As the new year approaches, we (adults) often get ready to start a new Bible reading plan. While 89% of households own a Bible, only 19% of protestant churchgoers read the Bible daily.* Yikes!
We also know that the most influential factor in a child developing a lifelong faith is regularly reading their Bible while growing up.* This year, why not help kids start the new year off developing the discipline of daily Bible reading.
One of the easiest ways to help kids develop the spiritual discipline of Bible reading is to allow them to create a Bible Reading Journal.
Here’s what you need: blank books, washi tape in colorful patterns, duct tape in colorful patterns, permanent markers, and pencils. Give each kid a blank book and encourage them to use the various tapes and markers to create a cover for their new Bible Reading Journal.
After kids create their journals, ask kids to write on the first page these prompts to use while they are reading their Bibles.
- Who is this passage about?
- What was God doing in this passage?
- Is there a command in this passage I should obey? What is that command?
- Do I have a question about the passage? Write them down.
Challenge kids to start with the Book of Mark. Each day they should read one section or chapter of the book and use their journals to record what they are learning.
*Statistics quoted from Nothing Less: Engaging Kids in a Lifetime of Faith by Jane Magruder.