This lesson follows the format of FAITH5. The format can be used in a simple way for family devotions—as a bedtime ritual, at a meal time, or another time when your family is together. We encourage you to establish this pattern in your home, especially during the weeks when we cannot be together. Part 1 of 5: SHARE Take a few minutes and have everyone share their “highs and lows” from the day or the past few days. What are things that have made you happy? What are things that made you sad or frustrated? Are there things you are worried about? You might want to write these down on a paper or in a notebook to refer back to later. We will pray for all of these things at the end of the lesson. Part 2 of 5: READ Today we hear about “Kindness” from Mr. Wade, with an assist from Gigi and Bradley.
Part 3 of 5: TALK (and do) Things to talk about:
Where do you see kindness being shown in this story?
When has someone been kind to you? How did that make you feel?
Are there times when you have seen people being unkind? How do you feel when this happens?
When people aren’t being kind to each other, how can we help?
When is it hard for you to be kind to others?
ACTIVITY OPTIONS
Sometimes it helps people when they know that someone cares about them. While we are apart from each other it can be easy for someone to forget that people care about them. Think of 3 people you know that can use a little extra kindness this week. Send them a note, draw them a picture, bake them some cookies, or call them on the phone. Pray for them.
Look up Galatians 5:22-26. (best with older elementary.) These are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. How does the Holy Spirit help us to do these things in our lives? Write your own definitions for each of the fruits of the Spirit.
When we make choices that aren’t kind it is hard to undo them. Check out this object lesson as a conversation starter using a tube of toothpaste.
Make a kindness puzzle together. It takes about 15-20 minutes and only requires, paper, markers, and scissors.
Start a kindness jar. Use some of the linked ideas and write them on slips of paper. Select one act of kindness each day for the next couple of weeks that you can do as a family.
There is a lot of conversation and action in our country right now around the issues of racism and injustice. Talking with your children about racism is one way that we can encourage more kindness in our world. One resource for this will be broadcast and streamed on CNN on Saturday, June 6 at 10 a.m. If you miss the initial airing, it will likely be available online for later viewing.
Part 4 of 5: PRAY
Close with prayer together. Pray about the highs and lows shared at the beginning of your time together. Part 5 of 5: BLESS
Close by gathering everyone in a circle and blessing each other. Make the cross on each other’s foreheads and speak a simple blessing, or if you wish you can use the words from the baptism service: “You are sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.”