKING
34. How could it benefit our family to regularly think about how our decisions and actions now will impact our family seven generations from now? What are the potential benefits to you of this seven-generation thinking?
35. What is it inside of you that makes you even curious about the question of human flourishing family flourishing for generations?
36. How do we know when we as a family are placing appropriate priority on both flourishing together and flourishing individually?
40. If each one in your family were to have the contact information of all of your first cousins in your phones, what would be the benefit to you and to your family? What would be the benefit if when any of you called all your first cousins, aunts or uncles, they would immediately recognize your voice? To what degree is that true in our family now?
41. What are some of the wisdom stories that you have heard from someone in our family who is older in a prior generation than you?
42. What did the oldest person you know in this family tell you about someone who is even older than them? (Maybe a story about what was valuable to them or that illustrates some wisdom or sense of values.) Why it is valuable to know and transfer these types of stories in our family?
CATHEDRAL FAMILY UNIVERSITY
HOW TO NAVIGATE CONFLICT
CREATIVE WAYS TO PRAY
CELEBRATE ONE ANOTHER MOVING FORWARD WITH FEEDBACK
