Leaders Guide January 2009

New Year’s Family Night

In the spirit of Jesus Christ who said, “I make all things new” (Rev 21:5), gather families in your parish for an evening of post-holiday planning, prayer and play. For the discussion portion of the evening, use the January issue of Take Out as a catechetical guide. Cory Busse’s article, “It’s Christmastime Again” offers fun and practical ways to keep the Christmas spirit alive all year long. Why not use this article as a springboard for families to create their own New Year’s Plan?

Below is one way the family night could be organized:

7:00 p.m. Gather families at tables and offer popcorn, coffee and juice for refreshments. After the opening prayer, give families 5-10 minutes to check in with each other and talk about how they spent the Christmas holiday this year, how they are recovering from any stress, etc.

7:15 p.m. Ask families to read Cory’s article in the January issue of Take Out.
** At each table, several copies of Take Out, several strips of white construction paper and enough glue sticks and black markers for each family. After reading the article, give families some time to discuss the ideas and talk about any that really resonate with them.

7:30 p.m. Families can now start to create their own “New Year’s Family Plan” of ways they are going to live more intentionally following Christ this year. Write one idea on each of the strips of paper and then glue the strips together (words facing out) to make a New Year’s Chain. Some ideas could be, “Eat dinner together at 3x per week” or “Plan a family vacation together” or “Designate every Sunday as a family day” etc.

8:00 p.m. Break and Fellowship

8:10 p.m. Welcome families back from break and ask them to share some of their intentional living ideas with the larger group (as they are comfortable). As a large group, talk about some of the barriers to living as an intentional family in today’s culture… Which idea is going to be the hardest to follow-through on? Which will be the easiest to achieve?

8:25 p.m. Closing Prayer

I AM THE NEW YEAR

I am the New Year.
I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned
during the last twelve months about life.

All the good that you tried to do for others and didn’t achieve last year is mine to grant - providing you have fewer selfish and
conflicting desires.

In me lies the potential of all that you have dreamed
but didn’t dare to do,
all that you hoped but did not perform,
all you prayed for but did not yet experience.

I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Christ who said,
“Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5).
I am the New Year.

--Author Unknown