Bible Study

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

January 22, 2020

Explore the Bible: Kids Through Fresh Eyes

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.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum

May 20, 2019

How Do I Use My Take-Home Page?

By William Summey

God chose parents to be the spiritual leaders in their child’s life. Our churches have the privilege of partnering with parents to lay spiritual foundations for salvation and transformation. Together, we lead kids to learn about Jesus, come to know Him personally and glorify God through obedience to His Word.

Each week in Bible Studies for Life: Kids, we have “Take-Home Pages” for parents and kids to review together what was learned on Sunday morning. Let’s take a look at how the “Take-Home Pages” show ways to continue learning at home throughout the week.

First, take a look at the front side of the “Take-Home Page”:

Notice across the top left is the unit, session number, and title of that week’s session.
On the top right corner, you will see that unit’s memory verse. Practice saying this verse together so your child learns it by heart.
The rest of the front of the page contains two fun Bible-learning activities your child will often complete as part of Bible study. They can also be extra activities for you to complete together at home. Ask your child to explain the answer to these activities to help reinforce Bible learning.

On the back of your “Take-Home Page” we call this the One Conversation page.

We emphasize One Conversation because it is a tool you can use, no matter the age of your child, to talk about what she learned in Bible study that week.
Notice that the largest section on this page is your child’s Bible story. You can choose to tell this story again with your child, then ask your child to tell you the story.
You can also look up the passage in God’s Word together to show your child where the story comes from in the Bible you use at home.
You can do the same for your weekly unit verse and review it together from your personal Bible.

There are several other pieces of information on the page that are important for you to know.

The Life Point is the primary learning point through that week’s study for your child to connect with and apply to her life.
The Bible Meets Life connects the Bible Story with your child’s life at his age and stage.
Live It Out! gives one specific way to put the week’s Bible truth into action.
The Level of Biblical Learning is the Biblical concept taught from that week’s study. This specific statement is part of the larger Levels of Biblical Learning discipleship plan that children build upon in their learning from birth to high school.
The Daily Bible Reading gives other Bible verses you can read together with your kids. They go deeper into either the Life Point or Level of Biblical Learning.

We hope you will find our “Take-Home Pages” useful for talking with your kids about Bible content, theological truths, and how to apply the Bible to your child’s everyday life—so that from the youngest age and stage, kids can grow in their personal relationships with God.

William Summey is the Publishing Team Leader for Bible Studies for Life: Kids. He is a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Vanderbilt University. William lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Christy, and their two sons.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Levels of Biblical Learning

May 17, 2019

Introducing the Newest Levels of Biblical Learning

By Kids Ministry 101

Check out this video introducing the newest release of the Levels of Biblical Learning.

Visit Levels of Biblical Learning for an in-depth look at the enhancements. Be sure to click on the training tab to register and receive the all-new free training resources which include a 1-hour training outline (with video demonstration), printable teaching helps (suggested in the outline), videos to enhance the teaching experience, and more! We think you’ll love it!

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Ministry, Podcasts, Small Groups

May 16, 2019

“Grouping” Your Kids Ministry

By Kids Ministry 101

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Tim Pollard and Bill Emeott discuss how to group kids in both a small group and events environment for your kids ministry.

Tim Pollard teaches 3rd-6th graders Explore the Bible: Kids Worship on Sunday nights at Tulip Grove Baptist Church. He’s passionate about helping kids dig deep into Scripture, which he pursues through his daily work as leader of the Explore the Bible: Kids team. Tim lives with his wife and daughters in Mount Juliet, TN.

This episode is hosted by Bill Emeott, produced by Micheal Walley, and sponsored by the ETCH Family Ministry Conference.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Teaching Kids

May 9, 2019

5 Ps for Productive Planning: Part 4

By Jeremy Carroll

So far we’ve looked at the first three of our 5 Ps for productive planning. If you haven’t read parts 1, Pray about the Upcoming Session, 2, Prepare your Heart for the Session, and 3, Plan the Session be sure to read those posts to catch up. Let’s jump in for the final 2 phases:

Play Out the Session

We can see from the previous phases that our session really begins before whatever our scheduled session time is. This section of our conversation will be shorter since these are posts about planning. In this phase, we are putting all of our preparation and planning into action.

A few thoughts about the actual session though may be helpful. Remember to arrive early, whenever possible. Many KidMin leaders ask their teachers to be ready to receive kids 15 minutes before the scheduled session start time. This is a great habit. Not just to put a smile on the face of the ministry leader, but also for that first child who arrives. Being prepped and ready when the first child arrives communicates to that first child and her family that you are excited to teach the important truths of the Gospel. It coveys that the children are valued and that you believe the time spent in Bible study is important. Use this time wisely and get to know your kids and allow your kids to get to know each other. This is a great time for building relationships.

Everything we have talked about up to this point demonstrates that having a plan is strategically important. So have a plan, but be flexible and sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s movement in your group. You’ve been praying for God to move in the lives of your kids throughout the planning process, so don’t miss an opportunity for the Spirit of God to work because you’re stuck in your plan.

Pursue Session Follow Up

Finally, just as the session begins before the scheduled start time, follow-up may continue the session beyond the time the last child is picked up. In our Plan the Session phase, we made a plan for follow-up. Now is the time to work that plan.

Even in our digital age, kids love to get cards in the mail. Mail cards to your class regularly. This may not be every week, but determi9ne a strategy. Here is one card strategy to consider:

First-time Visitors receive cards early during the week following their first visit.
Regular attenders receive cards once a month and on their birthdays. Don’t wait for a faithful attender to be absent before she receives mail.
Absentees receive cards.
Parents receive cards once a quarter.

Another part of follow-up includes the parents of the kids in your group. Many parents are longing for resources to continue their kids’ learning at home and to help disciple their children. Regularly including parents would be a great part of your strategy for follow-up.

Bonus “P”

Pray again. Hopefully your whole planning process has been saturated with prayer. As a bookend, remember to whisper a prayer of thanksgiving after your session ends to thank God for working in you and through you to reach the kids in your church and community. What a privilege we have of serving the next generation of God’s Kingdom.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Teaching Kids

May 8, 2019

5 Ps for Productive Planning: Part 3

By Jeremy Carroll

So far we’ve looked at the first two of our 5 Ps for productive planning. If you haven’t read parts 1, Pray about the Upcoming Session and 2, Prepare your Heart for the Session be sure to read those posts to catch up. Let’s jump in with phase 3:

Plan the Session

After you’ve become familiar with the Bible story and key ideas and sifted through the activities for the ones you believe will work with your group, move on to choosing the activities you will use and in which order you will do them. If you’ve starred any activities, start by going back to those first. Note: curriculum will often have a suggested order for activities and flow, but don’t feel obligated to follow that flow if it doesn’t fit your church schedule or if you believe another flow of activities will work better for your group.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget “early arrival” activities. Teaching begins when the first child arrives. Try to have meaningful ways for kids to be engaged as soon as they enter your room.

Also, consider transitions from activity to activity. Having a plan for how you move from one activity to another will put you at ease during the session. Consider the timing of each activity within the session. The big idea here: Don’t leave these to chance. Have a plan before your session begins.

If possible, use this phase of preparation to gather and organize any needed supplies or, at least, make a plan for when you will gather supplies. It may be to gather supplies later in the week or arrive early on the day of your session. The point is to go ahead and think about it early so it doesn’t sneak up on you later on.

Next, practice telling the Bible story. And practice out loud. I cannot stress the importance of this too much. The Bible story is one of, if not THE most important part of each session, so practice telling the story. The first time you read or tell the story out loud should not be on a Sunday morning in a room full of kids. By spending time practicing telling the Bible story aloud, you will have greater confidence during your session to communicate the truth of Scripture to your kids. In addition, the more you practice telling the story, you will find the best rhythms and tone of voice for different parts of the story.

I know it can be awkward. But practice. Practice while looking in a mirror. Practice sitting in your car on a lunch break at work. Practice telling the Bible story to your spouse, grandkids, or the cat. Just verbalize it and practice. Then, during your session with a group of onlooking kids, you will be more comfortable and your passion for God’s Word will be more clearly heard through the clarity of your storytelling.

Finally, plan follow-up. Follow-up with attendees, parents, visitors, and absentees. More on this later, but if at all possible, lead out on follow-up. Relationships built through activities and reading the Bible together will be a great avenue for meaningful gospel conversations. The kids we serve find deeper appreciation, even if they don’t know how to communicate it if we as their teachers take ownership of follow up instead of leaving that to paid church staff.

Come back tomorrow for the next “P” for productive planning.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Teaching Kids

May 7, 2019

5 Ps for Productive Planning: Part 2

By Jeremy Carroll

Last time we looked at the first of our 5 Ps for productive planning, Pray about the Upcoming Session. If you haven’t read part 1, be sure to catch up on that first phase. Let’s jump in with phase two:

Prepare (Your Heart) for the Session

As noted before, the Holy Spirit stands ready to help us understand God’s Word and apply it to our lives. Before you begin thinking through the logistics of planning your session, begin with a personal reflection on the passage of Scripture you will be teaching. Read the Bible Story. Read it early. If you are preparing for a Sunday session, I would encourage you to consider to start this phase of preparation at the beginning of the week, maybe Monday morning during your personal devotional time. Note that this is not the time to start considering “how to teach.” Here, all we want to do is let God’s Word speak to our hearts.

Beginning reading the Bible, not with the mindset of teaching but for personal edification. Spend time preparing our own heart for what God is saying in the focus passage, allowing the Spirit of God to move in you first. This will also give you context for the other parts of preparation as you move into the leader guide.

After you’ve spent time with God and allowed Him to speak into your heart and you have context for what you’ll be teaching during the session, start working through the leader guide, familiarize yourself with the main points of your upcoming session. (Note: this is still not the time for planning specific activities or logistics. Let the key ideas resonate in your heart first.)

Many curricula begin with a summary section containing the big ideas to be covered during that session. Familiarize yourself with these big ideas to help you know where you’ll be going throughout the session. Then skim through activity choices, noting which ones stand out to you, but don’t get bogged down in the details yet. I like to put a star by any activity I want to come back to and explore further.

Some ministry trainers/advisors recommend memorizing the Bible story, transitions, and activity instructions word-for-word. While it can be helpful, word-for-word memorization is not necessary, as long as you are familiar enough with the session content that you are not constantly worrying about what you’ll say next and how you will say it. This level of familiarity reduces stress and allows you to focus on other things happening in the room, such as a child’s understanding of the gospel and movement of the Holy Spirit. It’s hard to recognize those things when you’re not comfortable with the content, timings, and transitions. However, If you are going to work on memorizing part of the teaching session, this is the stage in which memorization should begin.

Remember: this phase is mostly about preparing your own heart and letting God teach you first. By allowing the Word of God to speak first to your heart first, you will have a much deeper understanding of the biblical truths of the session and will be able to teach from the overflow of what God has already taught you.

Come back tomorrow for the next “P” for productive planning.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Teaching Kids

May 1, 2019

6 Things Kids Leaders Should Know about Curriculum: Part 5

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:

Next up …

The best teaching experiences include activities and group interaction.

Since I already stepped on some toes in the last post, I may as well go ahead and stomp on some more in this one. Here goes. The worst teaching we can do is lecturing. That’s not my opinion; it’s supported by research. Kids learn the least by just hearing. So the best teaching actually occurs as we, as leaders, talk less, not more. That doesn’t mean we should say nothing of course. We have an important role to play and we have to talk to explain God’s Word and lead discussion. But our goal needs to be to keep that to a minimum.

This is why a good curriculum will feature a variety of interactive learning techniques, no matter what age it is designed for—babies through adults. Those discussion questions aren’t filler; they are essential. Those activities are not merely ways to pass the time to fill an hour; they are designed to help kids learn.

As teachers, we need to be sure to guard time for interaction and guard against pride. Pride is what often drives us to want to lecture—we believe people need to hear what we have to say. And again to a degree, that is true—if you have taken the time to work at what you are teaching and being led by the Holy Spirit. But our kids don’t need to hear just from us. They need to hear from one another and they need to share themselves as well. They need to hear, see, write, and do. The more learning styles you can include, the better.

One final word of note deserves mentioning here. No matter what age group you lead, be sure to build in time for rabbit chasing. It’s ok to go “off script” at times. Sometimes those moments are the most important ones your group will experience. They can be divine appointments. Now, we always need to be careful about venturing down frivolous rabbit trails but don’t barricade the good ones too. A sincere question often deserves a sincere response. And one kid’s question is often not unique.

Explore the Bible: Kids Through Fresh Eyes

What Defines Me?

6 Things Kids Leaders Should Know about Curriculum: Part 6

How Do I Use My Take-Home Page?

Introducing the Newest Levels of Biblical Learning

“Grouping” Your Kids Ministry

5 Ps for Productive Planning: Part 4

5 Ps for Productive Planning: Part 3

5 Ps for Productive Planning: Part 2

6 Things Kids Leaders Should Know about Curriculum: Part 5

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