Faith and Family Formation
August 2021
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Dear Friends in Christ,
Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran Church and School is committed to helping equip and support our congregation and community in the callings they have in their family. This month’s TLO Disciple focus is Faith and Family Formation.
As faith in Jesus grows, the Lord equips us in our relationships with our family. May this month’s TLO Disciple equip you and your family to grow in faith and strengthen your relationships with one another and with Jesus Christ.
Pastor James Kroonblawd
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Preface to the Small Catechism
By Church Reformer Martin Luther
Martin Luther, to all faithful and godly pastors and preachers: grace, mercy, and peace be yours in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
The deplorable, miserable conditions which I recently observed when visiting the parishes have constrained and pressed me to put this catechism of Christian doctrine into this brief, plain, and simple form. How pitiable, so help me God, were the things I saw: the common man, especially in the villages, knows practically nothing of Christian doctrine, and many of the pastors are almost entirely incompetent and unable to teach. Yet all the people are supposed to be Christians, have been baptized, and receive the Holy Sacrament even though they do not know the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, or the Ten Commandments and live like poor animals of the barnyard and pigpen. What these people have mastered, however, is the fine art of tearing all Christian liberty to shreds.
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Become a Lifelong Learner of God’s Word
Pete Jurken
God has called us to abide in His Word. It is what disciples of Christ are to do. But it is more than just reading a devotion occasionally. Discipleship begins when we are baptized into Christ and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit continues to form and transform our faith and life as we receive the gifts of God’s Word and go out into our different roles in life, or vocations.
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From the Bible
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word.” Ephesians 5:25
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The Creator’s Tapestry
Imagine an eye-catching tapestry hanging on a wall. Its maker uses two kinds of threads: warp threads and weft threads. Warp threads are stretched on a loom, and weft threads are interwoven through them. The creator of the tapestry is able to take these two different kinds of threads and weave them together into magnificent patterns.
The biblical perspective on man and woman resembles a patterned tapestry, woven with multicolored threads both alike and different.
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Faith Development at Home and at School
Ben Freudenberg, in his book The Family Friendly Church states four family practices that are particularly important in helping young people grow in their faith.
1. Talking about faith with your mother.
2. Talking about faith with your father.
3. Having family devotions or prayer time.
4. Doing family projects to help other people.
Building positive relationships is key to all humans. Jesus is our number one priority in building relationships. And what follows you might ask? Click to find out.
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Communication: August Everyday Faith Calendar
Kyla Rodriguez
I always marvel at the introductions to the books of the New Testament that were originally written as letters shared from one church to the next. Communication in that time period certainly operated at a much slower pace than we are accustomed to today. News was delivered by some combination of foot travel, face-to-face dialogue, and written letters.
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be exposed to less communication or at a slower pace.
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How to do family devotions
It’s a habit that is hard to form, and even easier to fall out of. But if we can improve our devotional life in times of necessity like this, we will be blessed far greater in our daily devotional life, even in times of plenty.
Watch now! as Pastor Sean Daenzer, director of Worship for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and chaplain for the LCMS International Center, shares how to do family devotions at home.
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From God's Word
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Ex. 20:12
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God’s Plan for Sexuality – Resources for Parents and Families
The Michigan District of the LCMS has compiled a list of resources for parents and families to grow in understanding God’s plan for sexuality and teach their children about biblical truth. To access the list of resources on the topics below, click here.
Topics include:
· Teaching your Family About Biblical Truth
· Teaching your Family About God’s Plan for Marriage
· Purity
· Homosexuality
· Transgender
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Faith and Family podcasts
Keep your family’s Lutheran faith first as you praise God for the gift He has given you in your children, parents, grandparents, and even the in-laws! Every day, Faith & Family will have an expert on the show to discuss life issues such as money management, dealing with divorce, adoption, how to raise children to lead a God-centered life in a very non-Christian world, and more. Faith & Family is graciously underwritten by Concordia University Wisconsin.
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Trinity Lone Oak is more than just a school, it is a community
Trinity Lone Oak provides quality Christian education to students in Preschool through eighth grade. Serving students and families since 1883, TLO is rooted and established in love, and we are committed to helping students reach their highest potential through the integration of Christian faith and learning. TLO is more than just a school, it is a community—a welcoming, enthusiastic community that nurtures family and school relationships. Educators and staff partner with parents to support the development of the whole child, and TLO encourages students and families to engage each other and become involved in school activities and initiatives.
Christ said, “Let the little children to come unto me; and do not hinder them for to such belongs the Kingdom of God.” Mark 10:14.
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Amy Carney, who blogs about parenting with a purpose at amycarney.com, talks about how to raise teens to be competent and capable adults. What should parents do – and not do – to help their children be successful? Should parents always come to the rescue? Listen in and learn some tips!
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From God's Word
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.” 1 Peter 1:22
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How and Why to Emotionally Connect with your Kids
By Dr. Scott Turansky
Making a heart connection with a child is a special part of parenting. One reason connecting emotionally is so important is that the heart is a person’s spiritual center; that’s why God chooses to live there. It’s also where parents can impact their kids spiritually. When you connect with your children on an emotional level, they’re more willing to listen to spiritual truth and less resistant to your leadership.
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From God's Word
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
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"We parents have the high privilege of being the greatest conduit delivering God’s Word to our kids; even so, we can also be the greatest impediment standing between them and their Savior."
Amanda Moldstad is a co-founder of the Lutheran Homeschool Association. She and her husband, John, homeschool their five children in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Visit her site.
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Know any great Lutheran books related to parenting? Articles? Tips for kids in the pew? This site was set up as a resource for Lutheran Homeschool Families. The resources and recommendations posted here on are useful for parents interested in improving their parenting! Check it out!
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6 Things to Improve Your Parenting
By Scott Turansky
Family life can be tremendously rewarding while at the same time remarkably frustrating. Every child is different and comes with their own strengths and challenges. That’s why God gave them parents.
We believe that parents are the best counselors for their children, if they have a good plan. At the National Center for Biblical Parenting, it’s our goal to help your child thrive by providing you biblical strategies that touch your child’s heart.
As you consider your own growth in parenting, you might consider these six things. Read more
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Christian Parenting in the Social Media Age
By David Cox
Social media is an insidious thief, stealing from Christian families barely aware it is happening. It robs families of the time and attention that belong to one another. The theft is intentional; social media deliberately breaks down our intellectual filters, making us susceptible to advertising pitches and ideological manipulation, and drawing us ever deeper into its clutches….
Recognizing the dangers, many Christian parents have chosen to eliminate screens altogether from their households. Others allow but monitor their children’s use. But too many adults fail to monitor their own habits, spending an inordinate amount of time on social media, scrolling through posts for hours, feeding the platform more data to make the experience even more addictive.
God’s Word instructs us: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:8–9).
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10 Questions with Professor Ben Freudenburg
by Megan K. Mertz
Since Professor Ben Freudenburg came to Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Mich., (CUAA) 10 years ago to start the Family Life Education program, more than 130 future workers have been trained to go into churches and communities to provide preventive education to help families weather the storms of life.
Freudenburg — a husband, father of two and a certified director of Christian education — also is the director of the Concordia Center for the Family and the founder of Family Friendly Partners Network.
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Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran
651-454-7235
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