I love this time of year. It means spending time with family and friends. But for some, spending time with family isn’t exactly a joyous occasion. Many of our girls face family situations that highlight loss, abuse, or conflict. Here are a few ideas for helping girls explore their own family situations and learn to enjoy the time they spend with family this season.

Plant some seeds.  Plant seeds in soil.  Let the girls observe the growth of the plants over the course of the unit.  When the plants start to sprout, read 1 Corinthians 3: 5-9.   Explain that as they try to witness to others, they are planting seeds that someday may result in others finding a new life in Christ.  Talk to the girls about the importance of living a godly life for her unsaved family members to see.

Keep a Journal.  Throughout the unit, have the girls keep a prayer journal of prayers they pray for their family members.  Encourage the girls to pray for specific needs of their family members.  Have the girls share with the group as prayers are answered and record the date of the prayers being answered in the journal.

Talk to Grandma.  Have the girls choose one of their grandparents to interview.  Encourage the girls to ask questions about their experiences growing up, what their parents were like as kids, and if the grandparent is a believer, have the girls ask what their experience was coming to the Lord.  If girls don’t have grandparents, suggest “adoptive grandparents” from within the church.

Give it away.  Have the girls create gifts to give to their families.  The girls could create a gift for each family member, or prepare a gift to give to the whole family.  Have the girls brainstorm ideas that would be good for their individual families or family members.  Help the girls come up with ways to pleasantly surprise their family members.

Family night.  Have the girls plan a family fun night.  Girls could come up with a family fun night to prepare for her family or you could plan a family fun night as a club.  Have the girls brainstorm ideas for fun, cheap, or free things to do as a family.  Make sure all of the girls will have family members who can attend or arrange to have “adoptive” families come and participate with the girls.

Let’s cook!  As a club, take a night to prepare a meal that can be frozen and reheated to serve as a meal for the whole family (lasagna or chili work well) – think meal-assembly kitchens (like Super Suppers).  Encourage the girls to set the table, serve the meal to her family, and give mom or dad the night off from cooking and doing dishes.  Make sure you keep in mind food allergies when planning the meal preparation.