The Family Table
Feeding the Faith of LEFC Families
TFT: The Wingfeather Saga
June 25, 2023
Dear LEFC Parents,
Here are some items on the agenda for the days ahead:
The Gospel Project at Home
Today’s Bible Study is “Isaiah Warned of God’s Judgement” (Volume 5: Unit 14: Session 2). Ask your kids what they learned in children’s church this morning and/or do the family devotional you can find at this link.
Snack and Yack
Snack and Yack will continue throughout Pastor Matt’s sabbatical. When the auditorium empties after worship, girls and boys (grades 3-7) 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 sometimes guest preachers?!) about the message. Parents, if you would like to help host the discussion by providing the snack, see Holly Crumrine to get involved.
Family Bible Week
Family Bible Week starts in just two weeks. Make plans now to join us each night, July 10th – 13th at 6:00pm, for dinner, a time of singing, and classes for all. Then come out for our finale Sunday, July 16th at 10:00am. See Holly Crumrine if you have questions or how you might be involved.
And for Dessert…
This week’s recommendation is a book series by singer-songwriter Andrew Peterson called the Wingfeather Saga. The worship team is actually practicing a new song by Andrew Peterson, which turned out to be a coincidence when we realized he was also the author of the books that have taken our middle school boys by storm!
There are four books in this saga, and they’re hefty – the first one is around 300 pages, and book 4 is over 500. My boys have always been “good” readers, but these are some of the first ones they devoured, sitting up late at night to finish another chapter, or laying in bed in the mornings getting right back into them. And they are good. There are the classic fantasy good-versus-evil themes, but also clear Christian themes of sacrifice and grace. As the website puts it:
“Full of characters rich in heart, smarts, and courage, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness presents a world of wonder and a tale children of all ages will cherish, families can read aloud, and readers’ groups are sure to discuss for its layers of meaning about life’s true treasure and tangle of the beautiful and horrible, temporal and eternal, and good and bad.”
My husband has been reading along with them to keep abreast and connected, and he would read until the wee hours if I didn’t insist we turn out the light. He’s just as hooked as they are, and I hope your family will be too!
Holly Crumrine, 2023 Family Ministries Coordinator
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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!