The Family Table
Feeding the Faith of LEFC Families
TFT: Boys to Men
January 28, 2024
Dear LEFC Parents,
Here are some “main dishes” for you to set the table for family discipleship in your home this week:
Starting This Evening: “Chasing Love” – Bible Study for Teens
Keith Hurley has prepared another class for the youth of our church. Chasing Love: Sex, Love, and Relationships in a Confused Culture will start TONIGHT and run for 9 weeks on Sunday evenings at 7pm in the upstairs Youth Room. Parents are welcome and invited to participate, too.
Finishing Up a Few Minutes Ago: Challenge Conference First Interest Meeting
There was a brief informational meeting after church today about the 2024 EFCA Challenge Conference. Challenge is for students in current grades 6-12 and runs July 1-5 in Kansas City, MO.
Holly Crumrine says, “Challenge is a camp, retreat, and mission trip all in one. Students will be exposed to exciting live worship bands and the chance to worship with thousands of their peers; top-notch artists and speakers, declaring the glory of God and challenging kids to think critically about what they believe; and outreach opportunities to practice the love of Jesus in the local community. It’s also run by people who know and love teens and want them to have the best, funnest week of their lives with like-minded peers. All in all, it’s the rare whole-self immersion for a young person to explore and commit to a lifelong commitment to Jesus.”
See Holly or Cody for more details about this summer’s trip.
Summer Camp at Miracle Mountain Ranch
If you want the best discount, now’s the time to register for camp. Talk to Marilynn Kristofits about the cost, deadlines, and details.
The Gospel Project at Home
Today’s Bible Study is “Peter Preached in Jerusalem” (Volume 10: Unit 30: 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 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.
And for dessert…
Our recommendation for family discipleship this week is a podcast discussion about how we can disciple our boys to help them enter manhood.
The Family Discipleship Podcast (which we have recommended before) just started their sixth season with a helpful episode entitled, “#75. Leading Boys to Be Men.”
Hosts Adam Griffin, Chelsea Griffin, and Cassie Bryant have a funny yet serious half-hour conversation about parenting sons on the treacherous journey from boyhood to godly manhood. Along the way, they discuss key questions such as:
– One of the most important questions we have to address in discipleship is what are we aiming for?
– Are there some biological markers that separate boys from men?
– How do y’all think our secular culture defines manhood?
– How is that different from how the church defines it?
– What role do you think the church could or should make in helping with rites of passage, helping a boy enter into manhood?
– What scriptures come to mind for y’all with this topic?
They don’t have all the answers (and say that it can, at times, actually be like nailing Jell-o to the wall), but they also are in search of good answers and not just ranting about the problem. Next week, they promise to talk about helping girls to become godly women.
Give it a listen: FDP Website, Spotify, Apple.
We hope your family eats it right up.
Matt Mitchell, Pastor
Holly Crumrine, Family Table Editor
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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!