The Family Table

Feeding the Faith of LEFC Families

TFT: George MacDonald’s Christmas Stories

December 8, 2024

Dear LEFC Parents,

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. This year’s LEFC Family Advent Readings reflect upon Jesus’ breathtaking claim to be the Light of the World. This week’s reading is “The Light of Purity.”

Christmas Caroling – Next Sunday

Bring your family along for our LEFC Christmas Caroling event December 15th at 3pm! We will gather on campus and practice a few favorite songs before caravaning 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 two years had a great time.

Talent Night, Holy Night?

Does anyone in your family want to do something special for our Christmas Eve Candlelight service (December 24, 7:00pm)? We would love to have children, youth, and parents sing or play a special song, do a skit, read a poem or Scripture or do some other creative thing. See Pastor Matt with your ideas.

What should I do about Santa?

With the Christmas season upon us, the topic of Santa is everywhere. Are you deciding whether or not to “do Santa” in your home? Have you already chosen your family’s approach, but would like guidance along the way? Check out this article from The Gospel Coalition entitled “The Christmas Dilemma- Santa or No Santa?”. It’s filled with helpful insights into the debate and gives tips for whichever approach you choose. The one thing to be sure you do, either way? Make much of Jesus in your home this season!

Family Ministry Survey

Have you taken our quick Family Ministry survey yet? We value serving our families well and want the chance to hear your input. Please take a minute to fill it out here so we can better meet the needs of LEFC families.

KBC Nativity Presentation

The Little Learners and Bible Explorers will be doing a Nativity Presentation on December 22^nd during the worship service. We are practicing during the first 15 minutes of KBC class time. All KBC-aged kids are welcome to participate! If you have any questions, see Vicky Albert.

Volunteering in Kids Bible Classes

Have you ever considered volunteering to help teach our Kids Bible Classes? We have several new families attending LEFC and therefore have more kids participating in our programs. We could use more teachers and helpers to help shepherd these kids well. The more volunteers, the less often each person will be on the rotation. Please consider whether the Lord might use you in this way. For more information, see Vicky Albert.

“Moses Confronted Pharaoh” 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 “Moses Confronted Pharaoh” (Volume 1: Unit 4: Session 2), 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 a classic set of Christmas stories by one of the most imaginative and influential Christian authors of the last two centuries.

George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and pastor in the 19th century. He wrote many different things but is probably best known as the “father of modern fantasy writing.”

MacDonald was the mentor of Lewis Carroll of Alice in Wonderland fame, and his writings were a major influence on both J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings) and C.S. Lewis, the creator of the Chronicles of Narnia. Lewis once wrote, “I fancy I have never written a book in which I do not quote from him.”

George MacDonald is one of our church librarian Heather Mitchell’s favorite authors, and she recommends this little book of Christmas stories as a good read for church families during this holiday season.

There are seven short stories in this collection peppered with colorful modern illustrations. One is about a generous bachelor who adopts a street urchin. Another is about a farm girl who searches for her wandering brother. And there is one about a cold-hearted London family who learn to be more sensitive.

Heather says that this book would be good for small children who love to have stories read to them and also for young readers who have graduated from “chapter books” and are ready for something a little more “meaty.”

These stories are imaginative, memorable, and transport readers in a different time and place capturing the spirit of Christmas in the Victorian era of the United Kingdom.

By the way, George MacDonald was born on December 10, 1824, so Tuesday will be his 200th birthday. Happy birthday, George MacDonald!

The Christmas Stories of George Macdonald is available in the church library.

We hope your family eats it right up.

Jordyn Skacel, Director of Family Ministry
Matt Mitchell, Pastor

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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!