The Family Table

Dear LEFC Families,

How has your family been growing closer to Jesus together lately? Maybe you’ve begun family devotions together around the dinner table, started praying together before bedtime, or dug into an engaging read-aloud Bible storybook. You may have started discussions about Kids Bible Class lessons, listened to our LEFC Family Worship playlist to sing together, or spent time in fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ here at LEFC. Feel stuck in a rut or need something to spark spiritual growth in your home? Consider checking out one of the offerings below!

LEFC Fall Retreat

Our Fall Retreat is coming up in just two months! Join us at Seven Mountains Scout Camp for the weekend of September 19th-21st. Last year, parents and families enjoyed quality time together in a beautiful wooded setting at the lodge. We’ll have faith-building teaching, delicious food, lots of fun and fellowship with games, puzzles, activities, and rich conversation, a campfire, and more! Your whole family is invited to attend, as there will be activities and breakouts for everyone. Housing is family-friendly for your convenience. The cost to attend is $50 for couples and families and $25 for an individual. Check out the video of last year’s retreat, and put it on your calendar! For a limited time, you’ll receive an early bird discount of $5 off if you register on or before August 24th! Register here to bring your family for a great weekend!

Fall Activities at LEFC

We’re hard at work planning for several activities here at LEFC for the remainder of the year. Would you like to help in the planning and dreaming up what these could look like? Our Family Ministries Team would love to have your help! See Jordyn Skacel to get involved.

Touch a Truck at the Good News Cruise

The Good News Cruise will be held on August 16th, and we’ll once again be incorporating Touch a Truck for the kids. Bring your kids out to enjoy the fun! If you’d like to bring a vehicle for kids to check out, or could arrange for one, please see Jordyn Skacel.

“David Became King” 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 “David Became King” (Volume 4: Unit 11: Session 3), 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 children’s book about self-control and how to enjoy technology within boundaries.

Summer is a time for screen doors leading to enjoy the outdoors. But for many kids, summer is also a time when its too easy to become engrossed in another kind of screen–the glowing screens of video games, tv shows, and other digital entertainment. (Adults struggle with this, too, of course, often in a worse way!)

In Polly and the Screen Time Overload, Betsy Childs Howard introduces us to Polly, who learns important lessons about the importance of not being controlled by something that is good as a servant but not as a master (see 1 Corinthians 10:23).

The publisher describes the book this way:

“Technology can be a helpful tool and source of enjoyment for many families—a way to aid children with learning, to connect with loved ones, and to provide entertainment. But as with many good gifts from God, tech devices are best used in moderation.

In this new picture book, readers meet Polly while on a trip to her grandparents’ farm. During her visit she spends all her time on her new tablet instead of enjoying the farm animals and playing with her cousins. A chat with her grandfather teaches her that, though screen time can be good, it can also keep kids away from better things.”

Polly and the Screen Time Overload is part of a set of books especially designed for children ages 3-7 and beautifully illustrated by Samara Hardy. We previously recommended Meg Is Not Alone at the Family Table.

There aren’t that many books written for children about the influence of technology, and this one does it by focusing on our hearts. There is a “Note to Grown Ups” at the back which gives parents ideas for helping their children learn self-control and moderation in tech habits.

More:

Watch: Read-aloud video of Polly and the Screen Time Overload online.
Read: 44 Activities for Kids That Don’t Involve Screens by Betsy Childs Howard
Borrow: Polly and the Screen Time Overload is available in the LEFC Library.

We hope our families eat it right up!

Jordyn Skacel, Director of Family Ministry
Matt Mitchell, Pastor