Family Home Evenings

Progressive Story Writing Activity

Family Home Evenings — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:25:35 +0000

Family Night Activity: Progressive Story Writing Activity

Supplies Needed:

Notebook paper

Pencils/Pens

Timer

Get Started:

Give everyone a piece of paper and a writing utensil. Have everyone gather in a circle or around a table. Assign each person a different category to start writing a story on– comedy, mystery and so on, until everyone has their own category to start writing.

Set the timer for three minutes and everyone writes on their topic. After the three minutes is up, switch papers to the right. Re-set the timer for another three minutes and everyone continues to write on the storyline they’ve received.

Continue this until everyone has rotated the stories completely.

Gather all the stories and read them aloud.

Love At Home

Family Home Evenings — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:03:00 +0000

Song: Love One Another

Scripture: John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

Items needed:

Write a letter to each family member and explain to them why they are important and special. Leave the letter in a place where they will find it on the day of your FHE lesson.
Make a chart that says Love One Another–see below how to make chart

Adapted from Family Home Evening Resource book:

If Jesus Came to Visit Us

How would it feel if Jesus were to come and visit our home?
Would we want to change the way we act with each other?
What would Jesus think if He came into our home?

Jesus would be unhappy if we were being unkind and unloving towards our family members. He cares so much about us that he wants us to feel the love He and Heavenly Father have for us. We can feel that love in our families.

Inviting the Spirit of the Lord into Our Home

Ask how the letters to each family member made them feel.

When we show love and appreciation it brings a good spirit into our home. This is how our Heavenly Father and Jesus want us to feel. The family in the central unit of the Lord’s plan for us.

Love One Another Chart

Make a chart by drawing a heart in the middle of the paper with rays around it.
Next make lines below the heart to write names on.
In the middle of the heart, write “Our Family”

Each time you see a family member show love put id down on the chart. The deed goes onto the rays and you can write the name on the list below. Challenge each family member to help fill all the rays by the next FHE.

Basic Etiquette Rules for Every Family Member

Family Home Evenings — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:40:21 +0000

Purpose: It is important to teach and practice basic manners (etiquette) to show respect and kindness to one another.

Lesson:

Etiquette differs from various regions of the United States as well as different parts of the world– each culture has it’s own acceptable forms of etiquette or mannerisms that they follow to show respect.

In Japan, they bow to greet one another, where in the U.S., we shake hands. In Kenya, you have to ask to take pictures of people; however, in other countries you can snap photos and videos of complete strangers.

Here are some basic etiquette rules for you to discuss and follow as a family:

1. Be On Time: It is impolite to keep others waiting. If you have a tendency to be late, try setting your clocks 10-15 minutes fast to be on time.

2. Hold the Door for Women: It is polite to hold the door open for women and is even more polite when you can get to the door faster to make sure you are there before the woman to be able to open it up for her. The same type of rule applies to seats– always give up your seat to a lady, pregnant woman or the elderly.

3. Cell Phone Etiquette: Be sure to not be on a phone call when checking out at the store, in the drive-thru of a restaurant and talking while in the restroom stall. Also make sure your volume is turned to appropriate levels or off in respected areas such as libraries, concerts, movies and so forth.

4. Chewing. Be sure you don’t chew gum or food with your mouth open. It’s also impolite to chew with food in your mouth and be sure to dispose of gum in a trash can and not on the ground.

Discussion:

- What are some other rules you can follow for etiquette?

- Why is important to have manners?

Activity:

Before dinner, go over the rules to properly setting the table and practice good table manners.

Secret Server

Family Home Evenings — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:43:00 +0000

Purpose: To gain a testimony of the importance of serving, especially serving without seeking praise or recognition.

Materials:

Picture: Jesus Washing Apostles’ Feet
Clip art for the stories
1 copy of the Service Chart per person
several “You have been Served” calling cards per person

Lesson:
Attention getter:
As you are about to begin the lesson, drop a box of crayons or your papers on the ground with an exclamation such as “Oh no!” or “Oops!”. Wait and see if anyone offers to help you pick them up. If no one does, go ahead and ask for help.
Thank those who helped and explain that Heavenly Father wants us to help one another. This is called service. We can show we love our Heavenly Father by serving his children.

Display the quote on service:

“The Lord answers the prayers of the needy by prompting others to righteous deeds: God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another mortal that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other.” -Spencer W. Kimball

Show the picture of Jesus washing apostles’ feet.

Jesus set the example for us when he, the greatest of all, served his disciples by washing their feet.

Summarize the story.
John 13:4-5, 12-15

Story:

The Zucchini Bandit

Helping Mom (for very young children)

Discuss the story emphasizing that the service was given in secret. * If you have a personal experience in which someone served you anonymously or you helped someone else anonymously, this would be the perfect time to share it. Testify of the importance of serving others and the blessings that come from it.

Activity/Weekly Challenge:

Secret Server Week

You are going to be a SECRET SERVER for the week. Draw family members’ names out of a hat so that everyone has someone else’s name. Don’t tell anyone whose name you have (parents will help the very young ones). Each day of the week you will perform at least one secret act of service for your Receiver. You may leave a “You Have Been Served” calling card with your Receiver’s name on it (this helps the Receiver recognize that an act of service was done in their behalf). For each day you do a special, secret act of service, you will color in a heart on the Service Chart. Have fun and shhhhhhhh Don’t give yourself away!

Dessert: Zucchini Cobbler

*ideas of small acts of secret service that can be done at home

make the bed for your receiver
set his/her place at the breakfast table
draw or color a picture
leave a favorite treat on his/her pillow
put toothpaste on his/her toothbrush
do one of his/her chores
make a favorite meal or dessert with mom or dad’s help
straighten up his/her closet
decorate his/her bedroom
leave a surprise note or treat in a lunchbox

How to Prepare for College: Tips and Ideas

Family Home Evenings — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 02:03:00 +0000

FHE Theme: This FHE lesson is for those families who have children preparing for college entrance. I am going to share some tips that I learned from my own college experience and from working for a university for over 6 years.

Lesson: Here are some tips on making the transition to college a little smoother for everyone involved as well as some other great information I’ve learned along the way.

Tips:

1. Attend a campus tour and also attend all the orientations you can! You will want to get the best feel for campus as you can as you make your decision. Going on a campus tour may be the deciding factor in chosing which school you’re going to attend. Make sure you attend orientations. Though it may seem “nerdy”, it’s even more nerdy when you can’t find your way around campus or to your classes.

2. Find & apply for housing a year in advance or as early as you possibly can. I was the first to attend college in my family. My mother drove me 4 hours two weeks before I was to start my college experience and neither one of us thought that housing would be an issue. It was. There was none. So, we made the long trip back home and I was now going to be a semester behind.

3. Get acquainted with all the main offices, such as financial aid, registrar’s and cashiers. Also learn what each of them have available to students such as appeals, withdrawals, grade changes, deadlines, etc. All the stuff that you may need at some point. I didn’t know you could withdraw from courses and during one of my semesters, I went through a horrific ordeal that left me unable to finish the semester. Those F’s on my transcript have never been erased and taint my otherwise perfect college transcripts. It’s also a constant reminder of that semester. Don’t let that happen to you. Life happens and schools can help you out with that.

4. Read and know your course syllabus’, requirements and due dates. I would recommend reading your syllabus or assignment requirement sheet weekly and prior to starting new assignments, papers or projects. You want to make sure you do all that the instructor asks of you. Plus, this is great training for the work force when you can pay attention to details and deliever the correct product.

5. Focus on great grades for all the right reasons, but don’t be OCD about it. Of course, most employers don’t ask for a copy of your college transcripts to check out your grades. However, having great grades helps you in multiple ways; scholarships, graduating with honors (both look great on resumes) and plus, the better you know the information, the more success you’ll have in your profession. Afterall, you are PAYING for this education… get all that you can out of it. Which leads me to this remark– READ ALL YOUR TEXTBOOKS. Even if it isn’t assigned, it doesn’t hurt to have as much knowledge as possible. However, don’t be OCD about it. I was. Sometimes focusing more on getting straight A’s and forgetting to enjoy the classes I was taking. Don’t do that. You’ll have regrets like me.

6. Get involved. Whatever you like to do, there’s a club, group or organization on campus just for you. It’s a perfect way to make new friends, build your character and adds to your whole college experience. Don’t forget to attend the sports games– even if the teams are horrible. Some of my fondest memories from college are the times when I was involved on campus with this or that.

7. Work on campus. There are countless student jobs available on the majority of college campus’. It’s a great way to work around your school schedule, plus you may even find a job that allows you to work along side your mentors/professors which will help provide great references for graduate schools or employers in your field.

Last little tips: Learn to cook, clean, do laundry, iron, sew a button and all of that prior to leaving home. All those chores you *had* to do throughout your life have been stepping stones to helping you become a capable, productive young adult.

Activity: College Trivia

According to the schools your child(ren) are interested in attending, prepare some trivia facts about them to see how much they really know about the places they want to go to school. Ideas for trivia topics are: what year was it established? how many students attend the school? what is their mascot? and so on.

It would be a great way to involve the entire family on this new experience as one family member transitions from home and off to college.

Treat:

Campfire Cake

(click on the link above to take you to the recipe)

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
	2 pound cakes
	2 1/2 cups chocolate frosting
	1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white frosting
	12 to 15 glazed chocolate doughnut holes
	Confectioners’ sugar
	Red and orange decorators’ gel
	Red, orange, and yellow fruit leather
	Scissors

1. With a knife, shave the square edges off the cakes to give them a log shape. Next, mix 1/4 cup of chocolate frosting into 1 cup of white to make a light tan. Place one log on a platter (a dab of frosting on the bottom will help hold it in place). Frost it with the chocolate and tan frostings as shown. To create bark and tree rings, scrape the tines of a fork across the chocolate frosting, then scratch a spiral into each tan end.

2. Pour the doughnut holes into a bowl and sprinkle them with confectioners’ sugar. Arrange 10 doughnut-hole embers in a single layer next to the frosted log, sticking them in place with frosting.

3. For the branch stub, cut a 1-inch slice from one end of the second log and trim it into a 2-inch circle; set the piece aside. Frost the bottom of the log and set it in place as shown. Use frosting to stick the stub to the second log. Create bark and rings again.

4. For flames, take a piece of fruit leather and, with the backing still in place, lightly wet half (lengthwise) of the fruit side with water. Fold it in half lengthwise and press to seal. Cut out flame shapes with scissors as shown, then remove the backing.

5. Slice 2 doughnut holes in half. Put a dollop of the remaining white frosting onto the cut surface, then set a flame on top. Squeeze decorators’ gel over the decorated doughnut holes, then set them on the platter. Use any remaining doughnut holes to fill in the gaps between the logs. Decorate them with more flames and gel, if desired.

Recipe from: FamilyFun.com

New Year Individual and Family Goals

Family Home Evenings — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:26:16 +0000

Purpose: Setting goals and establishing resolutions is the number one way people begin the New Year. The most important aspect is to plan according to what you really want to accomplish in realistic time frames. You can plan for one long-term goal(s), something to focus on throughout the year and you can also do smaller, short-term goals to work on for a few months at a time, or even shorter. The most important aspect is “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

This lesson is to help jump-start individuals and families to set goals to for the New Year.

Lesson:

Goals have multiple layers: first, you create a visual in your mind of the goal(s) you would like to accomplish. Once you have in mind what you want to do, you’ve already accomplished half your goal.

1. Visualize yourself at the end point of reaching that goal.

Create a detailed plan to reach that goal. Will this be reached in 3, 6, 9 or 12 months? When will you have accountability on how you’re doing on reaching these goals? How often will you have this accountability? You can invite family and/or friends to help keep you focused on the goal(s) that you create.

What type of goals are you wanting to create for the upcoming year?

Career (do you want to achieve a promotion, finish an important project, increase sales, etc), Financial (pay off one credit card, two credit cards, all debt, pay off car, learn how to coupon and use them weekly, etc), Education (go back to school- finish your degree or begin a degree program, learn a new language, take a community class, etc.), Family (plan a vacation and set a budget, create a budget for your family, etc), Volunteer Service (make goals to volunteer monthly or do toy/food drives, make 24 Hr. Survival Kits, etc.), Physical (make goals to work out, lose weight, run a race, etc.), Personal Enrichment (learn to play a musical instrument, paint, cut hair, etc.).

2. Write it down.

Keeping a written log, journal or even create a blog to keep a daily or weekly record of your experience working towards your goals. Blogging can be a powerful way to keep yourself accountable and to engage others which will help you stay focused.

3. Create the plan.

Use budget sheets, goal sheets, calendars and whatever other materials you can find to get a detailed break down of your goal.

Set SMART Goals (from mindtools.com):

S – Specific (or Significant).
M – Measurable (or Meaningful).
A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented).
R – Relevant (or Rewarding).
T – Time-bound (or Trackable).

Discussion:

1. Is goal setting important? Why or why not?

2. How can setting goals help you discover new things about yourself and help you live your best life?

Activity:

FREE Budget Tracking Sheets & other Financial Worksheets

FREE Blog Access (create a free blog to journal your progress in reaching your goals)

Why Set Goals? article

Treat:

Hot Chocolate & Marshmellows and No Bake Cookies

Hershey’s No Bake Cookies

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

Christmas Family Home Evening Lesson

Family Home Evenings — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:49:00 +0000

Christmas Family Home Evening Lesson

Purpose: To reflect on the true meaning of celebrating Christmas, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Song: “Away In A Manager”

Scripture:Luke 2: 1-14

Lesson:

Young Children~ Print & Use this Picture Strip of the Christmas Story. *Manger Cut Out
~From LDS.org

Tweens~ Print & Use Nativity Matching Game

Teens, Groups, Couples,Individuals~

What Is Christmas?

Christmas is prophecy fulfilled. On the eve of His birth, the voice of the Lord came unto Nephi, saying, “Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.”

What did the holy prophets of old declare? Isaiah, more than 700 years before the birth of Christ, prophesied, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

On the American continent, King Benjamin said, “For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent … shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay. … He shall suffer temptations, and pain. … And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.”

Then came that night of nights when the shepherds were abiding in the fields and the angel of the Lord appeared to them, announcing: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. … For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

The shepherds with haste went to the manger to pay honor to Christ the Lord. Later, wise men journeyed from the East to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. … When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

Since that time, the spirit of giving gifts has been present in the mind of each Christian as he or she commemorates the Christmas season. Our Heavenly Father gave to us His Son, Jesus Christ. That precious Son gave to us His life, the Atonement, and victory over the grave.

What will you and I give for Christmas this year? Let us in our lives give to our Lord and Savior the gift of gratitude by living His teachings and following in His footsteps. It was said of Him that He “went about doing good.” As we do likewise, the Christmas spirit will be ours. ~President Thomas S. Monson

Story: “Maybe Christmas Doesn’t Come From A Store” ~ Elder Jeffery R. Holland

Activity:

Young Children~ Coloring Pages

Wise Men Still Seek Him Color Page ~ From LDS.org

Joseph, Mary & Baby Jesus Color Page ~ From LDS.org

Meaning Of Christmas Decorations~ from LDS.org

Want an activity for the older children. Have them observe Christmas decorations around the house or around the neighborhood and write down the decorations they see and what they think each of them symbolize. Compare the lists and talk about their meanings.

Decoration	Symbolism
Bells	Sheep bells
Candy canes	Shepherd’s staff
Lights, candles, star	The star that appeared on the night of Jesus’ birth
Holly	The crown of thorns
Evergreen tree	Eternal life
Green, ivy	Life and hope
Red, holly berries	The blood of Christ

FHE Service Project: Write Letters to Sick Children

Family Home Evenings — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 12:33:00 +0000

Letters to Sick Children Service Project

Purpose: Jesus taught us by His teachings and His perfect example to bless those that are sick and afflicted. There are many seriously ill children in hospitals all over the world that would love to have your letters of hope and inspiration.

Lesson:

Have you ever had an earache, sore throat or the flu and felt miserable for a day, two or maybe for a week? There are many children all over that suffer from more serious illnesses that leave them bound in hospitals. Many are to weak to play and are unable to go outside, jump in piles of leaves, smell the fresh air or even play in the park.

During this holiday season, you can serve other children that are similar ages to those in your family by performing acts of service. One way is to visit them, go caroling at the hospitals, donate toys and even write letters.

Discussion: What are ways in which you can serve someone daily? Weekly? Monthly? How have you felt as you’ve been served? Share an experience of being served.

Goal Setting: Have family, group or ward members write at least one goal to be more active in serving those who are in need– like the sick and afflicted.

Service Project: Write letters to ill children in hospitals

Each member of the family, group or ward can participate in this service activity.

Gather paper, markers, crayons, stickers, etc. to make greeting cards to send to sick children in hospitals all over the country. If you live outside of the U.S., you can send letters to children in your own area/country or surprise some of these children with letters from all over the world!

Visit: Make A Child Smile (click to link to Web site)

You’ll see a list of children who would love to have your letters! You can click on their names to read more about them.

Treat:5-Minute Chocolate Pie

Ingredients: 1 Ready Graham Cracker Pie Crust 1 1/4 C. cold milk 2 pkg. (4- serving size) chocolate instant pie pudding mix 1 tub (8 oz.) whipped topping (thawed) 1. Beat milk, pudding and half the whipped topping together in medium bowl with a wire whisk for one minute. The mixture will thicken. 2. Pour into ready-made crust. 3. Top with remaining whipped cream. You can eat it right away or chill until ready to eat!
(recipe adapted from Keebler)

Stretching to Win

Family Home Evenings — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:00:29 +0000

The Family Home Evenings Web site is adding a new section to help strengthen individuals, couples and families. This section is called “Health & Fitness.” We have our first contributor, Aaron Osman, from New Zealand. He will be sharing various subjects on health and fitness with the FHE readers! Be sure to check out his bio on the FHE contributors page.

(Article Submission by Aaron Osman)

I’ve always had a desire to be flexible. Flexibility for me a such a help in the field of martial arts especially as I practice Capoeira and Tae Kwon Do. I’ve been taught for a number of years from other sport coaches and P.E. Teachers this method of stretching: a slight warm up, then heavy duty stretching while the muscles are barely warm, training or game time, then whatever at the end. I remember having more pain than flexibility. Flexibility was never a priority, since it was never a priority to the coaches, but in my later years, I had an increase desire to become more flexible. I did some research about the subject, read books, and watched videos. I learned that there was a safe way to become flexible fast, and it was to be done in a certain way. Having now lived this method, I have dramatically improved my flexibility and also overall muscle safety in training.

Types of Stretches.
There are mainly 4 kinds of stretches.

Dynamic.
Static.
Isometric.
Relaxed.

I will briefly explain what they are and in a later post go over some stretches that have helped me.

Dynamic.

Dynamic stretching is the first type of stretch you do after a good 10 minute warm up. Once the body heat is rising and the blood is flowing, you will be ready to perform dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching focuses on the range of movement in your muscles and isn’t what you would normal classify as “stretching” but it is extremely important. You would swing in a controlled manner your legs up in front of you, doing anywhere between 10-15 reps. You swing your leg up as high as it would go without any discomfort or fatigue to the muscles, and as you get further into the reps the higher your leg will be able to go. Increasing you range of motion, increases your ability to kick higher. Most kicking, especially while in combative situations require dynamic flexibility. The ability to get your leg up high quickly. So as you swing your legs in front and to the side etc. You will be able to get your kicks up high.

Static.

Static stretching is based on strength and strengthening your muscles. These stretches should be done after your major workout and pre-isometric stretches. Static flexibility is found with Gymnasts, and Martial Artists who can hold their leg high in the air for a very long period. That is due not only to the flexibility of the muscle, but in the strength in both the supporting leg and the leg being raised and held in the air. To increase your static flexibility, simply raise your leg as high as you can in the air [example: side kick] and hold it for around 6 or more seconds per rep. A lot of the tension or work you’ll feel in the hips and inner thighs.

Isometric.

Isometric stretching is what most people do right after warm up, and this can be very dangerous if it’s done incorrectly. When you perform an isometric stretch, you place yourself in position [example: side split] and hold yourself in position for around 10 seconds, then increase your range of flexibility until you can go further, then hold it for another 10 seconds. When you have reached the final range of motion, hold it for 30 seconds and then slowly release the stretch. Isometric stretching will increase your overall flexibility and is key in your workouts.

It’s very important to note that you should only do stretch the muscles you have worked out during your training, and not “unused” muscles. The reason isometric stretches are important and dangerous is because such intense stretching fatigues the muscle and ideally breaks down the muscle for repair, like a muscle would if your were pumping weights etc. And so if you perform isometric stretching at the beginning of your workout, you risk 1. muscle fatigue and 2. damage to your muscle by over-stretching cold muscles. So be smart and careful.

Relaxed.

These are just the nicest stretches to do. You would follow the same routine as the isometric, but you only stretch your muscles very lightly. Relaxed stretches are done after the isometric stretches or at anytime and help “seal” the flexibility in, and helps and you warm down the intense stretches just preformed.

A Simple Routine.

To give you an idea of how or what you can do, this is the order in which I currently go through with our Capoeira Group.

Warm Up.

Dynamic Stretches.

Joint rotations.
Leg swings front, side and back.

Main Workout/Training.

Static Stretching. [Sometimes]

Side Kick.
Front Kick.

Isometric Stretching.

Yoga routine stretching shoulders, spine, hamstrings, hips, inner thighs, trunk.

Overall time spent on stretching 30-40 minutes during the total training session.

Relax Stretching when I get home in front of TV

I spend a lot of time stretching in our training sessions, because of the importance of increasing strength and flexibility, but because of the other benefits of reducing muscle pain, and it revitalizes the body and makes it become alive after an intense training. I once overlooked stretching and though it was a waste of time, but now I love stretching because of our I feel afterwards.

Tailor a routine for your discipline and make it a priority in your training and you will be happy with the quick results.

Christmas Service Countdown Service

Family Home Evenings — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000

“Christmas Service Countdown Family Home Evening“

Purpose: To reflect on serving one another in our families during the Christmas season. Often times we can focus on selfish thoughts during this gift-giving season. It’s important that we strive to keep the focus on being selfless as our Savior was as we celebrate His birth.

Lesson:
“Over the years, many people, especially youth, have asked me, “Elder Cuthbert, how can I become more spiritual?” My reply has always been the same: “You need to give more service.
Service changes people. It refines, purifies, gives a finer perspective, and brings out the best in each one of us. It gets us looking outward instead of inward. It prompts us to consider others’ needs ahead of our own. Righteous service is the expression of true charity, such as the Savior showed.” – Elder Derek A. Cuthbert, Ensign May 1990

Here are a list of ways service helps us become more spiritual:

1. Helps us see true value in material things vs. things of the eternal value

2. Service establishes a righteous tradition. Start serving when you’re young and that will lead to more willingness to serve throughout your life in the community and church.

3. Service helps us overcome selfishness and sin.

4. Service helps us generate love and appreciation.

5. Service is the principle in which we show gratitude to our Savior.

Discussion:

~ What ways have you been served? How did it make you feel?

~ What are some ways that you’ve served others?

~ How did it make you feel when you’ve served someone else?

~ Why should we focus on service during the Christmas season?

Activity Ideas: *This activity requires prep work*

Prep work for countdown chain: Count down the days from FHE night until Christmas Day. Cut out equal sized strips of red and green construction paper to make the countdown chain.

1. Pick one of the ways stated below to use each section of your chain. Remember that the service continues and includes Christmas Day.

W 1. With each section of the chain you can write an act of service to perform as a family.

2. 2. Each night at dinner you can take a piece of the chain off and describe what acts of service each family member did during that day.

Treat:

5-Minute Chocolate Pie

Ingredients:1 Ready Graham Cracker Pie Crust 1 1/4 C. cold milk 2 pkg. (4- serving size) chocolate instant pie pudding mix 1 tub (8 oz.) whipped topping (thawed) 1. Beat milk, pudding and half the whipped topping together in medium bowl with a wire whisk for one minute. The mixture will thicken. 2. Pour into ready-made crust. 3. Top with remaining whipped cream. You can eat it right away or chill until ready to eat!

Family Home Evenings

Progressive Story Writing Activity

Love At Home

Basic Etiquette Rules for Every Family Member

Secret Server

How to Prepare for College: Tips and Ideas

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

New Year Individual and Family Goals

Hershey’s No Bake Cookies

Ingredients

Christmas Family Home Evening Lesson

FHE Service Project: Write Letters to Sick Children

Stretching to Win

Christmas Service Countdown Service