The Family Table
Feeding the Faith of LEFC Families
TFT: Countdown To Calm
October 8, 2023
Dear LEFC Parents,
Here are some items to set the table for family discipleship in your home this week:
Amazing Grace for Parenting
Author Champ Thornton has recently studied what the hymn-writing pastor John Newton taught about parenting and has published a summary at The Gospel Coalition–“John Newton: Parent with Intention, Grace, and Confidence in God.” (For more about Champ Thornton, keep reading this email to the dessert section.)
Challenge Conference – Advanced Planning
The 2024 Challenge Conference has been announced for July 1-5 in Kansas City. We’d love to send a group from LEFC as we have in past years. To do that we need interested youth (grades 7-12) and willing adult leaders. That seems like a long time from now, but it will be here before we know it. (Read more about Challenge on the official conference website.)
The Gospel Project at Home
Today’s Bible Study is “God Can Always Be Trusted” (Volume 6: Unit 17: 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 3ish-7ish) 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…
Last week, I (Pastor Matt) ran into Champ Thornton at The Gospel Coalition conference in Indianapolis. It’s actually the first time we’ve met in person. It’s always fun to meet online friends in real life. I’ve recommended Champ’s work in the Family Table before.
Champ tells me that he has a new book out–this time for toddlers and preschoolers. It’s a sweet and short board book that helps little ones who are struggling with intense emotions to understand and manage them.
The publisher explains it this way:
Your feelings always count to God!
Toddlers and preschoolers often struggle with emotions like anxiety, fear, and sadness because they lack the maturity to address, process, and communicate their hardest feelings. But counting down and focusing on the five senses can help calm and conquer any fired-up emotions
In You Count!: A Five-Senses Countdown to Calm, preschoolers follow an upset baby bear through his daily routine. He is guided by his mama to focus attention on the senses God gave him. By observing the outer world, baby bear learns to manage his inner world.
Once the baby bear is calm and focused, his mama reminds him that God feels for him too. This book serves as a valuable tool for both preschoolers and their parents as they learn that even the biggest feelings are normal and valuable.
I appreciate how simple but profound it is. I can see it being a precious touchstone for some wee ones as they grow.
I have an “advanced reader copy” in my office if you are interested in looking at getting one for your family.
There are downloadable printable coloring pages and more information at this website.
We hope your family eats it up!
Matt Mitchell, Pastor
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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!