TFT: God and Science
March 1, 2026
This Week’s Challenge: Giving Encouragement
Everybody loves to be encouraged, but not everyone is good at being encouraging. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds followers of Jesus to “encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). What are you doing to teach your kids how to encourage others? How are you modeling encouragement in your family?
This week’s challenge is to help your kids write an encouraging note to someone. It doesn’t take long. Identify someone who might need encouraging (that’s just about anyone) and something your kids can say to lift their sails:
– Something your kids appreciate about them
– A thank you for something they have done for your kids
– A hope or prayer for blessing on them.
Pop it in the mail, text it off, or place it in their box at church and note how the encouragers get to be encouraged just by doing some encouraging!
Child Discipleship Family Friday Emails
Awana’s Child Discipleship ministry offers a weekly Family Discipleship resource, Family Friday emails. These mailings provide families with a short devotion and scripture along with talking points and conversation starters. Coming right to your inbox, these emails are a great resource for families to walk through together and parents- it’s all right there provided for you! Check it out today and sign up for their emails!
Homeschool Support
Attention homeschooling families! Would you be interested in a homeschool group right here in the West Branch area? With several homeschooling families in our church and others who are considering it for the future, we want to support and provide opportunities for you. If you have any interest in homeschool support, whether navigating the “how-to’s”, attending events and field trips, or opportunities for your child to learn from professionals, please respond to this email to indicate your interest and let us know what would be helpful for you. Talk to Vicky Albert or Jordyn Skacel if you have questions!
Challenge 2026
Challenge is a biennial youth conference hosted by our national denomination, the EFCA. Teens from around the country will gather to worship, learn, serve, and have a blast in Kansas City, MO this July 11-14. Registration is now open for all students grades 6 and up, including seniors. Talk to Cody or Holly Crumrine if interested and secure your spot by March 15th!
Egg Hunt at the Ark Park 2026
This year’s Egg Hunt at the Ark Park is Saturday, April 4th at 10:00am! We are currently accepting donations of candy for the eggs along with prizes. Drop any donations under the table in the foyer!
“The Old Testament Points to Jesus” 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 “The Old Testament Points to Jesus” (Volume 6: Unit 18: Session 5), 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…
Our recommendation for family discipleship this week is a brand new book aimed at teens that answers the big question, “Do we have to choose between God and science?”
(The short answer is, “No.”)
John Lennox is a scientist who is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, and he’s also an outspoken Christian. He says, “My whole life has been shaped by science and by my faith in the God of the Bible. To me, the two work perfectly together.” Katy Morgan is a best-selling author of books aimed at young people. Together they have written Science and God: Do You Have to Choose? which is one of the best books I (Pastor Matt) have read in a long time!
Professor Lennox knows what he’s talking about, and Katy Morgan knows how to put it into words that a young person (or an old pastor!) can understand. The chapters are short and engaging, full of humor and clever illustrations–even drawings! Each chapter ends with a bullet-point summaries to make sure that every reader gets every idea being explained. I learned a lot and thought of several people who I want to encourage to read it, too.
In the first chapter, “Why Read This Book?” they write, “This book is an invitation to be curious, no matter what your current beliefs are. It’s an opportunity to engage with both science and God at the same time, and see what happens. It’s a book that, hopefully, will make you more excited about science and more curious about God. Or more curious about science and more excited about God. Or more curious and more excited about both–with a dose of wonder thrown in as well.”
The chapter titles give you a feel for how fun it is to read and the hard questions that are being answered along the way:
1. The Trouble with Galileo: Can you be a scientist and believe in God?
2. Baking a Cake with Aunt Matilda: What is science for?
3. Do You Trust Your Sofa? Why you can’t do science without faith
4. Zeus’ Thunderbolts and the God of the Gaps: Is it reasonable to believe in God?
5. Mountain Goats and Metaphors: Is the Bible scientific?
6. The Chocolate Thief: Do ideas about miracles and creation contradict science?
7. A First-Century Mystery: The evidence for Jesus’ resurrection
8. Entering the Lab: How to test it out yourself
I loved how honest the book was. The authors don’t hide anything and often bring out evidence from people who don’t believe in God! It’s refreshing, engaging, and I plan to read it again soon. This book is not the last word about God and science, but it could be the first thing (and maybe best thing) that your teen (or pre-teen or yourself) need to read about it. Highly recommended.
– Borrow Science and God: Do You Have to Choose from my pastoral library. (We’ll have a copy in the church library soon, as well.
– Download a discussion guide your family could use as you read it together.
– Listen to the authors discuss their book on this YouTube video (they have delightful accents from the UK).
May the Lord bless your family as you seek to follow Him.
Jordyn Skacel, Director of Family Ministry
Matt Mitchell, Pastor