As we launch into the Fruit of the Spirit teaching series, we want to let you know about a resource we’ve created for you and your family to dive deeper into what it means to be “Synced” with the Spirit. In addition to the personal devotionals that will be published on the web, Children’s and Student Ministries will also be creating Family Devotionals for every week of the series. We deeply desire to partner with parents and families in the spiritual development of the children and students of LAC, so we have created a way for parents to facilitate spiritual conversations in a busy world.

These family devotionals will involve a Scripture reading, a short story or application, an activity, and questions that will engage your kids. These devotionals are created to be discussed out loud as a family — either around the dinner table, at breakfast, or even in the car! We’re all going to be learning the same things on Sunday mornings, and these devotionals will set you up to have great conversations with your kids!

We will be using plenty of object lessons in Children’s and Student Ministries about what it means to be “Synced” with the Spirit. A great image to start with as you go home today is the picture of a rowing team in a boat. (You can look this up on YouTube if your kids need a visual of how rowing teams work!) The individual rowers must be connected to, synced with, and in line with their leader. They all have to row at the same time in order to move with any speed in a straight line. If they are all rowing at different speeds and different times, they’ll move slowly and they won’t go straight. They must be “in sync” in order to win the race. The same is true with God. We, as the family of God and as family units, have to be listening to the Spirit’s guidance in our lives. We can’t just live our lives at our own pace.

Being a follower of Jesus means that He gets to direct our steps. And as we follow Him, we are also bound together in one direction, strengthened by the Spirit and united in our mission. This is our hope for your family as you move through the fall!

- Annie Neufeld
Pastor of Children’s & Student Ministries