The Family Table
Feeding the Faith of LEFC Families
TFT: Promises, Promises
September 17, 2023
Dear LEFC Parents,
Here are some items to set the table for family discipleship in your home this week:
God is Creative
Recently Whittaker Crumrine had to stay home from church because he was recovering from his tonsillectomy. He and his mom listened to the Tiny Theologians Podcast. Holly says that he paid very close attention. The third episode (which we recommended previously in The Family Table) released this week. This time TJ and Tory go with their mom on a field trip to a farm and learn just how creative God is (the C of the ABC’s of God’s Attributes). Listen in at your favorite podcast app (APPLE, SPOTIFY, AMAZON, GOOGL
Free Book on Family Discipleship
The book, Family Discipleship: Leading Your Home through Time, Moments, and Milestones, is available as a free download right now at The Gospel Coalition. Co-written by Adam Griffin, one of the hosts of The Family Discipleship Podcast, we have recommended it before in The Family Table.
Pray for the DFM Search
As Cody Crumrine recently shared during worship, 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 Delivered His People” (Volume 6: Unit 17: Session 1). 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…
At first, I (Pastor Matt) chuckled when I read this article by Carl Lafteron, “God’s Promises Are Enough for Our Kids (and Us)”, then I hung my head, and then I found myself nodding enthusiastically.
Lafterton writes:
“We start life assuming all people do what they say they’ll do, and then childhood involves the slow realization that they don’t. That’s because everyone makes promises he or she simply cannot keep.
Sometimes we never intend to keep those promises (I recently heard a mom on the bus say, “If you don’t stop moaning, I’ll take you to the police station and you’ll be arrested”).
Sometimes we have a vague intention to do so, but our heads hold loose to what our lips are saying (I can still remember saying a few years ago as I left for work, “I’ll be home for dinner at 5:30,” and my son saying, “See you at 5:45 like normal then”).
Sometimes we make every effort to, but circumstances intervene and a sickness or flat tire or canceled plane means we’re not at the football game or music performance we promised to come to.
But God can and does always keep his promises. He makes no mistakes. Nothing can thwart him.”
Lafterton and the team at The Good Book Company have created a new Bible storybook that centers its 92 color-illustrated stories on this central theme of God’s promises. It just came out this month, and it looks really good.
Video Introduction to God’s Big Promises
Order a Copy from The Good Book Company
More About The Big Promises Series
Downloadable Freebies (Activity Sheets, Crafts, Promise Paths, Bookmarks, etc)
We have ordered one for the church library, and we hope your family eats it right up!
Matt Mitchell, Pastor
Holly Crumrine, 2023 Family Ministries Coordinator
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EXPLAINER: THE GOSPEL PROJECT AT HOME
For the last several years, our Children’s Church ministry has utilized The Gospel Project as our Bible study curriculum. The Gospel Project is really excellent–it takes our Little Learners and Bible Explorers chronologically through the whole Bible over the course of three years while always focusing on Jesus as the center of the big story. If your student was in Little Learners or Bible Explorers this morning, they received a coloring page and take-home sheet that corresponds to this lesson. You have also been given a full-color Big Picture Card that you can use to reinforce the lesson with your child, as well.
To reinforce what your kids are learning each week in Children’s Church, you can now access The Gospel Project At Home online. Each week in this email, there will be a link to follow to get this free resource which includes:
1. A guide to using the Gospel Project at Home.
2. Scripture to read and discuss with a recap video of the Bible Story (Preschool and/or Elementary).
3. Scripture memory verses and a song to sing together.
4. Prayer prompts and family activities that correspond to the lesson.
Please consider setting aside at least 10-15 minutes once a week for a family devotional time using this resource as a guide. We are hoping The Gospel Project At Home will help keep all of our LEFC kids “on the same page,” and feed their faith in Jesus.
This might be especially helpful if for some reason your child has to miss a week of Children’s Church. You can show them the Bible story video to keep them up to speed on what the other children are learning.
**Note: The first time you access the link, you will need to register a free account with Lifeway’s Ministry Grid. This will also provide you ongoing access through the “training” tab to many other discipleship resources including the Gospel Project at Home for previous weeks. Many hours of excellent things to absorb for free!