The Family Table

Dear LEFC Parents,

Here are some items on the agenda for the days ahead:

The Gospel Project at Home

Today’s Bible Study is “We Are to Worship God Alone” (Volume 5: Unit 13: Session 5). Ask your kids what they learned in children’s church this morning and/or do the family devotional you can find at this link.

Snack and Yack

Snack and Yack will continue throughout Pastor Matt’s sabbatical. When the auditorium empties after worship, girls and boys (grades 3-7) who listened to the sermon (remember to fill out a handout!) are invited to Pastor Matt’s office for a tasty treat and a brief discussion with one of the LEFC elders (and sometimes guest preachers?!) about the message. Parents, if you would like to help host the discussion by providing the snack, see Holly Crumrine to get involved.

Save the Date for Family Bible Week!

Family Bible Week will start on July 10th this summer! Make sure to mark your calendar, arrange your work schedule, and schedule your vacation with it in mind.  See Holly Crumrine to get involved.

And for Dessert…

One of the most basic habits in the raising of our children is teaching them to have a personal relationship with God. And one of the starting steps for any relationship is communication – talking to each other. We hear from God in the Bible, and we relate to him through prayer.

Prayer can happen any and all the time: before meals, on waking, before we go out the door, as we drive somewhere, or at before bed. We take the most time and intention at the end of the day, after Bible reading and before kissing them goodnight. Lots of ink has been spilled on the topic of prayer – it’s a rich and deep theological concept. But it’s also very straightforward: Jesus says this is how we should pray in Matthew 6:9, and therein follows the Lord’s Prayer, a full and rich example in ~70 words.

In our house, we use the ACTS acronym to help guide our family:
Adoration – telling God who he is and thanking him for that;
Confession – admitting our sin and agreeing with God that it’s wrong;
Thanksgiving – acknowledging God for our blessings, and thanking him as the source of those good things;
Supplication – a big word that means to ask – making requests of God, guidance in decisions, or patience in the waiting.

There are other acronyms out there: HEART (Honesty, Endurance, Awe, Repentance, Trust) and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) are other common ones you and your family might prefer. Personally, I like how the ACTS format starts with properly recognizing God, recognizing our dependence on him, and then making requests – I know how often my prayers can start and end with the asking, which can skew my relationship with him toward benevolent donor to my life instead of my life existing to glorify him. We pray that this encourages you in the habit of daily prayer, both with and for your kids, and for yourself.

Holly Crumrine, 2023 Family Ministries Coordinator