Dads - Lead the way! A letter from your Pastor

Dads, 

Again this Thanksgiving, my family will base our expressions of thankfulness to the Lord on the five "L's" of our family motto: Love, Lord, Learn, Laugh and Leave.  I recommend this very practical way you can facilitate sharing and prayer around your table this year.  You can tailor this to the ages and stages of your family members.

Where to start?  I introduce our time by providing a card with the five L's written on it. Prompt with a question related to each word, and then give a few minutes to allow family members to jot their thoughts down. (Young children may enjoy drawing pictures instead.)  As people share aloud, I record their thoughts and emailed them to turn these thoughts into prayers for the coming year.

Laugh. Begin with lightheartedness:  "What made you laugh this past year?" (An embarrassing moment, a favorite TV show, a favorite sport's event.)

Love.  "What do you love more at the end of this year than you did at the beginning?" (Sleeping in, school, daily personal worship, unhurried family time). 

Learn.  "What life-lesson did God teach you this year? (Maybe a lesson related to one of the Fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.)

Leave.  "What did you leave behind this year? (Middle school, a sport or hobby you used to live for but now have outgrown, a friend who was not such a 'good' friend, etc.). 

 

Lord.  Taking it deeper:  "How have you grown in your love of Jesus this year?"  Or, "What did you leave behind in order to follow harder after Jesus this year?"

Men, this may seem risky!  You may need to lead in an area that does not come naturally for you. Listen, it will be worth it. Inevitably, the five L's not only promote personal sharing about the past year- they help give direction to our discussions and prayer for the coming year.  Regardless of a family's season of life, much of our human experiences relate to Love, Lord, Learn, Laugh and Leave.  Keeping notes over the coming years will provide a book of remembrance to God's faithfulness in each others lives as we prepare our children to "leave" our homes and establish new families where Christ is central.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Pastor Tim Kirk

PS - Ask family members to TURN OFF all electronic devices during sharing and prayer time!