The Family Table

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