Bible Study

Bible Study, Devotional, Discipleship, Family, Family Ministry, Parent Helps, Parenting

September 15, 2021

Scripture and a Snack!

By Sarah Humphrey

One of the best ways to help kids learn something new is by teaching a short lesson and then following through with a practical application. If I were to ask my kids what some of their favorite school days were, they would almost always express their joy over a hands-on art project, a science experiment, or making a snack together! Thankfully, we can add any of these applications to our daily lives without much prep work or complication.

If you take a look in your pantry, you can easily find and follow a recipe that explains a Biblical truth. And when you eat what you’ve made, it’s much easier to remember what you were learning! Connecting our brains to our taste buds always serves as a great way to enhance a child’s sensory experience, create a positive memory, and engage kids in a practical expression they’ll use in years to come.

Here is one of our favorite recipes that fills little bellies with protein, sweetness, and a Bible verse! Based on 2 Timothy 1:7, it’s a great way to remember that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and sound judgement.” The next time you might find that a little one in your area of influence is struggling to sense God’s peace or power, you can follow these few steps while sharing Scripture and some prayer time with them!

Enjoy the sweetness, and savor the time well spent.

Powerballs

1 1/2 cup instant oats

1/2 cup organic peanut (almond or sunflower) butter

1/2 cup organic, local honey

Chia seeds, flax seed, mini chocolate chips, and a pinch of cinnamon (to taste)

Mix together.

Roll into balls.

Roll in unsweetened coconut.

Sarah is a wife and homeschool mom to three kids while also working as an artist, author, life coach, and voice actor. Her writing and doodling can be found in her devotional, “40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood” and her voice in several commercials, children’s books, and audiobooks. Her education and love for holistic science also leads her to teach small workshops on health, wellness, and creativity. She loves encouraging women and kids to embrace self-care, utilize their gifts, and become leaders in the community around them. Her latest devotional for tweens, “Solomon Says” releases this November. Until then, you can follow her Instagram @the.table.and.bath!

Bible Study, Bibles, Family, Kids Bible Study

August 25, 2021

September Bible Reading Plan

By Kids Ministry 101

By Kayla Stevens

This September make a plan to read the Bible with your family. Read and study select passages from 1-2 Peter and encourage your family to persevere in faith and look to Jesus for their joy. Use this tool to read the Bible as a family, discuss the passage, and pray.

As you read, consider asking the following questions to spark deeper conversation:

What do these verses teach us about God?

Is there anything these verses teach us about ourselves?

How do these verses lead us to pray?

Download your plan below.

September-1 Download

Kayla Stevens is a Content Editor for Lifeway Kids and a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has been serving in Kids Ministry for over 10 years and has a deep passion for empowering children to own their faith and grow deeper in the joy of Jesus.

September 2021

September 1: 1 Peter 1:3-5

September 2: 1 Peter 1: 6-9

September 3: 1 Peter 1:13-16

September 4: 1 Peter 1:22-25

September 5: 1 Peter 2:1-3

September 6: 1 Peter 2:4-5

September 7: 1 Peter 2:6-8

September 8: 1 Peter 2:9-10

September 9: 1 Peter 2:13-15

September 10: 1 Peter 2:21-23

September 11: 1 Peter 2:24-25

September 12: 1 Peter 3:1-2,7

September 13: 1 Peter 3:8-9

September 14: 1 Peter 3:8-12

September 15: 1 Peter 3:13-18

September 16: 1 Peter 4:1-2

September 17: 1 Peter 4:7-11

September 18: 1 Peter 4:12-14, 19

September 19: 1 Peter 5:6-7

September 20: 1 Peter 5:8-9

September 21: 1 Peter 5:10-11

September 22: 2 Peter 1:3-7

September 23: 2 Peter 1:16-17

September 24: 2 Peter 1:18-19

September 25: 2 Peter 1:20-21

September 26: 2 Peter 2:1-3

September 27: 2 Peter 3:1-4,8-9

September 28: 2 Peter 3:10-13

September 29: 2 Peter 3: 14-16

September 30: 2 Peter 3:17-18

Bible Study, Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Preteen, Small Groups

August 9, 2021

Making the Most of Midweek

By Kids Ministry 101

By Ravin McKelvy

I have many fond memories of midweek youth group growing up. Memories of lively games, worship, Bible study, and small group discussions.

Midweek meetings can be an incredible way to continue discipling the kids in your church beyond Sunday morning—to create deeper connections and stronger relationships. Make the most of this time with resources that are not only fun, but also equip kids to live out their faith in everyday life.

A great option is the new The Gospel Project for Kids Midweek. This resource is focused on discipleship. It’s built on the foundation of helping kids live out their faith by using the spiritual disciplines. Each session will end with a discipleship group. This is a space where kids will have the opportunity to share with one another what they are learning and ask their leader questions.

Throughout the year, The Gospel Project for Kids Midweek will feature two units on each of the following topics: worship, Bible study, and prayer. And one unit will be featured on each of these topics: evangelism, fellowship, rest, service, generosity, and fasting/celebration/silence. As kids go through the units, they will learn what it means to practice these disciplines in everyday life.

Another great resource is TeamKID: Follow Through. As kids grow in their faith, they often ask questions such as: what does it mean to be part of God’s family, how can I follow God right now, or how do I love my neighbor? Kids need to hear the Bible’s answers to these questions and more to help them learn to connect their faith to life action. TeamKID: Follow Through will lead kids to answer questions about loving their neighbor, being part of a faith community, and living on mission for Jesus.

This study will equip you to guide kids and their families as they pursue Jesus in practical ways through:

Key Bible stories in the New Testament Letters
Practical application points of how kids can live out their faith
Interactive activities that build Bible skills and understanding
Engaging activity pages that reinforce key truths each week
Family connections with additional parent pages
“At Home” activity page summaries

Take your discipleship plan beyond Sunday morning by making the most of your midweek meeting. Find out more about both of these resources at lifeway.com.

Ravin McKelvy is a copywriter at Lifeway and graduated with a degree in communications from Moody Bible Institute. She is passionate about the intersection of art and theology and sharing the daily realities of Christian living through writing. She grew up in a family of 12, and currently lives with some of her family in Franklin, Tennessee.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum, Uncategorized

July 26, 2021

Should Curriculum be Easy?

By Kids Ministry 101

We all like things that are easy. The only evidence we need to support this claim is that they put peanut butter and jelly into the same jar for us. Come on, really? Is it that difficult?

Quite often, when I see people looking for new curriculum, one of the criteria they have is that it is easy. But should it be? Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with easy, but when it comes to teaching kids the Bible, easy might not be that great after all.

Curriculum should not be easy, but simple.

For something to be easy means that it requires little to no effort. But teaching the Bible should never be easy like that. Teaching requires some level of effort. Even the best curriculum will not be plug-and-play because every church context—indeed every kid in a group—is unique. A teacher has to work, and work hard at times, not only to understand what is being taught, but how to help it connect to each kid and for each kid to apply it to his or her life.

But at the same time, a good curriculum should not make life needlessly difficult for a teacher to prepare. Rather, it should be as simple as possible. The leader guide should not be difficult to follow. Hours should not be needed to gather obscure supplies. Activities should not need elaborate set-up. All of these things should be as simple as possible so that the teacher’s prep time is invested where it should be—praying earnestly for each kid and working hard to customize the content for his or her unique setting.

Curriculum should not be easy, but clear.

Not only should curriculum be simple, but it should also be clear. I have in mind the Bible content itself here. Each session should have a main idea that is not difficult to understand. And everything in that session should connect to that idea. A teacher should not have to wonder what an activity has to do with the Bible content or how the main idea is connected to the Bible story. A good curriculum will take even the more complex teachings of Scripture and present them in a clear and compelling way.

Curriculum should not be easy, but effective.

Good curriculum should be simple to use and clear to understand. But more than anything else, it should be effective. We want all three of these, of course, but if something has to give, that something should never be effective. A curriculum that is simple and clear but fails to point kids to the gospel is not going to foster discipleship. We can’t forget our goal of discipleship. There isn’t anything easy about discipleship. It takes time and energy. It can be disappointing and even frustrating at times. It requires that we repeat ourselves over and over. But it is what we are after in partnership with parents.

When it comes to curriculum, then, give me simple, give me clear, and give me effective, but you can keep the easy.

Bible Study, Family, Family Ministry, Fun

July 12, 2021

End of Summer Family Activities

By Kids Ministry 101

By Alyssa Jones

As summer winds to a close and your family prepares for a new school year, create opportunities to intentionally engage your kids. Whether you have 5 minutes or 50 minutes, you can make your time together count. Here are four activities to make memories with your kids and spark spiritual conversations.

Babies and Toddlers: Sing a Bible story song

Sing to the tune of “London Bridge Is Falling Down” :

“Is there anything God can’t do*, God can’t do, God can’t do?  Is there anything God can’t do?  God can do anything!”

*Substitute “God can save His people” in subsequent rounds.

Read it: Exodus 2:1-3,5-6,10

Think about it: Who did God use to rescue His people from Egypt? Who did God send to rescue us from sin?

Preschool: Take a dip

Fill a wading pool with water or complete this activity at bath time. Provide people figures and encourage kids to dip the figures into the water as you count together to seven. If your kids are comfortable in the water, let them dip their faces into the water and blow bubbles.

Read it: Read aloud 2 Kings 5:1,10,14-15.

Think about it: Who made our bodies and can heal them? How can we take care of our bodies? Why do you think God wants us to take care of ourselves?

Younger Kids: Servant relay

Position a chair across the room from your child. Give your child a serving tray with five empty plastic cups. Explain that when you say go, she should carry the tray to the other side of the room, around the chair, and back. Then she will pass the tray to a family member who will do the same. Continue for each family member. If the cups fall off the tray, the player must stop and reposition them before continuing. For an added challenge, put silverware on the chair for the player to add to her tray as she passes by. How quickly can kids move the tray without losing the cups?

Read it: Read aloud or choose a kid to read Isaiah 53:1-6.

Think about it: What does it mean to be a servant? How was Jesus a servant on earth? How can we serve others?

Older Kids: Four corners obstacle course

Create an indoor obstacle course by using tape to mark a path through the room. Use chairs or furniture as obstacles for kids to go around, under, or over.

Guide two to four family members to hold the corners of a small towel or floor mat and balance a foam ball in the center of each mat.

Challenge family members to transport the ball through the obstacle course without letting go of the mat. If the ball rolls off the mat, players should start over.

Read it: Read aloud or choose a kid to read Matthew 9:1-8.
Think about it: What did the paralyzed man need? What did Jesus give him? How can we receive forgiveness from God?

Alyssa Jones worships and serves with her husband at Refuge Franklin, a church plant outside of Nashville, Tennessee. They have three children.

Bible Skills, Bible Study, Bibles, Family, Family Ministry, Uncategorized

May 31, 2021

Lifeway Kids Bible Reading Plan: June 2021

By Kids Ministry 101

By Alyssa Jones

Make a plan to read God’s Word with your family in June. This month, read selections from the Gospels and Acts. Read in the morning around the breakfast table, in the car on the way to school, after dinner, or at bedtime. Read the Scripture directly with your family, or retell the story in your own words. This tool includes questions according to kids’ ages and understanding. Allow kids to color in a day on a calendar after reading and discussing. End your reading time in prayer.

Download and Print your June Bible Reading Plan.
BibleReadingPlan_June21 Download

Bible Study, Discipleship, Family, Fun

May 3, 2021

Bible Storytelling for the Win!

By Kids Ministry 101

By Sarah Humphrey

Several days a week, I sit down with our kids to teach a devotion for our “family style” portion of school. We sit at the kitchen table while the kids are usually doodling, squishing slime, or forming Play Doh creations, and we dive into a verse or story from the Bible that will guide our day.

My kids ask a lot of questions during this time! They come up with things I would have never thought to ask, they always want to know more details, and they really enjoy a “real life” example. It’s times like these that my heart starts to smile, and I simply say to them: “If you want to love all of life, then learn to love your Bible. It’s in the Bible that God gives us directions, stories, encouragement, and correction for how to live the best way. It’s almost like getting the test before you have to take it!”

They’ve looked at me wide-eyed and said, “Really?!”

Yes! Really!

We have the best book and the best Dad to learn from. He left us a manual, not only with instructions but also with endless stories of regular people who lived normal and yet extraordinary lives. Every person that God mentions in His book is a person like you and me. No matter where we’ve messed up, been wronged, or done it right, we can relate to someone in Scripture. God loves to take ordinary people and make their lives extraordinary. It all comes down to knowing His stories in His Word, and then hiding the truth in our hearts.

Though it’s a process, the gift of storytelling the Bible is one of the most valuable tools we have with young kids today. As humans, we are enamored by art, song, color, companionship, relational difficulties, and heroic tales– and the Bible is full of that! If we’re looking for strength and growth, we can look at the depth and honesty of Paul’s encouragement. If we want to know more about leadership or history, we can study the Kings and Queens of Scripture. If we want to be inspired by art and nature, we can dive into the wonder of the creation story and how God spoke with His voice to make our world. If we want to know how to be kind, loving, and truthful, we can find endless stories of Jesus healing his friends and taking them with Him to learn more. There is something in the Bible for everyone: hope, encouragement, discipline, joy, grace, mercy, and stories of people who started with nothing and then built a legacy of life.

So the next time your kids need to be reminded that their struggles or their day matters, help them find themselves in a person or story of the Bible! See how God responds in their midst. See how Jesus brings resolution to a seemingly difficult problem. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you all with His still, small voice as you unravel the words from our God-breathed gift of Scripture. As your kids learn the art of doing this on a regular basis, the Living Word will dwell within them (Colossians 3:16), and it becomes exactly the encouragement we all need.

Color the Biblical details with fun and simplicity. Be honest with your life and how God has helped and come through for you as you’ve lived out real scenes from Scripture in everyday happenings. It won’t take long for your kids to see how comforting and true the love of God is. He is faithful, and His stories will live in them for their lifetime. So cuddle on up, and open the Book! Enjoy both the peace and the presence of His story in you.

Sarah is a wife and homeschool mom to three kids while also working as an artist, author, and voice actor. Her writing and doodling can be found in her devotional, “40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood” and her voice in several commercials, children’s books, and audiobooks.

Bible Skills, Bible Study, Kids Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum

January 22, 2020

Explore the Bible: Kids Through Fresh Eyes

By Tim Pollard

While Explore the Bible: Kids is a great tool for kids and teachers alike, sometimes it’s time for a bit of a change. With our unwavering emphasis on Bible skills and the familiar book by book approach to teaching the Bible, kids are still encouraged to dig deep into God’s Word. You might be wondering what Explore the Bible: Kids in Fall 2020 will look like. Here are a few of the updates coming that might pique your interest:

Added emphasis on missions: Each week will include a mission activity as part of the session. Preschoolers and kids will have an opportunity to learn, through activity or video, about a missionary family and how that family is involved teaching people about Jesus.
Color, color, color: You are used to the bright, eye catching color palate that Explore the Bible: Kids is known for, but our kids Explorer Guides will be getting a refresh of color while adding an abundance of white space, making it easier for kids to interact with the pages of these valuable resources.
Reaffirmed emphasis on biblical literacy: To engage kids with Scripture memory, Explore the Bible: Kids will have a monthly memory verse that will relate to the content being studied that month to give kids a better way to treasure God’s Word in their lives. For kids who memorize quickly, weekly verse options are still given to make your Scripture memory time the best for all learners.
Enhanced study plan: The new study plan for Explore the Bible: Kids (soon to be released) will offer preschoolers and kids an opportunity to study all 66 books of the Bible multiple times from preschool through their elementary ages.

Though much of what you love about Explore the Bible: Kids will remain the same we hope that these updates will enhance your teaching of Explore the Bible: Kids and give the kids you teach a deep desire to know God’s Word. Thanks for praying for our team as we seek to provide resources that meet the needs of your unique ministries.

Click here to view a free preview of Explore the Bible: Kids.

Bible Study, Discipleship, Kids Ministry

July 22, 2019

What Defines Me?

By Jeremy Carroll

We are often tempted to let what we do define us. If I play baseball, I’m a baseball player. If I play the piano, I’m a pianist. If I dance, I’m a dancer. If I am a KidMin leader, I am a minister. What we do is important because God has uniquely created us and crafted our life so that there is only one of each of us.

Identity seems to be a buzzword today, and many people struggle with who they really are and what their purpose is. This is not something that impacts just one group of people. People from many different areas and of different ages are struggling to “find themselves.”

But is our identity only defined by the things we do? Is our value inseparable from our interests and actions? The Bible responds with a resounding “no.” Out of His great love, God created us and desires a relationship with us. Yes, the things we do are important to how God has created us, but our true identity is not tied to temporal things that come and go. Our identity is found first as created in God’s image. As image-bearers of God, our identity carries value and worth because we are a unique part of God’s creation. Further, true identity and purpose are found in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

As adults, many of us struggle with finding our identity, and specifically not falling into the trap of letting what we do define us. The kids in our ministries struggle with this too. There are many voices speaking into the lives of children to tell them who they are or even that they get to define themselves. If we want to know who we truly are and what our purpose is, we must start by looking at what our Creator has said.

In conjunction with the release of the new Kendricks Brothers movie Overcomer, Lifeway Kids has partnered with the Kendrick Brothers to develop a 6-week Bible study to help point kids in the best place to answer the question “Who am I?” Our Creator. Through Defined: Who God Says You Are, kids will discover who God created them to be and what is true about their identity because of their relationship with Jesus.

Defined: Who God Says You Are is available for kids, teens, and adults. The Overcomer Campaign Kit is a great starting place for churches to see how the Overcomer movie and available resources fit together. More information, as well as other related resources, can be found at lifeway.com/overcomer.

Jeremy Carroll is the team leader for Lifeway Kids Discipleship Resources. Before coming to Lifeway, he has been active in local church ministry for nearly 20 years in TN, TX, and AL. Jeremy earned a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. A Middle Tennessee native, he and his family live in Murfreesboro, TN.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership

June 24, 2019

6 Things Kids Leaders Should Know about Curriculum: Part 6

By Brian Dembowczyk

When people ask me what I do for a living, I tell them that I help produce Bible study curriculum. But, of course, it is so much more than the way I feed my family—it is a passion and a privilege, one I seek to steward well. With that deep care for curriculum in mind, I want to share six things that I wish every kids leader knew about curriculum. Knowing these things, I believe, can transform a ministry, which more importantly, can transform lives.

So far we have covered:

And finally…

A curriculum is just one part of a comprehensive discipleship strategy.

A good curriculum is an important part of a discipleship strategy, but it is not all of it. As we think about our call to disciple kids we have to think beyond curriculum. Discipleship takes the form of living life together side-by-side, participating in small groups, gathering in worship, and much more. A good curriculum can go a long way in your discipleship efforts, but it cannot cross the finish line by itself.

This means that we need to think about how the curriculum we are using complements our greater discipleship efforts. It’s not all up to the curriculum, as important of a role as it may play. But before we can consider that, we really need to be clear of what discipleship is.

In his book, The Drama of Doctrine, theologian Kevin Vanhoozer argues that Scripture should be read more like a drama—like a script intended not just to be read, but acted out. I like that analogy. Our goal is not to study the Bible to learn facts—although they are important. Our goal is to study the Bible as our script pointing us to what Jesus has done and what we are to do now in light of what He has done. This means that we need to consider carefully how the gospel affects how we live today in our unique context. That, to me, is a great way to think of discipleship. Discipleship is not about just learning data. Neither is it about just behaving in a set way. It is about knowing Christ and understanding the heart of the gospel such that we might be able to live in any and every context in accordance with God as we bring Him glory.

Do you see why a curriculum cannot be mistaken for a comprehensive discipleship strategy? It can only be one part of such a strategy because as we talked before about there being no perfect curriculum, your context is unique. And that unique context requires discipleship that cannot rest solely in a curriculum, no matter how good it might be.

So as you consider the curriculum you use, recognize its strengths and weaknesses. Recognize where it helps your context’s discipleship efforts and where it does not. Be aware of other ministry efforts (such as VBS) that cover the areas of discipleship the curriculum does not. Above all, be clear of any unique role the curriculum you use plays in your discipleship efforts.

Questions for reflection

How do you see the curriculum you use integrating into a larger discipleship strategy? Are there any unique aspects of discipleship that the curriculum and your Bible study time alone can fulfill?
Do you see yourself as a discipler of your kids? Why or why not?

Brian Dembowczyk is the managing editor for The Gospel Project. He served in local church ministry for over 16 years before coming to Lifeway. Brian earned an M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a D.Min. from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his family live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Scripture and a Snack!

September Bible Reading Plan

Making the Most of Midweek

Should Curriculum be Easy?

End of Summer Family Activities

Lifeway Kids Bible Reading Plan: June 2021

Bible Storytelling for the Win!

Explore the Bible: Kids Through Fresh Eyes

What Defines Me?

6 Things Kids Leaders Should Know about Curriculum: Part 6

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