The Family Table

Dear LEFC Parents,

Here are some items to set the table for family discipleship in your home this week:

Talking to Our Kids About Death

Pastor Matt found another good article on the updated CCEF website [recommended last week in the Family Table] to point us to: “Of Oceans, Thimbles, and Talking to Your Kids about Death” by Alasdair Groves and Julie Lowe which they published in the early days of the covid pandemic. It says, “I realize that talking about death, like talking about sex, is not the easiest for most parents. That’s ok. Both have a huge impact on our lives and we are right to be reverently cautious when we speak of powerful and intimate things. But that doesn’t mean we should refrain from speaking about them openly and often.” Then they give four points to keep in mind when having those deep conversations and a key illustration to help a child with their fears.

Challenge Conference – Advanced Planning

The 2024 Challenge Conference has been announced for July 1-5 in Kansas City. We’d love to send a group from LEFC as we have in past years. To do that we need interested youth (grades 7-12) and willing adult leaders. That seems like a long time from now, but it will be here before we know it. (Read more about Challenge on the official conference website.)

The Gospel Project at Home

Today’s Bible Study is “Nehemiah Rebuilt the Walls” (Volume 6: Unit 18: Session 2). Ask your kids what they learned in Kids Bible Class this morning and/or do the family devotional you can find at this link.

No Snack and Yack on October 29th

There will be no Snack and Yack next Sunday due to the church family lunch in the Fellowship Hall. Kids can still fill out a handout and share them with you parents after church. Please plan to join us for the meal!

And for dessert…

This week’s recommended resource is a news program by Christian journalists created just for kids!

World Watch News is produced by the same folks who make the “News Coach” podcast that Pastor Matt recommended in February in the Family Table.

In their introduction video, the announcer says:

“Imagine 10 minutes of real news, designed for students, delivered daily to build:
news literacy
biblical discernment
and critical thinking..
..all delivered in a video package that looks as good as anything you’d see on network television, but that doesn’t insult your intelligence.” 

While they don’t shy away from hard topics (the war in the Middle East, remembering 9/11, the deaths of world leaders, etc), they always handle them carefully and sprinkle in lots of fun segments, too (quizzes, human interest stories, etc).

A number of World Watch News videos are available for free on YouTube, and the full 10-minute program (shown in many Christian schools across the country) is streamed at their website worldwatch.news. A trial membership allows you to take in a week of free episodes right now. It’s another good way to introduce current events to our kids.

Check it out and see if it might serve your family well right now.

Matt Mitchell, Pastor
Holly Crumrine, 2023 Family Ministries Coordinator