The word “family” can mean a lot of things. Some people think of family as their nuclear family – or, two parents plus their kids. Some people think of family as their spouse. Some people live by themselves, and think of family as a close-knit group of friends or other acquaintances. No matter how you define your family, the next few months are going to be challenging. This winter is expected to bring cold weather, surging COVID cases and long stretches of time spent indoors with family. That may mean you have more “family time” than you want for the next three months! So, this January, I am going to meet with people in the church who have a variety of family circumstances to find out how they plan to stay sane in the coming weeks. We will study psalms from the Bible that remind us of how the Lord gives strength to the weary. And, we are encouraging everyone in the church to find ways to take care of themselves as well as their families, while we all learn how to practice Family Time.
Weekly Bible Readings
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Psalm 29
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
Psalm 62:5-12
Psalm 111
Family Time Bingo
This January we are encouraging everyone in the church to make a New Year’s Resolution to take care of themselves and their families. To help you get started, we have created a Family Time Bingo Game. The goal is to complete at least one space each week of the month, and to try to get five in a row before the end of January. Different rows are geared to people in different life circumstances, but you can choose whatever path to five in a row that you like! (Helpful Hint: If you are in a large family, you can go down instead of across.)
Ryan began his pastoral ministry at Maize Manor United Methodist Church in 2014 after serving at the Church of the Messiah in Westerville, Ohio. He lives in Columbus with his wife, Mariellyn, and five children. Visit the Staff Page to learn more about Pastor Ryan.