There are a myriad of Bible-reading plans available via special edition Bibles, websites, and apps. Some plans call for reading the entire Bible in 365 days. Others may take the Bible student on a year-long journey that examines major biblical themes.
If preschool parents are even thinking about a 2018 personal Bible-reading plan, they probably are not considering the possibility of including their children. However, recent Lifeway research has shown that Bible reading is the most important thing parents can lead their children to do in order to place them on a healthy spiritual trajectory.
One way we as kids ministry leaders can equip parents to engage their preschoolers in Bible reading is by providing resources such as these:
- Lifeway Kids Apps on the iTunes Store or Google Play
For Kindergarteners, you may want to kick it up a notch and provide kids with Foundations for Kids: A 260-day Bible Reading Plan for Kids and their parents with Foundations: A 260-Day Bible Reading Plan for Busy Believers. Parents and kids together can go through a guided plan of reading the Bible, examining essential passages from Genesis to Revelation.
Parents often begin plotting their child’s intellectual map before they bring their baby home. They think about how they will teach them pre-reading skills, pre-math skills, music appreciation, and sports. So, suggesting that we encourage parents to develop and stick to a Bible-reading plan for their preschooler is not outlandish at all. Let’s give them tools to get them started in 2018!
Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Ministry Publishing, Nashville, TN. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Landry served on church staffs before coming to Lifeway. He is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. Landry also teaches children at his church in Middle Tennessee. He and his wife Janetta are the grandparents of two adorable grandbabies.