The Fall Family Meeting Reboot!

This week during a coaching session with one of my clients, we talked about the value of having a weekly Family Meeting. It has been nearly four years since I recorded my Family Meeting video, and I sent it to her as a resource for her to use as she prepares to implement Family Meetings in her own blended family. I thought I’d share it again here as well, because as Fall is officially upon us, it’s a great time to implement this new practice if Family Meetings are not currently part of your family rhythm!

If you missed my original post about our Family Meetings, click here to learn more and see some relevant links that might be helpful.

Here are the Bible passages and questions I have planned for next month’s Family Meetings. Discussion is a big part of Family Meetings, and these are simple, foundational passages of faith that help start great conversations with kids and help connect the dots between our faith and praxis. In addition to the passage, I’m sharing a question for discussion. Depending on how much time you allow, I know from experience that these discussions can be wonderfully rich opportunities to get a sense of how your child sees the world.

For those of my viewers/readers who do not share my faith, I see you! I’m also sharing some inspirational quotes that can be a great impetus for meaningful discussions.

Bible Verses and Questions for Family Meetings:

Read: John 3:16-17
Ask: Why did God send Jesus Christ to the world? A lot of times people quote John 3:16 without including verse 17. Why is verse 17 so important in understanding verse 16?
Read: Proverbs 15:1
Ask: Why do you think the author of Proverbs said this? Do you agree? Why or why not?
Read: James 1:2-3
Ask: How does being tested help us grow in perseverance? Can you think of any stories or movies where this has been demonstrated?
Read: Psalm 3:3-4
Ask: What does it mean that God is our “shield?” What does it mean that he lifts up our heads? Tell us about a time when you have called out to the Lord. Do you feel like He answered you? Why or why not?

Additional Inspirational Quotes for Discussion:

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” (Anne Frank)
Ask: What do you think she meant? What are some ways you can start to “improve the world” today?
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Ask: How has someone else’s actions affected you? How have your actions affected others?
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” (Barak Obama)
Ask: What does it mean that “we are the change that we seek?”
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)
Ask: What does it mean to “feel inferior?” Have you ever felt that way? What are some ways you can respond when someone makes you feel inferior?