The Family Table

Introducing: This Week’s Challenge!

We’re kicking off trying out a new element in TFT! Each week, we plan to provide a family discipleship “challenge” to implement with your family. The goal is to provide families with an action step to do together to connect with one another and with the Lord. So here we go! This week’s challenge is to ask your kid(s) for a prayer request and pray with them!

Mom’s Night Out: Friendsgiving Edition

Moms with children in the home are invited to a Friendsgiving-themed Mom’s Night Out on November 15th at 7pm. We’ll have plenty of Thanksgiving-inspired snacks, a guest speaker, and a fall craft. Come enjoy a night out of the house with fellow moms, and invite others to come with you! Nursing infants are welcome. Registration is now LIVE and can be found here.

Three Years of The Family Table!

The Family Table celebrated its third birthday last week! Praise God for the ways that it has equipped, encouraged, and resourced families and individuals with disciple-making tools each week. Take a look back at some of the archives to see what you might find there that would be relevant and faith-building for you and your family.

The Family Table Survey

As we celebrate The Family Table turning three, we want to hear from you about how it is helpful for your family and how it could be improved. We desire for this resource to be beneficial, so we need to hear from you. Would you please help us out by filling out this brief survey, if you haven’t already done so in church?

“Judah’s Good Kings” 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 “Judah’s Good Kings” (Volume 5: Unit 15: Session 1), 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 collection of resources to aid Christian parents in helping our kids deal with death, loss, and grief.

Alyson Punzi introduces herself this way: “I’m a widowed mama. My husband died suddenly in August of 2022 from cancer induced stroke, only 2 months after being diagnosed with leukemia. Our daughter was 2 years old. But I can honestly say the Lord has truly held us close as we’ve wept and wrestled since that horrific loss.”

When someone can say that after suffering that, you know they probably have some real wisdom to share. Here are three resources from her that I (Pastor Matt) found really helpful:

1. Podcast

I was introduced to Alyson Punzi and her story through the Crossway Podcast. In this 27 minute interview, she talks about how she has clung to the Lord through immense grief after the loss of her husband and how this has shaped her parenting.

I found her story gripping, painful, and inspiring all at the same time, and it seemed like she had gained some real insight into how to help her daughter process her grief, especially learning the biblical language of lament.

Our Lord has given us lament as a key way of talking to Him when we are hurting and feeling intense grief. How do we teach our kids to lament?

2. Article 

In a companion article, Alyson Punzi lays out some basics. She writes, “It can be a daunting task to consider all that Scripture says on suffering, death, and lament and teach that to our young children. Our goal is to use simple language that does not reduce truth to something it’s not.

Lament is crying out to God about what it feels like to live in a broken world.”

3. Children’s Book

Punzi also teamed up with illustrator Tyler Charlton to create a brand new children’s book that teaches lament through story. The publisher describes He Always Hears like this:

“In this poignant book designed for kids ages 3–8, Jane faces challenges when her seemingly perfect life takes a difficult turn. After enduring a series of losses that leave her feeling scared, Jane’s parents teach her how to cry out to the Lord—the one who hears her cries and is working to make all things new. Whether kids are dealing with pain big or small, this book encourages them to turn to God in their moments of sorrow.”

Are you dealing with grief and loss in your family right now? Alyson Punzi writes directly to you:

“This is not an easy job. Lamenting with your child may be the hardest thing you do as a parent. But grownup, this is your hope too. God is with you. He hears your cry. As you rehearse in your mind the words you are going to attempt to say to your child, he is holding you too.”

More:

Access: An excerpt of He Always Hears online.
Listen: How to Talk with Your Kids About Death and Loss
Read: How to Help Your Child Lament

We hope our families eat it right up!

Jordyn Skacel, Director of Family Ministry
Matt Mitchell, Pastor

P.S.  We have also recommended The Moon Is Always Round as a terrific resource for helping kids remember God’s goodness when tragedy strikes.