TFT: A Loving Dad
June 21, 2026
Family Bible Week 2026
Thank you to all who volunteered at and attended Family Bible Week this past week as we shined a light on who Jesus truly is at Illumination Station!
Send Pastor Matt Your Kids’ Summer Schedules
Summer sports, concerts, and dramas are here! Don’t forget to send Pastor Matt information about when your kids are playing games, singing in concerts, dancing in competitions, marching in parades, and performing dramas. He would love to make it to as many possible, cheering on your kids and spending quality time with your family.
Summer Books for the Mama Theologian
Tiny Theologians recently published a blog post for Mamas as we jump into summer. In it, the writer acknowledges the different routine that summer can bring. This can serve as a blessing with slower days and less rigidity, but also as a hindrance due to a lack of structure and a home that isn’t quite as quiet with kids who are now home from school. The writer then suggests seven theological books for Mamas to engage with scripture. All of them come from trusted authors like Ruth Chou Simons, Jen Wilkin, and Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler and would make great additions to your summer bookshelf. Check out the post and see what might intrigue you!
Junior Youth Group
We have exciting news for kids who will be in grades 4-6 next year! We’re upgrading Snack and Yack into a brand new ministry: Junior Youth Group! We’re excited to bring students a full evening meeting, not just a few minutes after church, where they can learn, grow, foster friendships, and take new steps in their faith. Beginning May 31st, the Snack and Yack ministry will cease as we prepare to launch our Junior Youth Group in the fall, led by Curtis Quick and Marilynn Kristofits! We encourage you to get your students excited for this brand new ministry. More details are still to come!
Child Protection Policy Rollout
Our new Child Protection Policy rolled out this month. As part of the rollout, we are now implementing several new measures to more effectively protect kids on our campus. If you were in church today, you noticed several of these, such as our new check in and check out procedures. If you were unable to attend today, be on the lookout for these changes next week. Please see Jordyn Skacel if you have questions and/or concerns relating to our new policies and procedures.
God’s Story: A Summer in the Gospel Together
In a recent Friday Family Email, Child Discipleship shared a fantastic resource for families to use over the summer. God’s Story: A Summer in the Gospel Together contains family worship guides, activities, and more to keep your family on track this summer. I love that this is intended to be done together as a family, helping parents to engage with their children well. Check it out here!
This Week’s Challenge: Father’s Day
Today is Father’s Day! Happy Father’s Day to all of our faithful dads who love, sacrifice for, and lead their families. Today is the day to acknowledge what you love and appreciate about the father figures in your life.
This week’s challenge is to do just that. Think about the things that make these men special, how they have impacted you, and how you could encourage them. Then, communicate that to him. Tell him over dinner, write it in a special letter or homemade card, or give him a call if you’re unable to see him. We’re sure dad would love a thoughtful gift as well, but don’t forget to encourage and affirm him too. That might just be his favorite gift of all!
“Jesus the Healer” Kids Bible Class Devotional
You have free access to a family devotional based on the curriculum our kids are studying each week in KBC! It’s called “The Gospel Project at Home.” Today’s Bible Study is “Healings in Capernaum” (Volume 8: Unit 22: Session 3), and the devotional can be found at this link.
Visit the Family Ministries page on our website for information about how to access The Gospel Project at Home for the first time.
And for Dessert…
Our recommendation for family discipleship this week is a short article of wise advice on how to be a loving dad based on the father in Jesus’ story about the prodigal son(s).
Matt Markin, the president of Awana, writes, “Being a dad can be an incredibly intimidating job. My sons are now grown up, but not so long ago, I was reading books to them as little boys, all nestled up next to me before bedtime. I sometimes find myself wishing I could go back and do it all over again. You may be wondering why I would want to relive such an exhausting phase of parenting! Because I want to put a little extra fuel of inspiration in your tank to be a dad who is relationally engaged with his children.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus takes the opportunity to describe what God is like by telling a story about, of all things, a father and two sons: the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32). What is Jesus trying to tell us about God as a father? And what can we as fathers learn from the father in the parable?”
Markin then reminds readers of this timeless tale and draws out three unforgettable traits of a loving father that every dad can learn from: presence, patience, and pursuit.
I (Pastor Matt), too, only have adult children, but I was encouraged again to never stop living out those three traits with my now fully grown kids. A good reminder for Father’s Day!
Read the whole thing. It only takes 5 minutes.
Matt Markin and Daniela Sosa have also recently written a children’s book, Daddy, How Much Do You Love Me?, that presents the same truths about a Father’s love with words and pictures that a little child can grasp.
Happy Father’s Day!
Jordyn Skacel, Director of Family Ministry
Matt Mitchell, Pastor