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Strengthening Family Bonds
Family Ministries in the Washington Conference strives to strengthen families by determining the needs of the church family, providing the best resources, and training and equipping others in family ministry.
Family Ministries is a renewed effort to nurture, support, affirm, strengthen, and encourage families through many different ways. Family Ministries focuses on the unique needs, interests, and hurts found in families both inside and outside of the church.
June is the Great Outdoors Month. Go camping. Take a hike. Pull out your boat or canoe. Get outside and enjoy God's creation as a family. In June, celebrate National Safety Month and National Smile Month. The last week of June, have a contest to see who can spit watermelon seeds the farthest for Watermelon Seed Spitting Week. June 1 is Say Something Nice Day. Do something nice for Dad on Father's Day.
July is National Ice Cream Month. Enjoy a cone together, or better yet, make your own ice cream. Gather all the relatives together during Family Reunion Month. Attend a parade, plan a picnic, and sing patriotic songs on July 4. Celebrate your cousins on July 24 for Cousins Day.
August is Audio Book Appreciation Month. On your family road trip, bring along an audio book to help pass the time. In August, celebrate Watermelon Day, Lighthouse Day, S'mores Day, National Garage Sale Day, Best Friends Day, Cupcake Day, and Aviation Day.
September is Apple Month. Tuck an apple into school lunches. Take an apple to your teacher. Make applesauce or apple pie. Additionally, check the weight of school backpacks for Backpack Safety America Month and observe Childrens' Good Manners Month. Start or continue piano lessons in honor of National Piano Month. For dinner, try different kinds of rice for National Rice Month. The third week of September is Turn Off Your TV Week. Practice your pirate talk for Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19).
October is Children's Magazine Month. Subscribe to a kid-friendly magazine and enjoy reading the articles and doing the activities together as a family. October is also National Book Month, National Reading Group Month, National Go On A Field Trip Month and Vegetarian Month. World Origami Days fall at the end of October; pull out origami paper and an instruction book to create folded paper art. For the first week of October, try going without salt for No Salt Week. The second week of October is Great Books Week. October 10 is Pastor Appreciation Day. The third week of October is National Character Counts Week and National Food Bank Week. October 23 is Make a Difference Day.
November is Family Stories Month. Share funny family stories together, laugh your way through a Mad Gab fill-in-the-blank story, or take turns telling a sentence story (where each person shares the next sentence of a story). November is Vegan Month, so try a new vegan vegetarian dish or two. The second week of November is National Young Reader's Week. The third week of November is National BIble Week and National Family Week. November 3 is Sandwich Day. November 4 is National Men Make Dinner Day. Write a letter to a soldier or veteran for Veterans Day. Celebrate Thanksgiving by volunteering at a food bank, inviting another family to enjoy a special meal, or planning a special family gathering.
December is Holiday Celebration Month. Make Christmas cookies or special breads to share with neighbors. Flip through ADRA's Original Really Useful Holiday Catalog to see how you can make a difference as a family in the lives of families around the world this holiday. Attend a Christmas concert. Decorate your Christmas tree. Volunteer at a food bank, senior center, or retirement home. Go caroling. Read the Christmas Story before opening packages. Write thank you notes on December 26 for National Thank-you Note Day. On New Years Eve, thank God for His blessings in the old year and ask for His blessings in the new year.
The ultimate goal of Family Ministries is “strengthening relationships for eternity."
Contact Family Ministries
Contact Family Ministries
Family Activities Month-by-Month
January is Book Blitz Month. Start a list and see how many books and pages you can read in a year. For other January activities, set up a bird feeder in celebration of National Bird Feeing Month, try a new hot tea for National Hot Tea Month, make soup in honor of National Soup Month, and consider donating blood for National Volunteer Blood Donor Month. Talk about New Years Resolutions and what makes a good, realistic goal to work toward. For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, work on a community service project as a family. The third week of January is "No Name Calling Week."
February is Bake for Family Fun Month. Find a new recipe and get the whole family involved in preparing this baked good. Make extra and share it with a neighbor. Read about historical figures for National Black History Month. If you live in a snowy area, create a snow sculpture for International Snow Sculpting Week the first week of February. For the second week of February, make Jell-O shapes to celebrate Jell-O Week. Make homemade Valentines for February 14. The third week of February is National Pancake Week. The fourth week of February is American Crossword Puzzle Week.
March is National Nutrition Month. Challenge your family to try a new food, and then evaluate/critique it as a family. Learn a new song for Sing With Your Child Month. Find books about women's history for Women's History Month. Create works of art for Youth Art Month. Write a letter of appreciation the first week of March. Celebrate your name the second week of March. Wear green on March 17 for St. Patrick's Day, and make green food for dinner. Be sure to "Act Happy" the third week of March and, as a reward, enjoy American Chocolate Week. Clean out the toy box the fourth week of March for National Cleaning Week.
April is National Garden Month. Get out in nature and prepare your garden (or container garden) for planting. April is also National Poetry Month. Read some favorite poems together as a family, and then try writing a poem or two about Easter, resurrection, and God's love. Create and send a card to an elderly, shut-in or a grandparent or a soldier or anyone else for National Card and Letter Writing Month. The first week of April is the Golden Rule Week. April 1 is National Fun Day. The second week of April is National Library Week. April 10 is National Sibling Day. Plan a fun activity to share with brothers and sisters. The third week of April is National Park Week. April 22 is Earth Day. Plant a tree. Try some science experiments. Draw Earth Day posters. The fourth week of April is National Pie Week.
May is Family Wellness Month and National Family Month. Set aside specific time for family exercise to go walking, biking, swimming or some other favorite fitness activity. For National Photo Month, pull out your digital camera and capture some fun family photos. Let the kids try taking some photos as well. Get in the kitchen for National Salad Month and National Salsa Month. Talk about safety for National Youth Traffic Safety Month. The first week of May is Drinking Water Week, National Pet Week, and Teacher Appreciation Week. The second week of May is Reading is Fun Week and Children's Book Week. In May, celebrate May Day, National Day of Prayer, Mother's Day, National Train Day, National Chocolate Chip Day, International Museum Day and Memorial Day.
February is Bake for Family Fun Month. Find a new recipe and get the whole family involved in preparing this baked good. Make extra and share it with a neighbor. Read about historical figures for National Black History Month. If you live in a snowy area, create a snow sculpture for International Snow Sculpting Week the first week of February. For the second week of February, make Jell-O shapes to celebrate Jell-O Week. Make homemade Valentines for February 14. The third week of February is National Pancake Week. The fourth week of February is American Crossword Puzzle Week.
March is National Nutrition Month. Challenge your family to try a new food, and then evaluate/critique it as a family. Learn a new song for Sing With Your Child Month. Find books about women's history for Women's History Month. Create works of art for Youth Art Month. Write a letter of appreciation the first week of March. Celebrate your name the second week of March. Wear green on March 17 for St. Patrick's Day, and make green food for dinner. Be sure to "Act Happy" the third week of March and, as a reward, enjoy American Chocolate Week. Clean out the toy box the fourth week of March for National Cleaning Week.
April is National Garden Month. Get out in nature and prepare your garden (or container garden) for planting. April is also National Poetry Month. Read some favorite poems together as a family, and then try writing a poem or two about Easter, resurrection, and God's love. Create and send a card to an elderly, shut-in or a grandparent or a soldier or anyone else for National Card and Letter Writing Month. The first week of April is the Golden Rule Week. April 1 is National Fun Day. The second week of April is National Library Week. April 10 is National Sibling Day. Plan a fun activity to share with brothers and sisters. The third week of April is National Park Week. April 22 is Earth Day. Plant a tree. Try some science experiments. Draw Earth Day posters. The fourth week of April is National Pie Week.
May is Family Wellness Month and National Family Month. Set aside specific time for family exercise to go walking, biking, swimming or some other favorite fitness activity. For National Photo Month, pull out your digital camera and capture some fun family photos. Let the kids try taking some photos as well. Get in the kitchen for National Salad Month and National Salsa Month. Talk about safety for National Youth Traffic Safety Month. The first week of May is Drinking Water Week, National Pet Week, and Teacher Appreciation Week. The second week of May is Reading is Fun Week and Children's Book Week. In May, celebrate May Day, National Day of Prayer, Mother's Day, National Train Day, National Chocolate Chip Day, International Museum Day and Memorial Day.
June is the Great Outdoors Month. Go camping. Take a hike. Pull out your boat or canoe. Get outside and enjoy God's creation as a family. In June, celebrate National Safety Month and National Smile Month. The last week of June, have a contest to see who can spit watermelon seeds the farthest for Watermelon Seed Spitting Week. June 1 is Say Something Nice Day. Do something nice for Dad on Father's Day.
July is National Ice Cream Month. Enjoy a cone together, or better yet, make your own ice cream. Gather all the relatives together during Family Reunion Month. Attend a parade, plan a picnic, and sing patriotic songs on July 4. Celebrate your cousins on July 24 for Cousins Day.
August is Audio Book Appreciation Month. On your family road trip, bring along an audio book to help pass the time. In August, celebrate Watermelon Day, Lighthouse Day, S'mores Day, National Garage Sale Day, Best Friends Day, Cupcake Day, and Aviation Day.
September is Apple Month. Tuck an apple into school lunches. Take an apple to your teacher. Make applesauce or apple pie. Additionally, check the weight of school backpacks for Backpack Safety America Month and observe Childrens' Good Manners Month. Start or continue piano lessons in honor of National Piano Month. For dinner, try different kinds of rice for National Rice Month. The third week of September is Turn Off Your TV Week. Practice your pirate talk for Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19).
October is Children's Magazine Month. Subscribe to a kid-friendly magazine and enjoy reading the articles and doing the activities together as a family. October is also National Book Month, National Reading Group Month, National Go On A Field Trip Month and Vegetarian Month. World Origami Days fall at the end of October; pull out origami paper and an instruction book to create folded paper art. For the first week of October, try going without salt for No Salt Week. The second week of October is Great Books Week. October 10 is Pastor Appreciation Day. The third week of October is National Character Counts Week and National Food Bank Week. October 23 is Make a Difference Day.
November is Family Stories Month. Share funny family stories together, laugh your way through a Mad Gab fill-in-the-blank story, or take turns telling a sentence story (where each person shares the next sentence of a story). November is Vegan Month, so try a new vegan vegetarian dish or two. The second week of November is National Young Reader's Week. The third week of November is National BIble Week and National Family Week. November 3 is Sandwich Day. November 4 is National Men Make Dinner Day. Write a letter to a soldier or veteran for Veterans Day. Celebrate Thanksgiving by volunteering at a food bank, inviting another family to enjoy a special meal, or planning a special family gathering.
December is Holiday Celebration Month. Make Christmas cookies or special breads to share with neighbors. Flip through ADRA's Original Really Useful Holiday Catalog to see how you can make a difference as a family in the lives of families around the world this holiday. Attend a Christmas concert. Decorate your Christmas tree. Volunteer at a food bank, senior center, or retirement home. Go caroling. Read the Christmas Story before opening packages. Write thank you notes on December 26 for National Thank-you Note Day. On New Years Eve, thank God for His blessings in the old year and ask for His blessings in the new year.