Bringing God into every day life through conversations
RESOURCE HIGHLIGHT - TALK TIME CARDS
Children and young people need to hear the stories of faith from their fathers, mothers, grandparents, brothers, sisters, neighbours, and friends. Adults also need to hear the stories of those younger than themselves.
Designed to provide opportunities for parents and other adults to have conversations with children about God's presence and faithfulness in their lives. By sharing memories, activities and value-forming experiences, adults and children are nurtured and grow in faith. Children learn from the stories of adults, and adults learn from the stories of children. Sharing stories is an important dimension of faith development.
REFLECTIONS: Children and adults are asked to recall and share significant experiences from the past. Children learn from the stories of parents, grandparents and other adults they love. The memories may be about happenings in the home, travelling with the family, church, or recalling family traditions, customs or rituals.
EMOTIONS: Faith is caught more than it is taught. Children learn about faith by watching the actions and feelings of parents and other adults. These cards enable families to show and discuss how being a child of God is lived out in a family and the community. Facial expressions, body language, acting out Bible story characters, drawing pictures, and thinking about how to care for others are some of the ways children and adults will explore emotions.
WONDERING: Children's minds are full of wonder with questions about and responses to the presence of God and faith in Christ. Children are very playful as they wonder; so must adults be as they grow with the children God places in their hands. The wondering questions are very much like looking up at fluffy clouds and asking, "What do you see?"
GROWING TOGETHER: Children and adults are asked to share stories that reflect who they are as children of God and how they live and grow in faith together. These cards will connect with how a family is concerned with safety, does acts of kindness, forgives, plays, and affirms each other. The cards may involve drawing a picture, and then discussing it.
USE TALK TIME WITH CHILDREN AT:
- Family devotion time
- Family celebrations and birthdays
- Family reunions and holiday get-togethers
- When grandparents come to visit
- Intergenerational events
REFLECTIONS: You are asked to reveal significant experiences from the past that may have happened in church or church-related events OR to recall family traditions, customs, rituals or experiences that happened in the home.
IMPRESSIONS: You are asked to reflect on experiences or events that had a strong impact on you so that they are etched in your heart, soul and/or mind in a way that they have helped to shape your life. They may involve an influential person, a memorable event or a life-changing experience.
VALUES: You are asked to share ways you felt God has moved in your life so that your values and belief system were impacted to provide direction and decisions for the future.
INTERACTIONS: You are asked to describe how you have been moved to express your Christian faith in a variety of actions. You are encouraged to describe deeds of service you have seen, admired, or in which you have been a participant.
USE TALK TIME ALL AGES AT:
- Church meetings
- Church staff meetings for team building
- Retreats and seminars for community building
- Youth Ministry events
- Family devotion time
- Family reunions
- Family celebrations and birthdays
- Confirmation and Sunday School
- Family camping, outings, travel time in the car
- Intergenerational events
- Youth camps
- Various age or interest groups, e.g. youth, young adults, singles, small groups, social groups, couples, and retirees.
TESTIMONY FROM GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH, PARA VISTA, SA
Earlier this year our Pastor shared a series entitled ‘4 keys to Growing Faith at Home’. To encourage Caring Conversations, we shared the Talk Time resource, challenging everyone to ask questions with people they connect with. That’s family, friends and neighbours! Children and Youth Talk Time resources were made available for families to explore. We also have ‘Talk Time’ examples displayed on one of the pin up boards in our Café area.
| Georgie Schuster - Family Support Coordinator
If you would like to learn more about the work of Grow Ministries or our guiding principles, you can find out about them HERE. You can also contact the team at Grow Ministries by emailing growministries@lca.org.au and a member of our team will contact you.
