DISCUSSION GUIDE - Amazon S3

THE

SERIES

DISCUSSION GUIDE

Executive Producer

Karl Faase

Editor and Discussion Questions

Kaye Chalwell

10 SESSIONS SUITABLE FOR DISCUSSION GROUPS AND BIBLE STUDIES

TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FAMILY SERIES DVDs

.au

1

The Family Series Discussion Guide First Published 2011 Copyright ? 2011 Olive Tree Media

Published by Olive Tree Media Incorporated PO Box 1007 Sutherland NSW 1499 Australia Email: info@.au .au

ISBN 978-0-9806266-6-7 (DVD & Discussion Guide sold as one product) If you would like to purchase additional copies of this discussion guide, please contact Olive Tree Media.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the Holy Bible.

Executive Producer: Karl Faase Editor and Discussion Guide: Kaye Chalwell Logo & Cover Design: Paul Hanna Layout: Jane Faase Printed in Australia by Hyde Park Press, Richmond, South Australia

2

CONTENTS

Session1: Parenting Teens page 6

Session 2: Marriage I - For a Lifetime page 14

Session 3: Encouraging Faith page 20

Session 4: Parenting Toddlers page 29

Session 5: Blended Families page 35

Session 6: Marriage II - Communication & Conflict page 42

Session 7: Work/Life Balance page 51

Session 8: Dealing with Difficulty page 57

Session 9: Parenting Adult Children page 64

Session 10: Family Health page 71

3

FOR THE GROUP LEADER

These studies have been written to provide guidelines for group discussion after viewing the DVD. When preparing these studies, you need to watch the DVD and then read through the study. The text summarises the main points from the DVD and occasionally presents some new material. It is important to read the text and consider how you will use it in the study. Rather than reading out the text, it is a good idea to present the contents of the text in your own words, perhaps even giving a personal example. It is unnecessary to spend too much time on the text as group members will have already watched the DVD.

When leading a discussion it is important to encourage group members to think about their answers rather than immediately responding. After you ask a question, allow for silence as people consider what they would like to say. This `thinking time' is very important as it enables deeper, more thought out discussion to occur. Try to avoid being the conduit of all discussion by staying quiet, not fearing silence and avoiding repeating what a group member has said. You may, however redirect a comment to another group member by encouraging others to add comments to an answer. Use people's names to include them in the discussion, but respect the shyer, quiet members of your group who may prefer to listen more and speak less. Be willing to share your life experiences to encourage other group members to talk. Also be willing to step in and redirect a discussion if someone is taking over the discussion space.

Some of the issues raised in these discussions are of a personal nature. It is therefore important to create an atmosphere of trust and acceptance in the group. Group members need to understand and agree upon the importance of confidentiality within the group. These studies are not counselling sessions. It may be appropriate to privately suggest that a member of your group seeks professional help. You may also want to identify people, within your church, who could be available if issues arise.

There are three types of questions in these studies:

1. At the beginning of each study there is a `Getting Started' question. This question is based on an often familiar Bible story. The aim of this question is not to deeply investigate the Bible passage; rather it is to look at the story in a different way to initiate discussion on the topic for the study. It also helps people who are unfamiliar with the Bible to hear a number of Bible narratives in a non-threatening environment throughout the series. Encourage group members to think creatively in their answers and reassure them that there is no right or wrong answer.

4

2. Some questions have been written to address specific issues raised in the DVD. Encourage group members to share their experiences in a positive way. Be aware of restlessness or boredom and be willing to move the discussion on when necessary.

3. Bible passages have been chosen to bring a Christian perspective into the discussion. For some group members this may be the first time they have read passages in the Bible and discussed them. Help people find the Bible passages (you may need to provide copies of the Bible or have the passages printed out) and encourage them to apply the passage's meaning to the situation being discussed.

When you are preparing the study it is valuable to pray for each of the group members, for wisdom as you lead and for the Holy Spirit to work during the session. You will also need to consider how you will use prayer during the sessions. It is a good idea to pray for the group at the beginning and conclusion of your time together. In addition to seeking God's help you will be modelling an important part of Christian life to your non-Christian group members. You will need to discern whether it is appropriate to have a group time of prayer at the end of the session or not. This will largely depend upon the make-up of your group. There may even be times when you will want to stop and pray for a particular situation that has been discussed. If something particularly difficult has been brought up, you may like to assure the person that you will be praying for that situation during the week.

It is important to start and finish the sessions on time. This will require strong, yet gentle, leadership as you lead the group. You will need to discern when to spend more time and when to move on. Also, there is no test or award for finishing the studies. If an early question captures the interest of the group, feel free to spend longer on that question and sacrifice a question later in the study.

The final session of The Family Series acts as a summary of the other sessions. You will notice that Bible passages have been used previously and the questions are similar. There are a number of these questions and you may choose to select only a few of these Bible readings and questions.

Our desire is that The Family Series will encourage and strengthen the families of those who watch the DVD and participate in the discussion groups, as they seek to apply the biblical principles on which it is based. We hope that as you lead, you will experience God's wisdom as you play your part to help in this process.

The Olive Tree Media Team

5

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download