Family Worship ideas

[bushbard]

 

Like Sharon, over the years I have taken books of the bible and then gone through verse by verse and then ventured to research many of the verses.  It is amazing what you missed on a certain point that you thought you had a general picture of.

 

The following is an example.

 

In the book of Exodus we all knew that Jehovah commanded Moses to go back to Egypt and be used by him to set his people free.  Moses coughed and spluttered and made excuses but after he saw that Jehovah was fair dinkum he relented and allowed himself to be used by Jehovah.

 

The one thing that Jehovah said he would do was to use Moses brother Aaron to assist him.  Moses was in Midian at his father Jethro's camp and had conversed with Jehovah at Horeb.

 

Is Mt Horeb also Mt Sinai

Psalm 106:19

¹⁹  They made a calf in Hoʹreb And bowed down to a statue of metal;

Exodus 31:18

Now as soon as he had finished speaking with him on Mount Siʹnai, he gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone written on by God’s finger.

“The mountain of the true God,” apparently the same as Mount Sinai. (1Ki 19:8; Ex 33:6) Generally, though, Horeb seems to designate the mountainous region around Mount Sinai, otherwise called the Wilderness of Sinai.—De 1:6, 19; 4:10, 15; 5:2; 9:8; 18:16; 29:1; 1Ki 8:9; 2Ch 5:10; Ps 106:19; Mal 4:4; compare Ex 3:1, 2; Ac 7:30; see SINAI Nos. 1 and 2.At Horeb, Jehovah’s angel appeared to Moses in the midst of the burning thornbush, commissioning him to lead Israel out of Egypt. (Ex 3:1-15) Later, while at Rephidim, the liberated Israelites complained about having no water to drink. Thereupon, at Jehovah’s direction, Moses, accompanied by some of the older men of Israel, went to a rock in Horeb, evidently the mountainous region of Horeb, and struck the rock with his rod. Water miraculously began issuing forth from this rock. (Ex 17:1-6; compare Ps 105:41.) Centuries afterward, the prophet Elijah fled from vengeful Queen Jezebel to Horeb by way of Beer-sheba.—1Ki 19:2-8.

 

I had it in my mind that he had gone back to Egypt and had met his brother Aaron there.  But no, the scriptures show the following.

 

Exodus ¹⁴  Then Jehovah’s anger blazed against Moses, and he said: “What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak very well. And he is now on his way here to meet you. When he sees you, his heart will rejoice. ¹⁵  So you must speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with you and him as you speak, and I will teach you men what to do.

 

Exodus ¹⁹  After that Jehovah said to Moses in Midʹi·an: “Go, return to Egypt, because all the men who were seeking to kill you are dead.” ²⁰  Then Moses took his wife and his sons and lifted them onto a donkey, and he started back to the land of Egypt. Moreover, Moses took the rod of the true God in his hand.

 

Exodus ²⁷  Then Jehovah said to Aaron: “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of the true God and greeted him with a kiss.

 

At a later date when Moses and the Hebrew Nation arrived at Mt Sinai, his father-in-law Jethro and his wife came from his camp to see him.

 

I thought that his wife had gone back to Egypt with him and had been with the Nation when they left to return to Mt Sinai.

 

Again a simple verse reveals the answer.

 

Exodus 18 ¹  Now Jethʹro the priest of Midʹi·an, Moses’ father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, how Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt. ²  Jethʹro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken in Zip·poʹrah, Moses’ wife, when she was sent back to him, ³  along with her two sons. One son was named Gerʹshom, because Moses said, “I have become a foreign resident in a foreign land,” ⁴  and the other was named E·li·eʹzer, because he said, “The God of my father is my helper, who rescued me from Pharʹaoh’s sword.” ⁵  So Jethʹro, Moses’ father-in-law, along with Moses’ sons and his wife, came to Moses into the wilderness where he was camping at the mountain of the true God. ⁶  Then he sent word to Moses: “I, your father-in-law Jethʹro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.” ⁷  At once Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him. Each of them asked about the other’s welfare, and then they went into the tent.

 

Some may have known that but I hadn't noticed it until my delving into each book and verse a little further.

 

Thank you Father for continually enlightening us.

 

 

Bro Merv and Sister Chris

Edited November 27, 2019 by bushbard

[countrykaren]

On 11/28/2019 at 7:52 AM, bushbard said:

 

Like Sharon, over the years I have taken books of the bible and then gone through verse by verse and then ventured to research many of the verses.  It is amazing what you missed on a certain point that you thought you had a general picture of.

 

The following is an example.

 

In the book of Exodus we all knew that Jehovah commanded Moses to go back to Egypt and be used by him to set his people free.  Moses coughed and spluttered and made excuses but after he saw that Jehovah was fair dinkum he relented and allowed himself to be used by Jehovah.

 

The one thing that Jehovah said he would do was to use Moses brother Aaron to assist him.  Moses was in Midian at his father Jethro's camp and had conversed with Jehovah at Horeb.

 

Is Mt Horeb also Mt Sinai

Psalm 106:19

¹⁹  They made a calf in Hoʹreb And bowed down to a statue of metal;

Exodus 31:18

Now as soon as he had finished speaking with him on Mount Siʹnai, he gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone written on by God’s finger.

“The mountain of the true God,” apparently the same as Mount Sinai. (1Ki 19:8; Ex 33:6) Generally, though, Horeb seems to designate the mountainous region around Mount Sinai, otherwise called the Wilderness of Sinai.—De 1:6, 19; 4:10, 15; 5:2; 9:8; 18:16; 29:1; 1Ki 8:9; 2Ch 5:10; Ps 106:19; Mal 4:4; compare Ex 3:1, 2; Ac 7:30; see SINAI Nos. 1 and 2.At Horeb, Jehovah’s angel appeared to Moses in the midst of the burning thornbush, commissioning him to lead Israel out of Egypt. (Ex 3:1-15) Later, while at Rephidim, the liberated Israelites complained about having no water to drink. Thereupon, at Jehovah’s direction, Moses, accompanied by some of the older men of Israel, went to a rock in Horeb, evidently the mountainous region of Horeb, and struck the rock with his rod. Water miraculously began issuing forth from this rock. (Ex 17:1-6; compare Ps 105:41.) Centuries afterward, the prophet Elijah fled from vengeful Queen Jezebel to Horeb by way of Beer-sheba.—1Ki 19:2-8.

 

I had it in my mind that he had gone back to Egypt and had met his brother Aaron there.  But no, the scriptures show the following.

 

Exodus ¹⁴  Then Jehovah’s anger blazed against Moses, and he said: “What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak very well. And he is now on his way here to meet you. When he sees you, his heart will rejoice. ¹⁵  So you must speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with you and him as you speak, and I will teach you men what to do.

 

Exodus ¹⁹  After that Jehovah said to Moses in Midʹi·an: “Go, return to Egypt, because all the men who were seeking to kill you are dead.” ²⁰  Then Moses took his wife and his sons and lifted them onto a donkey, and he started back to the land of Egypt. Moreover, Moses took the rod of the true God in his hand.

 

Exodus ²⁷  Then Jehovah said to Aaron: “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of the true God and greeted him with a kiss.

 

At a later date when Moses and the Hebrew Nation arrived at Mt Sinai, his father-in-law Jethro and his wife came from his camp to see him.

 

I thought that his wife had gone back to Egypt with him and had been with the Nation when they left to return to Mt Sinai.

 

Again a simple verse reveals the answer.

 

Exodus 18 ¹  Now Jethʹro the priest of Midʹi·an, Moses’ father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, how Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt. ²  Jethʹro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken in Zip·poʹrah, Moses’ wife, when she was sent back to him, ³  along with her two sons. One son was named Gerʹshom, because Moses said, “I have become a foreign resident in a foreign land,” ⁴  and the other was named E·li·eʹzer, because he said, “The God of my father is my helper, who rescued me from Pharʹaoh’s sword.” ⁵  So Jethʹro, Moses’ father-in-law, along with Moses’ sons and his wife, came to Moses into the wilderness where he was camping at the mountain of the true God. ⁶  Then he sent word to Moses: “I, your father-in-law Jethʹro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.” ⁷  At once Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him. Each of them asked about the other’s welfare, and then they went into the tent.

 

Some may have known that but I hadn't noticed it until my delving into each book and verse a little further.

 

Thank you Father for continually enlightening us.

 

 

Bro Merv and Sister Chris

Thanks so much I didn’t know either very interesting!!!

[Tortuga]

We had an interesting Family Worship tonight. We decided to watch the videos from some of the Regional Conventions. We watched most of the 2014 and 2015 RC videos and it was really nice to see them again. 

[bigvince]

This sounds great. I'm doing zoom family worship with families in my congregation. I thought about making a timeline of bible events or events of the last days. Looking for more suggestions.

[Tortuga]

2 minutes ago, bigvince said:

This sounds great. I'm doing zoom family worship with families in my congregation

That is a great idea!

[Peak Pelka]

On 6/12/2015 at 4:19 PM, Mephibosheth said:

I used the WTLib, the Research Guide, another thread on JWTalk and some of my ideas to make a list of things to do for Family Worship. I tried to categorize it but there may be some duplicates. I would like to create a list that I can share with the congregation so please add your ideas!

 

 Bible:

•      Review the revised Bible appendix

•      Read a portion of the weekly Bible reading together. If the material lends itself to doing so, one person can read the narration, and others can read the words of the different characters.

•      Reenact a portion of the Bible reading.

•      Assign each member of the family to read the designated Bible chapters in advance and to make note of one or two questions that he has on the material. Then research everyone’s questions together.

•      Each week prepare a flash card with a Bible verse on it and try to memorize and explain it. Build up a collection of cards, and review them weekly to see how many scriptures you remember.

•      Listen to an audio recording of the Bible reading while following along in the Bible.

 

Review Publications (take turns picking chapters or subjects):

•      Imitate Their Faith

•      Gods Kingdom Rules

•      Bible Story book

•      Greatest Man book

•      Current Yearbook

•      New Releases

•      BE book study points

•      See the Good Land maps

•      Research Guide

•      Organized to do Jehovah’s Will

 

Meetings:

•      Prepare together for a portion of the meetings.

•      Practice the Kingdom songs scheduled for the coming week.

•      Practice the new Kingdom songs as they are released

•      If someone has a talk on the Theocratic Ministry School or a demonstration on the Service Meeting, discuss ideas for presenting it or rehearse it in front of the family.

·         Prepare the TMS Review together

·         Review any meeting material missed due to Circuit Overseer visit or Conventions.

·         Prepare for the Memorial.

 

Ministry:

•      Have practice sessions to prepare presentations for the weekend.

•      Discuss realistic goals the family can set to expand their share in the ministry during the Memorial season or vacation time.

•      Discuss how at least one member in the family can increase their ministry by pioneering.

•      Allow each family member a few minutes to research how to answer different questions that may arise in the ministry, and then have practice sessions.

•      Review the Reasoning Book – Conversation Stoppers

•      Review points in the Pioneer book.

•      Review the tracts and how to use them.

•      Use the JWLanguage app to learn phrases you may need in the territory.

 

Organizational matters:

•      Review the history of the local congregation. When and how was it formed? Which different Kingdom Halls did the congregation use? For this discussion, why not invite a longtime member of the congregation to your home to answer your children’s questions?

•      Explain the purpose of the various congregation meetings and larger gatherings and how the children can benefit from them.

•      Consider the purpose of the different schools established by Jehovah’s organization. Share experiences that show the good fruits that the graduates of these schools have been producing.

•      Help young ones to see the importance of becoming regular publishers of the good news. Show them how they can contribute to the worldwide report published in the Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

•      Consider the different forms of full-time service available to young people in Jehovah’s organization. Chapter 10 of the book Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will is a good source of information.

•      Help young ones to understand why certain procedures are followed in the congregation. Explain why they should not act independently of Jehovah’s organization, even in small ways. Show them how they can contribute to good order in the congregation by following the direction of the elders.

•      Review the “From Our Archives” series in the WT.

 

JW.ORG

•      Review the videos you can use in service

•      Review the electronic version of the current offer and any additional information on it on the web site

•      Do the Family Worship projects together

•      Practice how you can use JW.ORG in the ministry

 

JW Broadcasting:

•      Watch the monthly broadcast

•      Watch a movie

•      Watch Morning Worship

•      Watch Construction Updates

•      Watch Experiences & Interviews

•      Watch or listen to a drama

 

For families with teens:

•      Read and discuss Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work.

•      Practice “What if . . . ?” situations. (See The Watchtower of May 15, 1996, page 14, paragraphs 17-18.)

•      Talk about long-term and short-term goals.

•      From time to time, watch and discuss a Bible-based video.

•      Consider the Watchtower feature “For Young People.”

•      Consider material from the Young People Ask or Learn From the Great Teacher books.

•      Have a practice session where the parents and children reverse roles. The children research a subject and then reason with the parents.

•      Have a practice session on how to handle a situation that is likely to arise at school.

·     A coach asks your daughter to join the school team.

·     Your son is offered a cigarette on the way home from school.

·     Some boys threaten to beat up your son if they see him preaching again.

·     While your daughter is working from door to door in field service, she encounters a schoolmate.

·     In front of the class, your daughter is asked why she does not salute the flag.

·    A boy constantly ridicules your son for being a Witness.

 

For families with young children:

•      Dramatize Bible scenes.

•      Play memory games, such as those on pages 30 and 31 of Awake!

•      Occasionally, do something imaginative. (See “Studying the Bible—In the Zoo!” in Awake! of March 8, 1996, pages 16-19.)

•      Consider the Watchtower feature “Teach Your Children.”

•      Reenact a Bible drama

•      Demonstrate how you would preach to someone just resurrected.

 

For couples with no children:

•      Discuss chapters 1, 3, 11-16 of the book The Secret of Family Happiness.

•      Share the results of research on points from Bible reading.

•      Prepare for the Congregation Bible Study or the Watchtower Study.

•      Discuss ways to expand your ministry as a couple.

 

For single brothers and sisters or for those in religiously divided households:

•      Study new publications received at district conventions.

•      Read current and past Yearbooks.

•      Do research on questions common in your local territory.

•      Prepare presentations for the field ministry

 

Additional Suggestions:

•      Read together an article from the current magazines.

•      Have each family member read in advance an article that intrigues him from the current magazines, and then have him give a report on it.

•      Occasionally invite a publisher or couple to join you for your Family Worship evening, and perhaps interview them.

•      Watch and discuss one of our videos.

•      Discuss together “Young People Ask” or “For Family Review” from Awake!

•      Discuss together “Teach Your Children” or “For Young People” from The Watchtower.

•      Read and discuss a portion of the current Yearbook or a release from the last district convention.

•      Before a convention, review the program and look up the scriptures.

•      After attending a convention or assembly, review the highlights.

•      Observe Jehovah’s creation firsthand, and discuss what it teaches us about Jehovah.

•      Work on a project together, such as a model, a map, or a chart.

•      Discuss holidays and their meaning

•      Review the DPA and AHCD for each member of the family

•      Review the family Emergency Plan and kits

•      Create Theocratic puzzles

•      Review the Beliefs Clarified on WOL.

 

Experiences:

Young ones enjoy doing things that they do well. Rehearsing presentations and thinking of ways to handle objections will help them to become more confident as they engage in various forms of the Kingdom-preaching work.—2 Tim. 2:15.

You can also have practice sessions that will help your children deal with peer pressure. Chapter 15 of the book Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work, Volume 2, can be used as a basis for family discussion. The “Peer-Pressure Planner” on pages 132 and 133 provides suggestions and also allows opportunities for your child to create responses that he or she feels comfortable with. A statement at the bottom of page 133 encourages youths: “Rehearse your responses with a parent or a mature friend.” From time to time, why not make such rehearsals part of your Family Worship evening?

Family worship provides opportunity for parents to emphasize the benefits of having spiritual goals. In this regard, Young People Ask, Volume 2, has excellent information in chapter 38, entitled “What Will I Do With My Life?” While discussing the chapter, help your child to appreciate that centering one’s life on serving Jehovah is the best course to follow. Cultivate in your child’s heart the desire to pioneer, serve at Bethel, attend the Ministerial Training School, or pursue some other form of full-time service.

There are features in The Watchtower and Awake! that provide an excellent basis for family discussion. For example, you might use the feature on page 31 of each Awake! magazine, entitled “How Would You Answer?” In every other issue, the public edition of The Watchtower contains the study project “For Our Young People.” These projects alternate with a series for younger boys and girls entitled “Teach Your Children.”

Articles in the “Young People Ask” series in Awake! will be of particular interest to parents of adolescents, as will the book Young People Ask, Volume 2. When using that book, do not overlook the box “What Do You Think?” at the end of each chapter. That box is more than a review. The questions in that box can be used as an outline for family discussion.

 

 “When studying with our young daughters, my husband and I went over the material to prepare for a congregation meeting and then we had our girls draw a picture that summarized the lesson. At times, we reenacted Bible scenes or had practice sessions for field service presentations. We kept the study appropriate for their age, interesting, positive, and fun.”—J.M., United States.

 

“To help the son of my Bible student appreciate what it was like to use a scroll in Bible times, we printed out the book of Isaiah after deleting the chapter and verse numbers. We joined the pages and attached each end to a tube. The boy then tried to do what Jesus did at the synagogue in Nazareth. The account at Luke 4:16-21 relates that Jesus ‘opened the scroll [of Isaiah] and found’ the passage for which he was looking. (Isa. 61:1, 2) However, when the boy tried to do the same, he found it hard to locate Isaiah 61 using that long scroll with no chapter and verse numbers. Impressed by Jesus’ skill in handling scrolls, the boy exclaimed: ‘Jesus was awesome!’”—Y.T., Japan.

 

References from RSG14 pp. 87-88 - Family Life:

Use Our Web Site to Teach Your Children Kingdom Ministry, 10/2013

What Is Family Worship? Jehovah’s Will, lesson 10

Keys to Family Happiness: Cultivate Spirituality as a Couple The Watchtower, 11/1/2011

Ideas for Family Worship and Personal Study The Watchtower, 8/15/2011

Christian Families—“Keep Ready” (§ Maintain a Family Worship Evening) The Watchtower, 5/15/2011

You Have Cause for Rejoicing The Watchtower, 3/15/2011

Help for Families Kingdom Ministry, 1/2011

What Would Your Child Say? The Watchtower, 12/15/2010

Help Young Ones to Become Familiar With Jehovah’s Organization (Box: Subjects to Consider During Family Worship) The Watchtower, 10/15/2010

Find Refreshment in Spiritual Things (§ Family Worship Refreshes) The Watchtower, 6/15/2010

Help Your Children to Meet Their Many Challenges (§ Why Practice Sessions Are So Valuable) The Watchtower, 1/15/2010

❐ The Watchtower, 10/15/2009

Family Worship—Vital for Survival!

Have You Set Aside Time for Bible Study?

Cooperation Promotes Spiritual Progress The Watchtower, 7/15/2009

Personal and Family Bible Study Are Vital! Kingdom Ministry, 10/2008

 

 

This is exhaustive.  Nice material. Well done brother. 

[Tortuga]

We are currently watching the older convention videos but after that I want to study "Prayer" in the Insight. I want to look up all of the scriptures and understand all the different forms of prayer.

 

I used that material recently for a field service meeting and highlighted what Paul meant when he said in Romans 12:12 to persevere in prayer, there is a lot to know about prayer so i want to do a Family Worship about it.

[Dages]

We started the pure worship book... Going slow with the children. This is going to be a nice journey.

[McKay]

These are such good suggestions. Currently, we watch the Monthly Broadcast one week and then consider stories from the “Bible Lessons” book the other three weeks. Although usually once a month we need to have a “local needs” part.

[Tortuga]

12 hours ago, McKay said:

Although usually once a month we need to have a “local needs” part.

I like that idea. We will occasionally use the time to discuss our emergency procedures and ToGo bags. We will also occasionally discuss our Medical Directive cards and review all of the suggested information about blood. 

[SCSister]

I homeschool my son. At 14, he has an amazing facility for information. When I first really started teaching him the heavier things of the Bible ... for example ... the Great Tribulation ... he began researching the world's atrocities. He has taught himself about weaponry and strategy. He longs to learn survival skills and such (we are working on these while enduring the quarantine) ... he wants to be a tailor, so we are learning about ancient clothing that was worn in Bible times. So, something we have decided on as a family study research theme is ... what was happening around the world during some of the things recorded in the Bible. I know there is already a timeline like this published, but I wanted to do one for ourselves that wouldn't be subject to historical lies and misleading "biblical" accounts.I try to keep things interesting for him and informative ... equipping him to see the big picture of the Bible.

[Friends just call me Ross]

14 minutes ago, SCSister said:

I homeschool my son. At 14, he has an amazing facility for information. When I first really started teaching him the heavier things of the Bible ... for example ... the Great Tribulation ... he began researching the world's atrocities. He has taught himself about weaponry and strategy. He longs to learn survival skills and such (we are working on these while enduring the quarantine) ... he wants to be a tailor, so we are learning about ancient clothing that was worn in Bible times. So, something we have decided on as a family study research theme is ... what was happening around the world during some of the things recorded in the Bible. I know there is already a timeline like this published, but I wanted to do one for ourselves that wouldn't be subject to historical lies and misleading "biblical" accounts.I try to keep things interesting for him and informative ... equipping him to see the big picture of the Bible.

Wow!  Sounds like you have been doing a fantastic job as an educator.  

Keep up the good work and welcome to JWTalk, Sister Christina! 

[Tkyoung]

For our Family worship we try to get our family to do research on points we give.

here is an example

we put question on separate pieces of paper put them in a paper bag have them pick one out and they have to do research on that point and share it with the family on study night.

here is an idea of the kind of question we give them

First question to research: who was Michael?  

 

Second question to research: why was Michael mentioned as the one kicking satan out of heaven when Jesus was the one who did this? 

 

Third question to research:  who buried moses body when he died and why? 

 

 Forth question to research: why did Michael and Satan fight over Moses body after he died?  

 

 Fifth question to research: why didn’t Michael bring judgement against Satan? 

it really turns into a fantastic night every time, because of the answers they find on their own.

 

 

[Tia]

Nice!  I would love to send your inquiries to my daughter for her homeschool crew!

Matter of fact!  I think to go over these questions to keep sharpening ME

[bigvince]

I was thinking of doing a study of Jesus qualities by going through the gospels individually.

[Sheep]

Our congregation just enjoyed the Circuit Assembly for 2020-21 with the Branch Representative. An idea was given in that assembly. Look at the Kingdom Ministry of January, 2011, the box on page 6.

[Amygdala]

Great link!! Thx!

[Tortuga]

On 9/29/2020 at 7:34 PM, Sheep said:

Our congregation just enjoyed the Circuit Assembly for 2020-21 with the Branch Representative. An idea was given in that assembly. Look at the Kingdom Ministry of January, 2011, the box on page 6.

That's the source material for the MWM student talk this week. It is also part of the source material I used when I started this topic.

[Sheep]

6 hours ago, Mephibosheth said:

That's the source material for the MWM student talk this week. It is also part of the source material I used when I started this topic.

Ah! You're right. I thought I looked close enough at your source material, but I guess I didn't look close enough. (And I hadn't had my midweek meeting when I posted either...)

 

So... you were way ahead of Brother Schafer (the one who mentioned it at the assembly)...

[Vido]

On 6/12/2015 at 4:19 PM, Tortuga said:

I used the WTLib, the Research Guide, another thread on JWTalk and some of my ideas to make a list of things to do for Family Worship. I tried to categorize it but there may be some duplicates. I would like to create a list that I can share with the congregation so please add your ideas!

 

 Bible:

•      Review the revised Bible appendix

•      Read a portion of the weekly Bible reading together. If the material lends itself to doing so, one person can read the narration, and others can read the words of the different characters.

•      Reenact a portion of the Bible reading.

•      Assign each member of the family to read the designated Bible chapters in advance and to make note of one or two questions that he has on the material. Then research everyone’s questions together.

•      Each week prepare a flash card with a Bible verse on it and try to memorize and explain it. Build up a collection of cards, and review them weekly to see how many scriptures you remember.

•      Listen to an audio recording of the Bible reading while following along in the Bible.

 

Review Publications (take turns picking chapters or subjects):

•      Imitate Their Faith

•      Gods Kingdom Rules

•      Bible Story book

•      Greatest Man book

•      Current Yearbook

•      New Releases

•      BE book study points

•      See the Good Land maps

•      Research Guide

•      Organized to do Jehovah’s Will

 

Meetings:

•      Prepare together for a portion of the meetings.

•      Practice the Kingdom songs scheduled for the coming week.

•      Practice the new Kingdom songs as they are released

•      If someone has a talk on the Theocratic Ministry School or a demonstration on the Service Meeting, discuss ideas for presenting it or rehearse it in front of the family.

·         Prepare the TMS Review together

·         Review any meeting material missed due to Circuit Overseer visit or Conventions.

·         Prepare for the Memorial.

 

Ministry:

•      Have practice sessions to prepare presentations for the weekend.

•      Discuss realistic goals the family can set to expand their share in the ministry during the Memorial season or vacation time.

•      Discuss how at least one member in the family can increase their ministry by pioneering.

•      Allow each family member a few minutes to research how to answer different questions that may arise in the ministry, and then have practice sessions.

•      Review the Reasoning Book – Conversation Stoppers

•      Review points in the Pioneer book.

•      Review the tracts and how to use them.

•      Use the JWLanguage app to learn phrases you may need in the territory.

 

Organizational matters:

•      Review the history of the local congregation. When and how was it formed? Which different Kingdom Halls did the congregation use? For this discussion, why not invite a longtime member of the congregation to your home to answer your children’s questions?

•      Explain the purpose of the various congregation meetings and larger gatherings and how the children can benefit from them.

•      Consider the purpose of the different schools established by Jehovah’s organization. Share experiences that show the good fruits that the graduates of these schools have been producing.

•      Help young ones to see the importance of becoming regular publishers of the good news. Show them how they can contribute to the worldwide report published in the Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

•      Consider the different forms of full-time service available to young people in Jehovah’s organization. Chapter 10 of the book Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will is a good source of information.

•      Help young ones to understand why certain procedures are followed in the congregation. Explain why they should not act independently of Jehovah’s organization, even in small ways. Show them how they can contribute to good order in the congregation by following the direction of the elders.

•      Review the “From Our Archives” series in the WT.

 

JW.ORG

•      Review the videos you can use in service

•      Review the electronic version of the current offer and any additional information on it on the web site

•      Do the Family Worship projects together

•      Practice how you can use JW.ORG in the ministry

 

JW Broadcasting:

•      Watch the monthly broadcast

•      Watch a movie

•      Watch Morning Worship

•      Watch Construction Updates

•      Watch Experiences & Interviews

•      Watch or listen to a drama

 

For families with teens:

•      Read and discuss Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work.

•      Practice “What if . . . ?” situations. (See The Watchtower of May 15, 1996, page 14, paragraphs 17-18.)

•      Talk about long-term and short-term goals.

•      From time to time, watch and discuss a Bible-based video.

•      Consider the Watchtower feature “For Young People.”

•      Consider material from the Young People Ask or Learn From the Great Teacher books.

•      Have a practice session where the parents and children reverse roles. The children research a subject and then reason with the parents.

•      Have a practice session on how to handle a situation that is likely to arise at school.

·     A coach asks your daughter to join the school team.

·     Your son is offered a cigarette on the way home from school.

·     Some boys threaten to beat up your son if they see him preaching again.

·     While your daughter is working from door to door in field service, she encounters a schoolmate.

·     In front of the class, your daughter is asked why she does not salute the flag.

·    A boy constantly ridicules your son for being a Witness.

 

For families with young children:

•      Dramatize Bible scenes.

•      Play memory games, such as those on pages 30 and 31 of Awake!

•      Occasionally, do something imaginative. (See “Studying the Bible—In the Zoo!” in Awake! of March 8, 1996, pages 16-19.)

•      Consider the Watchtower feature “Teach Your Children.”

•      Reenact a Bible drama

•      Demonstrate how you would preach to someone just resurrected.

 

For couples with no children:

•      Discuss chapters 1, 3, 11-16 of the book The Secret of Family Happiness.

•      Share the results of research on points from Bible reading.

•      Prepare for the Congregation Bible Study or the Watchtower Study.

•      Discuss ways to expand your ministry as a couple.

 

For single brothers and sisters or for those in religiously divided households:

•      Study new publications received at district conventions.

•      Read current and past Yearbooks.

•      Do research on questions common in your local territory.

•      Prepare presentations for the field ministry

 

Additional Suggestions:

•      Read together an article from the current magazines.

•      Have each family member read in advance an article that intrigues him from the current magazines, and then have him give a report on it.

•      Occasionally invite a publisher or couple to join you for your Family Worship evening, and perhaps interview them.

•      Watch and discuss one of our videos.

•      Discuss together “Young People Ask” or “For Family Review” from Awake!

•      Discuss together “Teach Your Children” or “For Young People” from The Watchtower.

•      Read and discuss a portion of the current Yearbook or a release from the last district convention.

•      Before a convention, review the program and look up the scriptures.

•      After attending a convention or assembly, review the highlights.

•      Observe Jehovah’s creation firsthand, and discuss what it teaches us about Jehovah.

•      Work on a project together, such as a model, a map, or a chart.

•      Discuss holidays and their meaning

•      Review the DPA and AHCD for each member of the family

•      Review the family Emergency Plan and kits

•      Create Theocratic puzzles

•      Review the Beliefs Clarified on WOL.

 

Experiences:

Young ones enjoy doing things that they do well. Rehearsing presentations and thinking of ways to handle objections will help them to become more confident as they engage in various forms of the Kingdom-preaching work.—2 Tim. 2:15.

You can also have practice sessions that will help your children deal with peer pressure. Chapter 15 of the book Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work, Volume 2, can be used as a basis for family discussion. The “Peer-Pressure Planner” on pages 132 and 133 provides suggestions and also allows opportunities for your child to create responses that he or she feels comfortable with. A statement at the bottom of page 133 encourages youths: “Rehearse your responses with a parent or a mature friend.” From time to time, why not make such rehearsals part of your Family Worship evening?

Family worship provides opportunity for parents to emphasize the benefits of having spiritual goals. In this regard, Young People Ask, Volume 2, has excellent information in chapter 38, entitled “What Will I Do With My Life?” While discussing the chapter, help your child to appreciate that centering one’s life on serving Jehovah is the best course to follow. Cultivate in your child’s heart the desire to pioneer, serve at Bethel, attend the Ministerial Training School, or pursue some other form of full-time service.

There are features in The Watchtower and Awake! that provide an excellent basis for family discussion. For example, you might use the feature on page 31 of each Awake! magazine, entitled “How Would You Answer?” In every other issue, the public edition of The Watchtower contains the study project “For Our Young People.” These projects alternate with a series for younger boys and girls entitled “Teach Your Children.”

Articles in the “Young People Ask” series in Awake! will be of particular interest to parents of adolescents, as will the book Young People Ask, Volume 2. When using that book, do not overlook the box “What Do You Think?” at the end of each chapter. That box is more than a review. The questions in that box can be used as an outline for family discussion.

 

 “When studying with our young daughters, my husband and I went over the material to prepare for a congregation meeting and then we had our girls draw a picture that summarized the lesson. At times, we reenacted Bible scenes or had practice sessions for field service presentations. We kept the study appropriate for their age, interesting, positive, and fun.”—J.M., United States.

 

“To help the son of my Bible student appreciate what it was like to use a scroll in Bible times, we printed out the book of Isaiah after deleting the chapter and verse numbers. We joined the pages and attached each end to a tube. The boy then tried to do what Jesus did at the synagogue in Nazareth. The account at Luke 4:16-21 relates that Jesus ‘opened the scroll [of Isaiah] and found’ the passage for which he was looking. (Isa. 61:1, 2) However, when the boy tried to do the same, he found it hard to locate Isaiah 61 using that long scroll with no chapter and verse numbers. Impressed by Jesus’ skill in handling scrolls, the boy exclaimed: ‘Jesus was awesome!’”—Y.T., Japan.

 

References from RSG14 pp. 87-88 - Family Life:

Use Our Web Site to Teach Your Children Kingdom Ministry, 10/2013

What Is Family Worship? Jehovah’s Will, lesson 10

Keys to Family Happiness: Cultivate Spirituality as a Couple The Watchtower, 11/1/2011

Ideas for Family Worship and Personal Study The Watchtower, 8/15/2011

Christian Families—“Keep Ready” (§ Maintain a Family Worship Evening) The Watchtower, 5/15/2011

You Have Cause for Rejoicing The Watchtower, 3/15/2011

Help for Families Kingdom Ministry, 1/2011

What Would Your Child Say? The Watchtower, 12/15/2010

Help Young Ones to Become Familiar With Jehovah’s Organization (Box: Subjects to Consider During Family Worship) The Watchtower, 10/15/2010

Find Refreshment in Spiritual Things (§ Family Worship Refreshes) The Watchtower, 6/15/2010

Help Your Children to Meet Their Many Challenges (§ Why Practice Sessions Are So Valuable) The Watchtower, 1/15/2010

❐ The Watchtower, 10/15/2009

Family Worship—Vital for Survival!

Have You Set Aside Time for Bible Study?

Cooperation Promotes Spiritual Progress The Watchtower, 7/15/2009

Personal and Family Bible Study Are Vital! Kingdom Ministry, 10/2008

 

 

Thank you for these ideas my brother, will definitely put them to use, with your permission of course: Thank you.

[Sheep]

15 hours ago, Vido said:

Thank you for these ideas my brother, will definitely put them to use, with your permission of course: Thank you.

"with your permission"? Of course! The suggestions are not copyrighted; otherwise Richard would not have been able to post them here. And it is very legal to put the suggestions into practice!

 

Anyway, this means you don't need his permission.

[Hinata]

On 6/12/2015 at 11:19 PM, Tortuga said:

Review Publications

 

In the light of the recent conclusion of Jesus—The Way book, our family will be considering the “Bearing Thorough Witness” book. The Acts is a thematic continuation of the four Gospels.

 

Edited November 16, 2020 by Hinata

[1MKnight]

We've started implementing a "Family Worship Meeting Program" into our weekly FW. 

 

Basically, we have a weekly routine for family worship, similar to how our Mid-week meetings are formatted. 

1. Share some of your bible reading/personal study points from the week
2. What can we do for our preaching/ministry service this week?
3. Who could we offer some practical support to this week? 
4. What blessings have you experienced this week?
5. The Weekly Project/"main course" (broadcast, project, or other typical family worship idea)
6. Brainstorm future family worship ideas. 
7. When will we be doing our personal studies this week?
8. When do we plan on studying for this week's meetings?
9. What should we pray for? 

We really like having this. Sometimes we, if I didn't prepare any projects, won't do a project, we'll just spend longer on reviewing our Bible reading points or brainstorming future ideas. 

 

A lot of the parts are just good for keeping us thinking about ourselves and others. Covid has really made me focus on how to proactively support the brothers and sisters - and ourselves. Thus, all the parts about brainstorming the rest of our week. 

 

If anyone has any suggestions, let me know  

(Note: usually, it only lasts a little longer than an hour. But, obviously it can be flexible. 

[Doug]

Not long ago, possibly in a video, it was said that Family Worship can include simply sitting together, each one quietly reading whatever they wished; Bible, magazine, book etc. 

Can someone find the source ?  I feel that I heard it rather than read it, so I feel it was more likely a video.

[Sister Twister]

On 8/8/2015 at 11:03 PM, Dustparticle said:

 Genesis 1:21, says God created sea creatures or sea monsters. So how can I fit this into my family worship? How about making a model of a city like New York, and have a rope hanged over it and a chair right beside the model too. Then I put on a costume of Godzilla and get on the chair and jump on the rope and swing over the city  and land on it and tear it apart. Now that would be a perfect family worship!!!

I was thinking what a good idea with all seriousness until I got to the end