The Family Table

LEFC Christmas Eve Service

While planning your Christmas festivities, don’t forget to include our Christmas Eve Candlelight service on your family’s calendar at 7:00. Would you like to be a part of making this service special? We are in need of people willing to fill roles like greeting and reading, but we’re also in need of those interested in sharing their talents with special music or drama presentations. Interested in being part of the service that evening? See Pastor Matt.

Christmas Caroling – Coming Soon!

Bring your family along for our LEFC Christmas Caroling event December 21st at 2:00pm! We will gather on campus and practice a few favorite songs before caravanning throughout our community to brighten the holiday season of some of our beloved church families (older folks and shut-ins). No sign-ups necessary. Just show up! The kids that came along last year had a great time.

Save the Date: Dads & Kids Mario Kart Tournament

Dads and Kids, join us on the evening of Friday January 16th at 6:00 for a Mario Kart Tournament! Spend an evening connecting with your kid(s) and other families playing Mario Kart on various gaming systems, snacking, and spending some time in the Word. This is a special event for dads and kids to enjoy together. See Jordyn if you’re able to provide a gaming system with Mario Kart, a spare TV we can use, or are willing to bring a snack along!

The Night Before Jesus

You’ve likely heard The Night Before Christmas poem before, and probably even have bits and pieces of it memorized. It’s got a good rhythm, which makes it memorable and appealing. At the library a few years ago I (Jordyn) stumbled upon a spectacular book that is a spin-off of this beloved Christmas poem. The Night Before Jesus uses the same rhythm as The Night Before Christmas, but instead tells the story of Jesus’ birth. The illustrations are beautiful and eye-catching, and the story is told in an exciting and engaging manner. It might just be my favorite Christmas book out there. Pick up your copy today to read to your family this holiday season!

This Week’s Challenge: Christmas Gifting

Are you, like many other parents, on the hunt for the presents you’ll put under the tree for your kids this year? Christmas is the perfect time to gift our kids not just the toys, dolls, and gadgets they’re eyeing this season, but also gifts that will encourage them in their walks with Jesus. This week’s challenge is to think about what you’re gifting your kids this year and see if you can incorporate something to feed their faith. You’ll find plenty of ideas below in this week’s dessert, or by checking out our The Family Table archives. Here are some other ideas to get you started:

New Morning Mercies for Teens , a daily devotional for your teenager.
The Biggest Story collection of resources for children of various ages, including their Bible Storybook, a coloring book, and verse cards.
The Little People Nativity Set, a nativity your little one can play with as they learn about the Christmas story.
One of these fun puzzles by Tiny Theologians for your child under 5 learn something new about the Bible.
Superheroes Can’t Save You by Todd Miles, for your older child to learn about “epic examples of historic heresies”

Kids Christmas Presentation

All kids age Preschool – Grade 6 are invited to participate in a combined Adult Choir & Kids Christmas Presentation taking place during the morning worship service on Sunday, December 21st. Join us as we share the Nativity Story with songs, costumes and action!

Practices will be every Sunday from now – December 14th during the first 15 minutes of Kids Bible Class time in the prayer room. Dress rehearsal for both kids and adults will be on Saturday December 20th at 9:00am. If you have any questions, see Vicky Albert or Amy Jo Belko.

Youth Group Schedule

Youth Group is currently on a break, with the next meeting being next week, December 14th. Would your student still like to engage on Sunday nights? Check out the pop-up class being led by Keith Hurley on Sunday evenings!

Send Pastor Matt Your Kids’ Sports & Activity Schedules

Winter sports will soon be here! Pastor Matt loves to drop in to see the kids of our church family play their sports, but he need to know when and where the games are. It’s hard to keep track of who is on what team.  Please send him your kids’ sports schedules for the new season so he can spend some quality time with your family. He is also interested in attending concerts, recitals, competitions, dramas, and musicals!

“Daniel Obeyed God” Kids Bible Class Devotional

You have free access to a family devotional based on the curriculum our kids are studying each week in KBC! It’s called “The Gospel Project at Home.” Today’s Bible Study is “Daniel Obeyed God” (Volume 6: Unit 16: Session 1), and the devotional can be found at this link.

Visit the Family Ministries page on our website for information about how to access The Gospel Project at Home for the first time.

And for Dessert…

This week’s recommendation for family discipleship is an article about Christian-made video and board games that may be worth a look.

Jaclyn Parrish, a self-described “geek and gamer,” writes at The Gospel Coalition:

“Think back to the last time you played a game. Was it a boisterous family game night with a board game like Ticket to Ride? A nostalgic weekend exploring the Oblivion remaster? A few hurried rounds of Wordle while pacing a hospital room?

Now consider who made that game. What do you know about the hardworking coders, designers, composers, writers, and voice actors who made those small moments of joy possible?

For Christian parents especially, it can be helpful to know a bit about the makers of games, just as it’s helpful to know about a filmmaker or TV series developer. What artists make often reflects their values.

This isn’t to say Christians should only play games made by Christians. But if you’re looking for quality, entertaining games made by Christians, they exist. I’d like to introduce you to a few of them and encourage you to give them a try along with your friends and family.”

Parrish then briefly reviews 5 newer games created by professing Christians: Bug & Seek, Deliverance, Legion TD 2, Sainthood, and The Lost Legends of Redwall: The Scout.

In Bug & Seek, your goal is to recapture insects. Deliverance will turn your family into demon slayers! Legion TD 2 is a combination of chess and poker in a fantasy setting. You’ll practice serving the community and growing your faith in Sainthood, and in The Lost Legends of Redwall: The Scout, you’ll play as a mouse rescuing your loved ones through solving puzzles and completing challenges.

I (Pastor Matt) am not a gamer (though I probably am a geek) so I have not played any of these and can’t give my own review of them, but I think that Parrish’s point about considering the values of the makers of our games is a good one and that some of these new games sound kind of interesting.

Use discernment! Parrish is not saying these games all teach sound Christian doctrine or are suitable for all ages (though the “cozy” Bug & Seek probably is). Do some research and think about your own values and philosophy of gaming before you purchase one or more of these for your family.

However, some of these games might make good Christmas gifts for your kids (or your spouse!).

If you do end up getting one, let us know your thoughts on how good it is and whether the fact that it was made by a follower of Christ made a real difference to the quality of the game.

May your family be blessed this Advent Season,

Jordyn Skacel, Director of Family Ministry
Matt Mitchell, Pastor

P.S. If you are looking for a Christian-made game, don’t forget to also check out The Serpent and the Seed which we introduced a month ago here at The Family Table.