The Family Table
Feeding the Faith of LEFC Families
TFT: Devotions for All Ages
July 23, 2023
Dear LEFC Parents,
Here are some items on the agenda for the days ahead:
The Gospel Project at Home
Today’s Bible Study is “Jonah Warned of God’s Judgement” (Volume 5: Unit 15: Session 1). Ask your kids what they learned in children’s church 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 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 we wrapped up our 2023 Family Bible Week. If you were there, thanks for making it a great week of learning and fun! As part of our events, we had a poster contest for every age class (outside the nursery). Their prompt was to illustrate a story of Peter that they had learned throughout the week, or our theme verse, Psalm 25:4: “Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me your paths.” We had some amazing winners! Every winner received an ice cream gift card as well as a book of devotions to encourage regular Bible study at home. Here are the books for each of the ages:
Pre-K / Kindergarten: “The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross” board book, by Carl Laferton, illustrated by Catalina Echeverri. Journeying from the Garden of Eden to God’s future new creation, kids will learn why Jesus died and rose again.
1st – 2nd grade: “The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross” hardcover book. Twice as many pages, better suited for slightly older children.
3rd – 4th grade and middle school: “Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids“, by Sarah Young. Written as if Jesus is speaking directly to young hearts, this book points repeatedly to the peace that is found in Jesus’ call to trust and rest in him for salvation and every need.
High school: “Confronting Christianity“, by Rebecca McLaughlin. My husband and I read this book, distributed by our church to encourage small group discussions. It raises multiple common objections to Christianity, such as the reality of suffering, diversity, and the complexity of sexuality – and uses them as signs that point towards faith in God. A great resource for teens exploring and owning their faith.
Adult: “Songs of Jesus“, by Tim Keller. The Book of Psalms is known as the Bible’s songbook—Jesus knew all 150 psalms intimately, and relied on them to face every situation, including his death.
We hope these resources are a blessing to your family, whatever age or stage they’re in – including you!
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!