The Family Table
Feeding the Faith of LEFC Families
TFT: Exploring the Christian Story
April 30, 2023
Dear LEFC Parents,
Here are some items on the agenda for the days ahead:
Kids Bible Class
Our children’s church program is being renamed Kids Bible Class with some exciting new changes. On the first Sunday of each month the children will meet in the fellowship hall for a time of singing and other activities before class. In addition, each week the children will be memorizing the Hide the Word verse and learning about our Missionary of the Week. If you have any questions about the upcoming changes, see Vicky Albert.
The Gospel Project at Home
Today’s Bible Study is “Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom” (Volume 3: Unit 12: Session 3). 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
Snack and Yack will continue throughout Pastor Matt’s sabbatical. 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.
Camp
Interested in attending summer camp at Miracle Mountain Ranch? Regular camp is for ages 8-18. Buckaroo camp, a minicamp, is for ages 6-9. See Marilynn Kristofits for more information.
Save the Date for Family Bible Week!
Family Bible Week will start on July 10th this summer! Make sure to mark your calendar, arrange your work schedule, and schedule your vacation with it in mind. 
See Holly Crumrine to find out about this year’s theme and get involved in the advanced planning.
And for Dessert…
Welcome to the first issue of The Family Table email sans Pastor Matt! While Pastor Matt and Heather are in Great Britain celebrating 25 years of shepherding our congregation / Pastor Matt and Heather’s 50th birthdays / Matt and Heather’s anniversary, I (Holly) will be overseeing the dessert section.
My first recommendation is a podcast called “Knowing Faith“, available on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. Hosted by Kyle Worley, JT English, and Jen Wilkin, It’s starting its 9th season and you can jump in anywhere! It’s a podcast dedicated to “exploring the Christian story and Christian belief”, where the hosts have “way too much fun” discussing the deeper things of faith among friends. Though this isn’t explicitly related to parenting, we believe that fostering a love for God in our children begins with a love of God in us as parents. I’ve been listening to Knowing Faith since pre-pandemic days, and it’s felt like the small group I couldn’t have in those times: a trusted group of peers who love God and knowing more about him and the story he’s working out in human history. Plus, as stated, it’s a lot of fun – easygoing, natural conversation among friends. I highly recommend checking it out!
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
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!