Family Night Startup, Part 4

This is the final entry in a 4-part blog built on the timeless concepts found in 'Teaching to Change Lives' by Dr. Howard Hendricks.  Let's review the seven laws of the teacher:

I. The Law of the Teacher
The effective parent-teacher is a student among students.
II. The Law of Education
The effective parent-teacher realizes that the way people learn determines how you teach.
III. The Law of Activity
Maximum learning is always the result of maximum involvement.
IV. The Law of Communication
To truly impart information requires the building of bridges.
V. The Law of the Heart
Teaching that impacts is not only head-to-head but also heart-to-heart.
VI. The Law of Encouragement
Teaching tends to be most effective when the learner is properly motivated.

VII. The Law of Readiness
The teaching-learning process will be most effective when both student and teacher are adequately prepared. The better the parents are prepared, the better the children learn. You should pray as you prepare the lesson and pray before your Family Night asking God to prepare your children. Readiness is also developed through the Family Night topic selections. If the children are struggling with an issue or have asked you to present a specific topic, you can spend time preparing the lesson with the excitement of finding the answer. They, in turn, come to the Family Night eager to hear the answer. Our attitude of excitement and being in the presence of God permeates our Family Nights. Our children sense it, and our confidence in God is contagious!

The Seven Laws
Teacher
Education
Activity
Communication
Heart
Encouragement
Readiness




Making your Family Night Sensational
The more you involve the senses, the more impressionable the Family Night will be.

• Hearing
Have a Family Theme Song to be played at the beginning of each Family Night to bring family together.
Prayer — assign a different family member to pray each Family Night.

• Sight
Videos — use clips from videos to make a point or set the stage.
Use your video camera to record your activities, then watch as a family. You will make the point two times!
Use a flip chart, white board or felt and pipe cleaners in a shoebox to build "story in a box."
Use sidewalk chalk to draw large animals from a story.

• Taste
Prepare food from Jesus' time — unleavened bread, passover feast elements
Have snacks after Family Night

• Touch
Always have some hands-on activity related to your truth or key principle
Hold hands when you pray or lay hands on for big issues

• Smell
Scented candles to set ambiance
Fire in the fireplace
Baked cookies or brownies
Bake bread during Family Night

We want to recommend the resources of Heritage Builders and their Family Night starter kit now available in the faith@home center.  Click on the following link to learn more about launching your own Family Night:  Family Nights Explained