10 positive ways to tackle Hallowe'en - CFN newsletter 84

CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK NEWSLETTER 84

> Hallowe'en - you can have fun with your kids and teach them about Christ, says Hilary McDowell
> News
> Young adults bring hope to South African kids
> Backing for Lords defeat on Government adoption reform
> Donor payments over transplants condemned
> Sites:
> Nothing for Christmas for me, please
> Spend a minute with the Bible
> Marriage MOT: Are you doing your fair share?
> Events:
> Alive for God womens events in Wimborne and Birmingham
> You've got to laugh:
> Members' Zone latest

Dear All

Our Autumn/Winter edition of Families Together magazine is coming on a treat - head for the magazine section on the website to see what's in store.

Also coming up soon is a special report from a new training initiative by Care for the Family, aimed at helping you run parenting courses and marriage support groups in your church. If that's something your church already does, do write and tell us about it - it's always great to hear when this kind of vital work is making a difference to local communities.

Christian Family Network is here to direct you to the best in parenting, marriage and family resources; to link you up with other Christian families up and down the UK; and to help you make the most of life as a follower of Christ - at home, at work, at school and college, at play and online. Your feedback, positive and negative, helps us do our job better!

And don't forget - if we can pass on material (sample copies of Families Together, leaflets) which will help you tell your friends and your church about CFN, just mail Lyn Bedford at marketing@christianmedia.org.uk and she'll be glad to help you out.

Every blessing

Russ Bravo
Christian Family Network
info@cfnetwork.co.uk
http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk

ADVICE

Dealing with the 'dark side'

• As Hallowe’en approaches, HILARY MCDOWELL suggests 10 positive ways to mark the festival
  

Is your house invaded at this time of year with masks, broomsticks, and the obligatory pumpkin? Can we enjoy Hallowe’en without the danger of seeming to give a nodding agreement to an 'acceptable' dalliance with darkness?

Consider 10 steps we might attempt in exploring an ‘innocent’ celebration of the mid-term break:

• Teach the children about All Soul’s night and its Christian meaning. Develop at least one meal-time a week where ALL the family meet around the table at the same time, a great place to flesh things out.
  
  
• Discover what they actually think about real-life wizardry (as opposed to what we have seen in TV programmes or popular books on the subject). They can pleasantly surprise us sometimes.
  
  
• Learn how to present the Christian concept of ‘the dark side’ without over-reacting to the innocent trappings of Hallowe’en.
  
  
• Provide healthy alternative parties for the children at this time of year.
  
  
• Invent enjoyable games which ‘unmask’ evil. A practical one I invented is ‘Hallowe’en hide and seek’ where masks are hidden about the house and then each child who finds one has to think of many modern-day characters (or things) which might ‘hide’ behind this mask ie drugs and alcohol abuse, deceitful dishonesty, fear, violence, (or if it is teenagers playing the game) sexual immorality. Spend some time helping them make alternative masks to wear. Perhaps ‘hero’ masks are best. These in themselves can present opportunities to lead to discussion regarding what really makes a hero from a Christian point of view.
  
  
• Natural tendencies gravitate towards wanting to wear the most grotesque, scariest mask and costume available (wasn’t it ever so!) How about a discussion about why we feel the need to scare other people? ‘Fun’, would probably be the most common answer – but why is it fun? Does bullying, having power over others, enjoying the sensation of ‘controlling’ come into such feelings? Here is where the right use of ‘power’ (as Jesus demonstrated it) is worth a discussion.

For more tips, go to the rest of this article in our Advice section at http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/advice.asp

> THIS WEEK'S NEWS

>Young adults bring hope to South African kids

A homeless shelter in Pretoria, South Africa, will get a new lease of life this month after a visit from members of Queens Road Church (QRC), Wimbledon.

Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/news.asp for the full story

> Backing for Lords defeat on Government adoption reform

The defeat in the House of Lords of proposals to allow unmarried and same-sex couples the opportunity to adopt has been hailed as a victory for common sense by the Evangelical Alliance and CARE.

Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/resources.asp for the full story

> Donor payments over transplants condemned

The leader of a Christian lobby group has condemned the idea of paying relatives for transplant organs.

Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/news.asp for the full story

> MARRIAGE MOT

> Check out our archived marriage tips in the Members' Zone, plus stacks more marriage resources at http://www.2-in-2-1.co.uk .

Are you doing your fair share?

Roles in marriage have changed a lot in the last 50 years. Many wives and mothers go out to work. In some cases it’s the men who stay at home and care for the children. Roles and responsibilities in the home are no longer so clear-cut, but we all have expectations of what they should be.

Would you know if your spouse was feeling taken for granted? Do you take the trouble to check whether they are coping with life and happy with the division of labour and the role that’s expected of them?

Why not ask them today if they think you’ve got the balance right? Try and find some way to show that you appreciate what they do.

We all need a little consideration and encouragement along life’s way.

Soap watcher?

And finally… Do you watch any of the major soaps? Christian marriage support website ministry 2-in-2-1.co.uk wants to do a small scale study of the way marriages are portrayed on our major soaps (Corrie, East Enders, etc).
 
"All that would be involved would be to watch the episodes over a given week, and report on the scenes showing particular married couples on a very simple pro-forma," they say. "If you were willing, or you have a friend who might be, please do e-mail us at info@2-in-2-1.co.uk and let us know. We plan to use the information to alert the media to the way these influential programmes actually show marriage."
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> EVENTS

• Wimborne: Monica Acton, Merry Hill Cottage, Long Lane, Colehill,Wimborne, Dorset BH21 7AQ (Tel 01202 885589)
  
  
• Birmingham: Maxine Pitherson, Birmingham Christian Centre, 1 The Parade, Birmingham B1 3QQ (Tel 0121 236 2997)
  

The Bible Minute is intended for those in a hurry. This attention-getting thought-starter that will help you apply biblical truths to your life. It's fast, concise and easy to digest but still nourishing! Sponsored by Back to the Bible.

Please don't buy me anything for Christmas this year! Weary of seeing so much money wasted on commercialism at Christmas? Send your loved ones an exemption card ... e-cards are available at: http://216.156.105.63/buynothing/xmas_cert_own.asp

ONLINE EVANGELIST?

If you're comfortable with the internet and have a heart for the lost, Christian outreach site Acts on the Net is looking for you!

Sharon at Acts on the Net is looking to put together a team of online evangelists, so if that sounds exciting to you, pay a visit to http://www.acts-on-the-net.org or mail her at info@acts-on-the-net.org

> YOU'VE GOT TO LAUGH ...

Miss Horn was very overweight, so her doctor finally prescribed
a strict regimen, telling her it was the only way to avoid serious health problems in the future.

"I want you to eat normally for a day, then skip a day, drinking only water. Repeat this three times, and by the time I see you next Thursday you'll have lost at least six pounds."

The patient promised to obey, and when she showed up for her next appointment he next week, she was almost 15 pounds lighter.

"Excellent progress, Miss Horn!" enthused the doctor. "And you lost all his weight simply by following my instructions?"

Miss Horn nodded. "It wasn't easy, though, Doctor," she admitted. "On the third day I felt like I was about to die!"

"From hunger, huh?"

"No, no!" she replied, "From skipping."

from ML Brown

freefamilyhumor@yahoogroups.com

> CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK THIS WEEK
(MEMBERS' ZONE) - http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/default.asp

> Advice

> Hallowe'en - 10 positive approaches from Hilary McDowell
> Marriage MOT - are you doing your fair share?
> Webwise - reminders on child safety online

> Resources

> Easy English - could you help present God's Word to English learners?
> Elizabeth Corcoran - our regular columnist's latest Moments with Mum
> Cherokee wisdom for non-native Americans

> News:
> Young adults bring hope to South African kids
> Backing for Lords defeat on Government adoption reform
> Donor payments over transplants condemned

> Reviews

> Peace like a River by Leif Enger - mainstream novel, Christian heart
> The River Flows - new anthology from Celtic music pioneers Iona
> Lord of Every Heart - top release from worship leader and songwriter Stuart Townend

> Top sites this week

> spend a minute with The Bible
> nothing for me this Christmas, thanks
> Jesus-centred Bible studies at Jesus Plus Nothing
> meet the new local newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, run by Christians

> Events: More of what's on near you

> Webwatch Index: more than 500 sites at your fingertips
> Site Search Engine: the easy way to trawl our 500-page plus archives

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