The Family Table

LEFC Christmas Party

Join us after church in a few weeks on December 7th for a Christmas party! Lunch will be provided as we play fun games together and hear about ideas for celebrating the season in your home. Your family won’t want to miss out!

This Week’s Challenge & a FREE Resource

This week’s Challenge for your family is to start thinking about how you might want to celebrate advent in your home this year. It kicks off in just two weeks, and we want you to be prepared with a plan for your family to celebrate. Need some ideas? Check out this FREE Advent Devotional download by Awana! It features all the instructions you need for a family devotional time, plus an activity to go along with it! For homes with older children, check out Good News of Great Joy by John Piper.

The Family Table Recommendations

Does your family have a resource for growing in your faith that you love? A book you read that really encouraged, challenged, or helped you? We would love to feature you in The Family Table! As you’ll see below, the Quick family provided this week’s recommendation, and we love the opportunity to highlight what our families are “eating up.” Talk to Jordyn or email her at [email protected] to be featured!

“God Promised a New Covenant” 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 “God Promised a New Covenant” (Volume 5: Unit 15: 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…

Today’s dessert comes from one of our LEFC families, the Quicks!

I (Curtis) came across the book series The Seven last year around Christmas time, and I thought my daughter Ellie might enjoy them. She was beginning to read books on her own and I wanted her to read something that had Christian principles. I want her to use her imagination, but I wanted her to be reading things that would teach her about God. So, after reading some reviews, I thought I would purchase the series.

At the time I purchased it there were only four books. Flood, which the kids travel back in time to the time of Noah. Book 2 Takes the kids to Sodom and Gomorrah. In Book 3, titled Darkness the kids travel to Egypt and the time Moses. Book 4, titled Collapse, takes them to Jericho. Book 5 takes them to the battlefield of David and Goliath. Book 6, titled Escape, that was just released in October sends the kids back to the time of the Wisemen after the birth of Jesus. The title of the 7th and final book of the series is Alive. The release date for that book is April 7, 2026.

I did an interview with Ellie about the series. While Ellie was answering the questions I had for her Branda said that she also really likes the series (she listens as Steph and Ellie read the books) and that she wanted to answer the questions as well:

1. What do You like about the Series?

Ellie: I like how they are filled with adventure, and it is funny. It honestly just takes you away from reality. I like books like that. It makes them more interesting and fun to read.
Branda: I like the funny stuff in the books, and I like that they are Bible themed.

2. Who is your favorite character in the series?

Ellie: My favorite character is Josh the main character. Josh is really funny.
Branda: My favorite Character is Maria because her name is pretty.

3. What has been your favorite book so far?

Ellie: My favorite book is book 4, Collapse. I personally can kind of relate to it more than the other books.
Branda: My favorite book so far has been Fire because of what happens to Hajj.

4. What has been your favorite Bible story in the series?

Ellie: The destruction of Jericho and Rahab.
Branda: David and Goliath

5. What has the series taught you about God?

Ellie: He is working in many ways we cannot see. They never know what will happen next. The characters are Josh, Maria, Chen, Hajj, Saleem, Jameir, and Grace. THEY ARE SO COOL! YOU SHOULD READ THEM!
Branda: The series has taught me that we should obey God.

I personally haven’t read the books. Steph and Ellie will take turns reading before bed. Steph also really enjoys this series and sometimes keeps reading after the girls fall asleep.

Have questions about the series? Want to know a little more before purchasing them for your own child? See Curtis or Steph Quick!

Here’s a bit more about the author, Troy Schmidt:

Troy is a writer with credits in publishing, television and video. Some of the highlights of his career include:

The American Bible Challenge – Producer (Emmy Nominated for Outstanding Game Show 2013-2014 & 2013 Epiphany Prize for Inspiring Television)
Hermie & Friends – Writer of this popular Max Lucado series
“GLO” – Host, writer of documentary In His Shoes
The Mickey Mouse Club – writer for three seasons

Check out more from Troy on his website.
Get books 1-5 in a bundle here.

We hope your family eats it up!

Jordyn Skacel, Director of Family Ministry
Matt Mitchell, Pastor