Pure Love

Family Home Evening Lesson
Love

Opening Song: "Jesus said love everyone" Childrens Songbook # 61

Opening Prayer: Child

Lesson:

Leading up to Valentines Day I like to make a little display on our Mantle and have a few FHE lessons On Love.

See previous years ideas here here and here

I wanted to focus on the pure love of Christ and Charity.

We will discuss these scriptures:
Matthew 22:35-39
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt ^alove the Lord thy God with all thy ^bheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy ^cmind.

38 This is the first and great ^acommandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt ^alove thy neighbour as thyself.

1 Corinthians 13

1 John 4:20-21
If a man say, I love God, and ^ahateth his ^bbrother, he is a ^cliar: for he that loveth not his ^dbrother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not ^eseen?

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who ^aloveth God love his brother also.

I am going to challenge the girls to love someone a little extra whom they might not particularly like.

I will check with them to see what things they can do for someone whom they don't always get on with. eg. Classmates, their own sisters ;)  (eg share things with them, give a compliment, hold their tongue when they want to answer rudely back, invite them over, do a service for them)


Activity:

Make a Valentines Tree. I used small branches from my yard spray painted red.

You can add:

Pictures of your family
Little paper hearts,decorations
Slips of paper with service ideas you have done, or they could do for eachother


I cut out several hearts from felt. I told the girls I would leave them on the mantle and when they do a good deed around the house secretly (make eachothers beds or my bed, pack school bags, make a treat, wipe table etc) they are to leave a felt heart behind so the person knows someone has done something for them

Closing Song: "Love One Another Childrens Songbook # 136

Closing Prayer: Child


Treat:
Chocolate hearts
Cookie hearts

New Year

Family Home Evening Lesson
New Year FHE goals

Prayer: Child

Opening Song: Jesus wants me for a sunbeam  Songbook #60


Lesson:

We put forth the question to our girls tonight -
What can we all do to make Family Home Evening better this year?

These are the answers that came up:

Chocolate for the treat

An "I love You because..." spot (one person each week and we will list things we love about them)

Bring back 60 second silence (to get our kids to be quiet and get ready for FHE and to practice reverence we use to time to see how long they could be completely quiet for)

Take Turns at teaching the lesson

Outings for FHE once every two months

A hug at the beginning and end of FHE

recite/learn more scriptures

More games

Continue with our 'fancy dinner' night meals before FHE
(we set the table with tablecloth and full settings and fancy cups on monday night and try to have a good quality meal. interesting side note the kids are more acceptable to higher quality (read vegetables) meals on these nights because I say this is what you would get in a restaurant ;)

Act out stories of different prophets in the Book of Mormon and scriptures

Always sing Popcorn and Snowman



Most of these we thought up by our kids. I was very surprised at a few of them. Even though this is a completely SIMPLE idea I thought I would share it because our girls came up with some lovely ideas I wouldn't have thought of myself, or knew that they wanted.


Wishing you all the best with successful Family Home Evenings in 2012!

Prayer

Family Home Evening Lesson
Prayer


Opening Song: A Child's Prayer Children's Songbook #12

Opening Prayer: Child

Lesson:

For this lesson I prepared some strips of paper and made two groups.

One group was "I should pray" the other group was "I shouldn't pray"

I prepared strips of paper that said things like:

When someone is sick
when I am lost or alone
Over my food
For safety and protection
Night and morning
when I am thankful
If I need calming


Or

For lots of money
To ask for a pony or lots of toys
When I want another team to lose
To wish harm upon another person

I read out the strips and each child got a turn at choosing which side the item belonged to. Things that are suitable to pray for, or things that aren't really suitable to pray for. It worked really well and the girls enjoyed guessing and got most of answers right. I then asked them to think of some extra things we could add to our lists.

I originally had 'when I am angry' on the when not to pray side as I meant it in a 'I shouldn't say an angry prayer about how much I hate my sisters and I wish God would do something to show them' way. My girls all said you SHOULD pray when you are angry and it will help you calm down mum! ... so I changed it to 'If I need calming' !

This was a easy simple lesson that worked out well for our family. Any other things you could add to the list of times to pray?

* Idea Inspired by Holly over at Delightful Domestic Science

Closing Song: Search Ponder and Pray Children's Songbook #109

Closing Prayer: Child


Treat:

Lehi's Vision/ Tree of Life

Family Home Evening Lesson
Lehi's Vision

Opening Prayer: Child

Opening Song: The Iron Rod

Scripture: 1 Nephi 9

Lesson:
Earlier Preparation:
- A Tree/bush etc covered in fairy lights
- A rope zig zagged  through your house/garden

We read through a few of the scriptures from Lehi's dream. Smaller children can be told/show pictures of the various elements (Iron rod, path, fountain, mist of darkness, Tree of Life)

When then told the children we were going to follow a similar Iron Rod which was a rope that started from the living room and went out the front door and outside and criss crossed our garden and around fences etc. As it was night time we pointed out that this was like "the mist of darkness". The children held tight to the rope and followed it.

It ended at a tree lit up with fairy lights with their Dad standing under it to give them some of the 'fruit' of the tree.

Our children really enjoyed this simple activity and wanted to follow the rope again.


Treat:
Fruit for The Tree of Life or any special treat that could symbolize it

Closing Song: "Book of Mormon Stories" Childrens Songbook #118

Closing Prayer: Mom


*Thanks to my friend Summer who gave me the idea/suggestion for this FHE lesson.

Prayer

Family Home Evening Lesson
Personal Scripture study and Prayers


Opening Prayer: Child

Opning Song:  A child's Prayer #12 Childrens Songbook

Lesson:

(For some reason my children prefer me to say their night prayers for them, and always tell me they dont know what to say and want me to do it! Even though I've taught them several times and they can all say food and family morning prayer with no problems! I felt it was time to give them a little push into saying their personal prayers)

I printed a copy of this chart for each child. We talked about the importance of reading our scriptures everyday even if its just a few verses and to say our morning and night prayers.

I chose a simple yet interesting scripture that we all read. I then said they could now colour in one of the scriptures on the chart under Monday. Later when you go to bed you can colour the girl when you say your night prayers. When they have a certain amount coloured I said they would get a small reward.


Activity:

Draw, cut out pictures or write words  on a big piece of paper of the things we can pray for

Practice Kneeling, Folding arms and saying prayers



Closing Song: Love is Spoken Here #190 Childrens Songbook

Closing Prayer: Child

Treat:
Prayer Sandwich Idea from Mormon share

Easter Countdown

Family Home Evening

Easter Countdown

 

Opening Song:  Tell me the stories of Jesus Children's Songbook #57

 

Opening Prayer: Child

 

Lesson: Mom

 

 

Go over to my Personal Blog and see how we made an Easter Countdown

 

Using Card cut in egg shape, paint, draw, decorate 7 eggs in any way you wish.

 

Either sew them together as link above, or just stick to wall or tie with ribbons.

 

On the back of the eggs write down some activities to do as a family.

 

 

Here are 7 examples of things you can do leading up to the week of Easter.

 

If you want a longer countdown calendar add other activities such as Egg hunts, dyeing eggs, bunny and chick crafts etc.

 

Palm Sunday :

Make a Palm Cross , reenact Jesus on a donkey and people waving palm fronds.

Monday: (cleansing of the temple)

Talk about how church/temple should be a place of calm and worship and not a house of caos.
Make Soft Pretzels (shaped like folded arms for prayer)

Tuesday: (teaching at the temple)

Jesus taught what is the greatest law. Love thy neighbour as they self.
Take a gift for your neighbours

Wednesday:

Mary washed Jesus Feet and offered expensive oils/purfume.
Reenact with children and wash their feet (I find this very humbling and moving)

 

Thursday: Preparing for Passover

Read the story of the passover John 13:1-11 and make a simple passover meal.
Unleavened bread, lamb, horseradish, Haroset, Parsley and salt water details here

Friday: The day Jesus Died

Make Hot cross buns and discuss Cruxifiction

Saturday: Festival of Light

Make lanterns, candle holders to symbolise those that wait for Jesus resurrection

Sunday: He is Risen

Hold family testimony meeting, attend church.


These ideas all came from Christianity Today Easter Ideas page.


Closing Song: I feel my Saviours Love Childrens Songbook #74

Closing Prayer: Dad

Treat:
Decorate oval shape cookies with frosting and m&m's and mini marshmallows.

Easter

Family Home Evening Lesson
Easter

Opening Prayer: Child

Opening Song: Did Jesus really live again  Children's Songbook #64
Lesson:

We created an Easter Tree using branches and painted them white. Over the next few weeks we will be adding things to it. This week I decided to make a modified version of a decoration we make for christmas.

Cut out pictures of Jesus from Old Ensigns, Friend or New Era magazines. I've also found really nice pictures in Deseret catalogues. If you don't have these print pictures found online.

Stick picture to card and on the other side add a scripture verse. Some of the following might be useful

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive  (1 Corinthians 15:22)

I am the ressurrection and the life  (John 11:25)

Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen (Luke 24:3-6)

Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world  (John 16:33)

Because I live, ye shall live also  (John 14:19)

And now after the many testimonies which have been given of him,this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!! For we saw him. (D&C 76:22-23)

Laminate (if you desire) add ribbon and hang on your easter reminder tree.
Or add to gift baskets for friends and family.

Closing Song: Easter Hosanna Childrens Songbook #68
Closing Prayer:

Treat:

Easter treats!!