The Family Table
Feeding the Faith of LEFC Families
TFT: Stay Sharp
February 11, 2024
Dear LEFC Parents,
What is in store for your family this week? Here are some items to keep in mind as you lead your kids in following Jesus.
Week 3 of “Chasing Love” – Bible Study for Teens
Our new class for youth, Chasing Love: Sex, Love, and Relationships in a Confused Culture, meets on Sunday evenings at 7pm in the upstairs Youth Room and is led by Keith & Heather Hurley and Joan Page. Parents are welcome and invited to participate, as well. Tonight’s lesson is about real love.
Decision This Week – Is Your Student Going to Challenge?
Challenge is for students in current grades 6-12 and runs July 1-5 in Kansas City, MO. Holly Crumrine says, “Challenge is a camp, retreat, and mission trip all in one. Students will be exposed to exciting live worship bands and the chance to worship with thousands of their peers; top-notch artists and speakers, declaring the glory of God and challenging kids to think critically about what they believe; and outreach opportunities to practice the love of Jesus in the local community. It’s also run by people who know and love teens and want them to have the best, funnest week of their lives with like-minded peers. All in all, it’s the rare whole-self immersion for a young person to explore and commit to a lifelong commitment to Jesus.”
You can fill out your student’s information to register with our church on this Google doc.
The deadline to commit to going to Challenge with our group is February 18. A $100 deposit secures your spot and allows us to start booking hotels and planning transportation and fundraising. You can email the church office or Cody or Holly Crumrine for more information. (Financial assistance available if needed. Money should not be a major factor in your teen’s decision.)
Egg Hunt on March 30th
The Family Ministries Team is organizing an Easter egg hunt on March 30th at 10:00am on our LEFC campus. In addition to the hunt, we’ll be organizing indoor crafts and activities to enjoy. Children ages 0-12 are invited to participate. Registration will begin at 9:30am. Pre-registration will be available for children who are attenders of LEFC. Donations of plastic eggs, candy, and prizes are needed, as well as volunteers. See Jordyn Skacel, Holly Crumrine, or Vicky Albert with questions, to pre-register, or to get involved!
Summer Camp at Miracle Mountain Ranch
If you want a good discount, now’s a good time to register for camp. Talk to Marilynn Kristofits about the cost, deadlines, and details.
Calendar Item – Family Bible Week
We’re planning for this year’s FBW to be July 22-25 with a grand finale on the 28th. Mark it on your calendar and plan your family vacation around it! See Vicky Albert to get involved.
The Gospel Project at Home
Today’s Bible Study is “Peter Continued to Preach” (Volume 10: Unit 30: Session 3). Ask your kids what they learned in Kids Bible Class this morning and/or do the family devotional you can find at this link.
Snack and Yack
When the auditorium empties after worship, girls and boys (grades 3ish-7ish) 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 their wives (and sometimes guest preachers?!) about the message.
And for dessert…
Our recommendation for family discipleship this week is a free conference: Stay Sharp 2024.
Every year, our Allegheny District provides a 24-hour theology training time with Greg Strand, and our church has another group gathering to go. In the past, several of our younger parents have participated. Stay Sharp is a great way to sharpen your own thinking about who God is and what He’s up to in this world, which prepares you to teach it to your kids.
While Stay Sharp is not designed for children, several churches (including ours!) have brought teenagers along who have gotten a lot out of the experience. Consider pulling your high schooler out of school for two days to take them deeper in their understanding of God’s Word.
This year’s timely theme is Always Making Disciples focusing on the last sentence of Article 8 in our EFCA Statement of Faith, “In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.”
Greg Strand is going to address relevant theological questions:
- What actually is a disciple?
- How do we make disciples?
- How can we always bear witness to the gospel in word and deed?
You can see how this directly relates to family discipleship!
It’s also a great way to enjoy fellowship with our sister churches and find out what is happening across our association of churches. EFCA President Kevin Kompelien and his wife Becky will be joining us this year, as well.
The only cost for Stay Sharp is travel expenses to Canonsburg and one night in a hotel ($50/person). We have scholarship monies for those whom this is a hardship.
We hope your family eats it up.
Matt Mitchell, Pastor
Holly Crumrine, Family Table Editor
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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!