FunFaith™ Moments for Families

Comic Creations

Use this fun activity to help your family explore how God makes us new.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17
Equipment: Sunday comics sections saved from several weeks' newspapers, scissors, tape, paper, typewriter correction fluid or tape, pens or pencils, and a Bible

Before You Begin

Spend a few weeks saving the color comics' sections from several weeks of Sunday newspapers. You'll need those for this fun activity!

Also, take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 5:17 to yourself. In this passage, Paul sounds a trumpet blast of good news: Those who belong to Christ are new creations! Our past is forgotten! Our present is changed! Our future is made brand-new! Everyone can look with regret on one aspect or another of the past. Yet, as your family creates something new from something old, they'll get a joyful glimpse at the fresh beginnings promised in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

The FunFaith Moment

Explain to your family that each person will be creating a new comic strip. Then give these directions:

1. Select five frames from a variety of comic strips. 2. Cut out the frames and tape them in a row on a clean sheet of paper. 3. White-out the dialogue with correction fluid. 4. Write new dialogue for the characters in your new strip to create a brand-new story.

The resulting comic strips might have Garfield, Heath-cliff, and Hobbes headed on a fishing trip. Or perhaps Blondie can give Cathy some dieting tips. Maybe Dennis the Menace, Jeremy (from Zits), and Dilbert will save the world. Encourage madcap creativity and allow family members to work together if they wish.

When all comic strips are completed, pass around the new funnies for everyone to enjoy.

Discovery

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17 and discuss these questions:

• We took old comic strips and made them new. How is this like what God does to those who belong to Christ?

• How would you explain the meaning of this verse to a friend?

• People can tell you've made a new comic strip just by looking at it. How can they tell God has made you new?

• Share one way God is changing you to be like him.

Prayer

Hang all your new comic strips on the refrigerator. After you display each one, thank God out loud for making new creations out of each person in your family!

--Mike & Amy Nappa

Note: This FunFaith moment is adapted from 52 Fun Family Devotions by Mike and Amy Nappa copyright © 1994 Augsburg Books. Reproduced by special permission of Augsburg Fortress Publishers. No further reproduction permitted without the written consent of Augsburg Fortress.

52 Fun Family Devotions by Mike & Amy Nappa (Augsburg Books)