FHE Theme: Setting Goals for the New Year
Scripture: D&C 90:24, Nehemiah 4:6
Songs: "A Happy Helper" and "Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel"
Lesson: As a family discuss some things you'd like to accomplish within the next year. Make sure everyone has some input. If you want to get really indepth about it, here is an excellent lesson on Setting Goals and Managing Time, put out by The Church.
Activity: Making a time capsule a great way to document your family's 2014 goals. This idea came from The Red Headed Hostess (except I tweaked it a teensy):
1- Find a small box, pens, pencils, ,markers, tape, envelopes, a bowl and paper
2- Write the following questions on small pieces of paper and put them in the bowl.
What is your favorite memory from 2013?
What is the funniest thing that happened in 2013?
What is the most important lesson you learned last year?
What was one of your greatest challenges last year?
What is something that you improved in, or became better at, last year?
What is something you gained a stronger testimony about?
What is a prayer that was answered in your life?
3- Give everyone a piece of paper and then take turns pulling the questions out of the bowl, answering the questions on your own paper as you go.
4- Go around and share your answers.
5- Have everyone write a letter to themselves for 2014, or write one as a family (or both). Have them include the spiritual, physical, social, etc. goals that they have, what they want to get better at in their lives, and specifics about the kind of year they hope to have. If anyone is having a hard time thinking of things, associate the previous questions with what they'd like to see happen in the next year, such as "What is a challenge you'd like to overcome?" or "Is there something you'd like to do specifically to create more family memories?"
7- You can either seal up their letters in individual envelopes and have each person address it to themselves, or include all the letters in a big envelope if they're for the whole family.
8- Put everything in the box and then wrap up and decorate the box. You could have everyone sign it and put, “To be opened on ____________(date of first Family Home Evening in 2015)”
9- Select a spot in the house to put the time capsule that is out of the way, but a place where each person will see it often and be reminded of their goals for the year.
other options:
Choose a family theme scripture for the year. Put that theme scripture on the box.
Put items in the box such as pictures from 2013, special things from the year (awards, etc), notes to each other, etc
Keep a family time capsule scrapbook – so do this each year, and after you open the box a year later, put the contents in a scrapbook
You can also display a printable in your home to remind your family members about trying hard and achieving their goals.
