Westminster’s “Orange Idea” is a monthly, family-friendly, 1-page resource to help you live out your faith at home. But what is “Orange,” you might ask?

As Julie and Matthew explained, it’s not just a colour—it’s a way of thinking: Yellow represents the light of Jesus shared by the church. Red represents the blood and bond of the family. So when you put Yellow and Red together you get…

Orange!

So an “Orange idea” is when the church helps people live out their faith in their families and homes. After all, the home is the primary place where faith is formed.

So this monthly resource will help people of different ages learn about and live out their Christian faith in tangible, practical ways.

So here’s the Orange Idea for May: Go Tech-Free!

In Psalm 46:10 we read this: “Be still, and know that I am God”

Life can get busy. Finding time to fit everything in with kids, practices, errands, work, and house chores can be a challenge.

Add in our desire to be connected with cell phones and “an app for that,” laptops, computers, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, and we can fill our time even more. Because of that we can forget to connect with Christ and our families. We need to be reminded of Psalm 46:10 to be still and know that God is God. So let’s take some time to re-focus.

Here’s the activity:

Choose a period of time as a family to go tech-free. This may be harder for some then others, so choose a length of time where you can be successful. It may be a Sunday, or evening afterschool, or another day or period of time altogether. And then, simply be together.

Helpful Tips:
1. Decide together what it means to be technology-free. Turn off your televisions, computers, hand-held devices, cell phones, and gaming systems. If it has an on switch, turn it off.

2. Choose a time where your whole family is going to turn off the technology.

3. If you need to, inform people you’ll be unreachable, add an away/vacation message to your email, or let Grandma know that you won’t be available for your nightly call etc.

4. Make a list of non-tech activities that you love to do!

5. Take some time to focus on God and all your blessings.

6. At the end, discuss the challenges and successes of being technology free.

In May, choose a time to go tech free. You’ll be glad you did!

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• The idea about “Orange” being a combination of the light of Jesus shared by the church and the blood and bond of the family is by Reggie Joiner in his book Think Orange.
• You can see Westminster’s page about it (and also previous Orange Ideas) here.