Growing Together
Week 5: Does my life have purpose?
Quick jumps:
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | |
---|---|---|---|
Joshua 1:1-9 | Discovering your purpose | God's promise to your family | God's commands |
Warm-up | Galloping horses | Follow the leader | Tidy up to music |
Move | Superman | Superman opposites | Superman hold |
Challenge | Superman and mountain-climbers pairs | Superman roll | Superman and burpee tabata |
Explore | Read story and discuss | Reread story and make a poster | Reread story and blindfold prayer |
Play | Musical pillows | Ants on a log | Board game |
Watch the family.fit five steps
Getting started
Help your family to be active this week with three fun sessions:
- Involve everyone – anyone can lead!
- Adapt for your family
- Encourage each other
- Challenge yourselves
- Don’t exercise if it causes pain
Share family.fit with others:
- Post a photo or video on social media and tag with #familyfit or @familyfitnessfaithfun
- Do family.fit with another family
Day 1: Warm-up
Galloping horses
Stand in a line. With one hand in the air, gallop around the room. Swap arms, go fast, go slow, jump over pillows, and so on. Do five laps.
Rest and chat briefly.
Take turns to ask fun questions beginning with “Why do we have …?” Ask “What is its purpose?” For example, ice-cream, pets …
Go deeper: How would you answer someone who asked what is the purpose of life?
Day 1: Move
Superman
Lie face down on the floor or on a mat with your arms stretched above your head (like Superman). Raise your arms and legs as far off the ground as you can. Hold for three seconds and relax.
Do 10 repetitions and rest. Repeat.
Go harder: Increase the number of repetitions.
Day 1: Challenge
Pair challenge
Work in pairs. One person does a superman hold with arms and legs off the floor while the other person does 20 mountain-climbers.
Go easier: Relax and repeat the superman hold.
Go harder: Increase the number of mountain-climbers.
Day 1: Explore
Discovering your purpose
Read Joshua 1:1-9 from the Bible.
Moses, the leader of God’s people, the Israelites, has died. Joshua is chosen to lead God’s people into the land God promised them. His purpose is clear but he was afraid to step into the future.
Discuss:
What purpose did God give to Joshua? While Joshua’s purpose was clearly given to him, it can often be harder to work out our purpose. What might be an important purpose for your life right now?
Spend some time in silence, asking God to reveal or confirm His purpose for your life now and into the future.
Day 1: Play
Musical pillows
Put pillows on the floor in a circle (two less than the number of people). One person sits in the middle with their eyes closed and plays a simple instrument (rice shaker, pan and stick, and so on). Everyone hops around the circle and tries to sit on a pillow when the music stops. Whoever misses out becomes the next musician.
Health Tip
Reduce technology ‘screen time’.
Day 2: Warm-up
Follow the leader
Put on your favourite music. Run around in a circle.
One person is the leader and uses hand claps to communicate instructions:
- One clap - everyone puts a hand on the floor
- Two claps - three squats
- Three claps - everyone sits on the floor
Change leaders after one minute.
Rest and talk together.
How do you feel when someone keeps a promise?
Go deeper: What is it like when someone breaks a promise?
Day 2: Move
Superman opposites
Lie face down on the floor or on a mat with your arms stretched above your head (like Superman). Raise your right arm and left leg as far off the ground as you can. Hold for three seconds and relax. Repeat with opposite arm and leg.
Do 10 repetitions and rest. Repeat.
Go harder: Increase the number of repetitions.
Day 2: Challenge
Superman roll
Everyone takes turns to roll in the superman position from one side of the room to the other while carrying a cup. Roll without your hands and feet touching the floor. Continue as you build a tower of cups. Choose the size of the tower by the number of cups you use.
Day 2: Explore
God’s promise to your family
Read Joshua 1:8-9 again.
What promises did God make to Joshua? Which of these promises is relevant for us today? Many of these promises were just for Joshua at that point in history, but one promise is for anyone who believes in Jesus. Find the promise in Romans 8:38-39. Write it on a poster in your own words and put it where you can see it as a reminder.
As you sit around the meal table together each day, take turns to share where you noticed God was with you today.
Day 2: Play
Ants on a log
Everyone stands on a ‘log’ (a line or a bench). The goal is to reverse your order on the log without anyone falling off. Work together so that everyone is successful. Set a timer.
Go harder: Increase speed and improve your time.
Health Tip
Reduce screen time.
Schedule ‘screen-free’ times for the whole family, parents included.
Day 3: Warm-up
Tidy up to music
Put on a favorite up-tempo song. As the music plays, everyone moves quickly to pick up things and put them away for about four minutes.
Share a good piece of advice someone has given you.
Go deeper: Have you ever ignored advice and had it go badly?
Day 3: Move
Superman hold
Lie face down on the floor or on a mat with your arms stretched above your head (like Superman). Raise your arms and legs as far off the ground as you can. Hold for 10 seconds and relax for 10 seconds.
Repeat 10 times.
Day 3: Challenge
Time challenge
Listen to the Tabata music.
Do superman for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Do burpees for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat this sequence. Do eight rounds.
Go harder: Increase the number of repetitions in 20 seconds.
Day 3: Explore
God’s commands
Read Joshua 1:1-9 again.
Identify the different commands God gave to Joshua. Write them on separate sheets of paper and space them out on the floor. Say each one aloud together. Which one is most challenging for you right now? Go and stand on that paper. Which is challenging for your family? Stand and discuss.
Find blindfolds for everyone. Many people are looking for a purpose in their lives. Some feel lost and in the dark. Put on your blindfolds and name some people like this known to your family. Pray for them to find God’s purpose for their lives.
Day 3: Play
Board game
Many families play games online. Choose a board game to play in person together.
Health Tip
Reduce screen time.
Balance screen time with physical and outdoor activities.
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The family.fit team