The Family Table

Dear LEFC Parents,

Here are some nourishing items to set the table for disciple-making in your family this week:

Family Ministry Survey

Have you taken our quick Family Ministry survey yet? We value serving our families well and want the chance to hear your input. Please take a minute to fill it out here so we can better meet the needs of LEFC families.

Volunteering in Kids Bible Classes

Have you ever considered volunteering to help teach our Kids Bible Classes? We have several new families attending LEFC and therefore have more kids participating in our programs. We could use more teachers and helpers to help shepherd these kids well. The more volunteers, the less often each person will be on the rotation. Please consider whether the Lord might use you in this way. For more information, see Vicky Albert.

Advent is Quickly Approaching!

The season of advent will be here soon, beginning on December 1st. Have you thought about what your family might do to celebrate this season? We encourage all families to spend special time together at home engaging in discussion, crafts, readings, etc. to prepare their hearts for the coming of Christ! Need ideas? One place to start could be the recommended resources by Risen Motherhood from a recent The Family Table dessert!

“Joseph Taken to Egypt” 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 “Joseph Taken to Eqypt” (Volume 1: Unit 3: 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…

This week’s recommendation for family discipleship is a thoughtful program about youth sports, healthy families, and the future of the church.

Right now, we’re in the short period of time between Fall Sports and Winter Sports (The next “Meet the Warriors” is Monday the 25th at 6:00pm at West Branch!) which can be a good time to take a step back and gain some perspective.

I (Pastor Matt) love to attend sporting events to support our church’s kids in their endeavors. But as a pastor, I also can be concerned how families can become so engrossed in youth sports that it hurts their spiritual growth and connection to the local church.

That’s why I was encouraged to listen to this new episode of the podcast “Recorded.” Journalist Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra interviews insightful parents, coaches, and pastors to get wisdom for thinking through this whole arena. Some of those parents and coaches were even professional athletes at one time!

The introduction at The Gospel Coalition website says:

“Registration fees. Weekend tournaments. Travel teams.

Youth sports in America has shifted over the last several decades. Instead of playing ball in the backyard with friends after school or on Saturday mornings, our kids climb into the minivan so we can drive them to practice, pay for uniforms and court fees, and pick up dinner from the concession stand.

Youth sports, it seems, is a merry-go-round of time and money that we can’t get off because we know it’d never slow down enough for us to get back on.

At The Gospel Coalition, youth sports is one of the top concerns we hear from pastors and youth leaders: they can’t preach to, disciple, or encourage people who miss Sunday after Sunday for basketball or soccer or baseball.

But we know sports is a good gift from God. He created our kids to run and jump and throw, and to delight in doing that with friends. Done well, those things honor him.

So how can we do them well?

Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra talked to parents, coaches, and pastors to find out.”

It’s definitely worth an hour of your time if you have athletically-inclined kids.

Access the podcast, including pictures and a full transcript at the Gospel Coalition.
Watch and listen to the episode on YouTube.
Listen to this episode at Spotify.

We hope your family eats it right up.

Jordyn Skacel, Director of Family Ministry
Matt Mitchell, Pastor