The Family Table

Dear LEFC Parents,

Here are some items to set the table for family discipleship in your home this week:

Kids Baptism Class

Pastor Matt will be teaching kids about what baptism means this coming Wednesday at 6:00pm in one of the LEFC classrooms. The class is geared for kids approaching the age where they would be able and willing to share their testimonies. This introductory baptism class is the only first step towards public baptism. Some students take it more than once before they are ready. See Pastor Matt for more details.

God is Beautiful

The second episode of the Tiny Theologians Podcast (which we recommended in the last Family Table) released this week. This time TJ and Tory are on an adventure to learn why God made so many beautiful things. Did your preschooler listen in?

Pray for the DFM Search

As Cody Crumrine shared during worship on Sunday, the search for the part-time Director of Family Ministry is now in full swing. The job description is located in the foyer and will soon be posted online. Please pray for locating God’s person for that role, for diligence for the Elders in searching, and for patience for all of us as we eagerly wait for God’s answers. Do you have someone in mind that you think might be a good fit for this position? Talk with Cody or Pastor Matt.

The Gospel Project at Home

Today’s Bible Study is “God Is Present With Us” (Volume 6: Unit 16: Session 4). Ask your kids what they learned in Kids Bible Class this morning and/or do the family devotional you can find at this link.

Snack and Yack

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 their wives (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.

And for dessert…

Talking with your teen about sex and gender has never been easy, but these days it’s harder than ever. There are landmines everywhere! That’s why I (Pastor Matt) was so pleased to learn about “The Holy Sexuality Project,” a new resource from trusted teacher Christopher Yuan.

I’ve been learning from Christopher Yuan ever since his memoir, Out of a Far Country: A Gay Son’s Journey to God was published in 2011. Christopher and his mother chronicled his “dramatic conversion from an agnostic gay man who put his faith in his identity to a pastor, Bible professor, and Christian author who now puts his identity in Christ alone.” Yuan shared his testimony last summer at the Challenge Conference.

I got to meet Christopher myself in 2022 when I hosted his breakout session at our EFCA Theology Conference: Human Sexuality in a Postmodern and Increasingly Post-Christian Culture. He told me then that he was creating this new video study for parents and teens to learn together.

The Holy Sexuality Project looks really helpful. It has 4.5 hours of on-demand content divided up into 12 lessons with 36 compelling videos on the most important topics to be talking about with our teens on this theme today:

Lesson 1: Introduction & Overview
Lesson 2: False Identity: Sexuality
Lesson 3: True Identity: Image of God
Lesson 4: Attraction: Desire & Temptation
Lesson 5: Action: Holy Sexuality
Lesson 6: What Is Singleness?
Lesson 7: What Is Marriage?
Lesson 8: What’s the Big Deal?
Lesson 9: The Bible & Same-Sex Relationships
Lesson 10: Sex, Gender, & the Image of God
Lesson 11: Ministry & Outreach
Lesson 12: Following Jesus

Reviewer Tim Challies says: “Of great importance is the fact that Christopher discusses each of these things in a manner that is plain but not explicit. While he needs to include some details about his own story, he never crosses boundaries and never revels in his past (as, sadly, some Christians seem to do). This curriculum is designed specifically for parents and teens, and families can watch it together without cringing and without it being awkward.”

I was also very encouraged to learn how inexpensive it is. Because generous donors have underwritten 90% of the cost, they are providing it for only $20 for a two-year license.

I wish this existed when my kids were teens. I haven’t watched it yet, and I’m sure it’s not perfect, but I believe Christopher Yuan is a reliable guide to navigate past many of the landmines.

We hope your family eats it right up!

Matt Mitchell, Pastor
Holly Crumrine, 2023 Family Ministries Coordinator