Bible Study

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Sunday School

July 11, 2018

Impacting Visual Learners with the Gospel

If you haven’t read William Summey’s part 1 of this post, you can find it HERE.

Having great visuals seems to be critical to effective teaching today. Some kids may be more prone to be engaged visually than others, but well-designed visuals, as William describes, can be an incredible way to engage kids of all ages as they consider the people, places, and events of the story each picture represents. In addition to using teaching picture visuals to help connect kids with Bible stories, many resources also include larger visuals. Sometimes these are large posters to place in a foyer or hallway, or maybe they are smaller posters that can be placed side-by-side almost like puzzle pieces. Whatever format these larger visuals take, they can be a major asset in helping kids connect to Bible stories.

Large visuals can provide a larger-scale wow factor. When space permits, using large versions of curriculum visuals can really make a space pop. Because of their size and bright colors, large-scale visuals will draw the attention of both kids and parents. They can be great discussion starters for parents to connect with their kids. If you don’t have space for the largest versions of available visuals, you can often use a piece of a poster set in your space to give extra cohesiveness between your space and what your kids are learning.

Large visuals often attempt to give a broader understanding of the content being studied. Like connecting pieces of a puzzle, large-scale visuals often try to tell a bigger story than what their classroom-size counterpart is able to do. Large visuals can tie together sessions into a bigger picture.

With the Fall 2018 release of The Gospel Project for Kids Volume 1, we are excited to include two brand new large visuals: (1) Giant Timeline and Genealogy of Christ and (2) our Small Group Timeline and Map Set. Each of these resources is beautifully colored, graphical poster sets to help remind kids (and adults) that the stories we are learning are about real people who lived in real places at a real time in history.

With The Gospel Project for Kids’ Giant Timeline, children can begin to see God’s one big story as it unfolds from session to session and volume to volume. Children can track the progress from Genesis to Exodus and all the way to Revelation. Each volume is on its own poster so if space does not permit displaying all 12 posters, a single volume’s poster can be used in a common space. Our new Genealogy of Christ four-poster set is included with the purchase of our Giant Timeline. This poster set graphically depicts Jesus’ family line from Adam and Eve down to Joseph and Mary. It’s a large four-poster set that shows both Matthew and Luke’s accounts of Jesus’ family line.

With The Gospel Project for Kids’ Small Group Timeline and Map Set churches can equip classrooms with 36 11-by-17-inch posters to display in classrooms. With each unit on a page, leaders could use one page at a time if space is limited or display all the posters side-by-side for large-scale impact. Our brand new oversized Map Set comes with four different maps: two for the Old Testament and two for the New Testament. In addition, a sheet of pin drop icons is provided to be able to place on a map and track the real places events occurred.

Most people, and it seems kids in particular, are drawn in by things they see, and there is so much information fighting for their attention. When we can make use of large-scale visuals to bring focus and cohesiveness to our teaching sessions and kids ministry space, we are able to help drown out the noise with a more singular focus, even if only for an hour or two.

Jeremy Carroll is the team leader for The Gospel Project for Kids. Before coming to LifeWay, he has been active in local church ministry for nearly 20 years in Tennessee, Texas, and Alabama. 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, Discipleship, Gospel-Centered, Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum, Podcasts, Resources

June 21, 2018

The Gospel Project: When you get it, it changes everything

By Chuck Peters

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The Gospel Project is a Christ-centered chronological Bible study for babies-adults. On today’s podcast, Brian Dembowczyk, managing editor of The Gospel Project, shares the vision of The Gospel Project and why sharing the gospel with children is of the utmost importance.

Brian Dembowczyk is the Managing Editor of The Gospel Project, a Bible study curriculum used by over one million people each week, and the author of Gospel-Centered Kids Ministry: How the Gospel Will Transform Your Kids, Your Church, Your Community, and the World and Cornerstones: 200 Questions and Answers to Learn Truth. Prior to being the managing editor, he served as the Publishing Team Leader for The Gospel Project for Kids. Before coming to LifeWay Christian Resources, Brian served in local church ministry for seventeen years, primarily in family ministry and discipleship ministry. Brian earned a D.Min. from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and an M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He, his wife Tara, and their three children live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Bible Study, Kids Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership

April 30, 2018

Behind the Scenes with Explore the Bible On Location

By Tim Pollard

At Explore the Bible we have a great resource called Explore the Bible On Location. These videos are hosted videos and from time to time we hear from churches who want to know a little bit more about our hosts. We are going to give you a little glimpse behind the scenes of Explore the Bible On Location and let you meet our hosts. We’ve asked them a few questions and thought you might enjoy getting to know them a little bit more. Meet Joel!

ETB: Tell us about yourself.

Joel: I was born April 21st, 1987 in Thousand Oaks, CA. I moved to Nashville when I was 6-years-old. My mom’s name is Joan. My dad’s name is Dale. They’ve been pastors for the past 40 years. I have two older sisters: Gwen and Janelle. My wife’s name is Lauren and we’ve been married for 7 years. I have a 5-year-old daughter named Zoe Sophia and a 3-year-old son named Asher Daniel. My hobbies are exercise and cooking. I love to play sports, weight train, and hike. I love to grocery shop and cook my own food. I also love studying the Bible, theology, and church history. I can’t get enough.

ETB: If you could travel anywhere you wanted, where would you go?

Joel: Jerusalem.

ETB: What is your favorite childhood memory?

Joel: My first Christmas in Nashville. Growing up in southern California, we didn’t get any snow (or cold weather). In December 1993, Nashville got a huge ice storm and heavy snow. My first Christmas in Nashville was my first white Christmas. We had a steep hill in our backyard and I got to sled down a snowy hill for the first time in my life.

ETB: As a kid, who was someone in your church/in the faith you looked up to?

Joel: There were a lot of people I looked up to; but I looked up to my dad the most. He loves Jesus and loves serving the Church more than anyone I know. He loves the Word of God and patterns his life after the Scriptures with more intentionality than just about anyone I know.

ETB: How did you come to know the Lord?

Joel: I grew up in a home where the gospel was preached constantly. I grew up with biblical discipline and the training and admonition of the Lord. When I was almost 7-years-old, I knew three things without a doubt. 1. There’s something wrong with me; I can’t stop sinning. 2. There’s nothing wrong with Jesus; He’s perfect and the only One who can help me. 3. There’s a storm coming for my life; I’m going to be judged for my sin. This was a true work of the Holy Spirit! He was convicting me of sin, righteousness, and coming judgment. He spoke to me in a way I could understand as a rowdy 6-year-old boy. I told my mom and dad that I wanted to follow Jesus, be forgiven of my sin, and start a new life. From that day—April 25th, 1994—I was changed. I’ve been following Jesus ever since.

ETB: Tell us about your church and how you serve there.

Joel: New Song was planted in September of 1993. This year, we’ll celebrate our 25th year as a church. Our mission statement is, “Reaching neighbors, nations, and generations with the Good News of Jesus Christ’s love and power.” I’ve been serving in student ministries for almost 13 years. I’ve been a youth pastor at New Song for 8 years.

ETB: What is your favorite Bible verse? Why?

Joel: Hebrews 11:6. It shows me that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Diligently seeking God is my deepest passion. As I constantly pursue a deeper knowledge and understanding of His Word, His will, and His ways, He’ll reward me with deeper revelations of Himself so I can more deeply reveal Him to a world in need.

ETB: Tell us about a recent “lightbulb moment” you had while studying Scripture

Joel: Most recently, it was a far deeper revelation of the word Shalom in Hebrew. In the past, I’ve understand Shalom to simply be an inner sense of peace, a comprehensive well-being, an absence of spiritual conflict. But as I studied the word more deeply in Hebrew, I realized that Shalom (the noun for “peace”) comes from the Hebrew verb Shalam which means to bring something to completion or make something whole. I began to see that the most basic idea behind Shalom is completeness. Shalom is the absence of absence. Shalom is the presence of fullness. And like we see in Judges 6, Yahweh IS Shalom. Jesus is the Prince of Shalom according to Isaiah 9. But Micah takes it further by saying the One born in Bethlehem shall BE peace. Jesus IS peace. What does He come to do? To seek and save that which is lost, to bind that which is broken, and bring to completion that which is lacking.

ETB: What is God teaching you right now?

Joel: To live a life of deeper meditation and holy contemplation. Psalm 1:2 says, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.” I live a loud life. I’m a music teacher, I have two small kids, I predominately pastor teenagers and college students, I sit in lots of meetings, and I love movies, music, and sports—not to mention I constantly yell into a camera for Explore The Bible! The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I realize my need to hear Him speak to me and lead me. The Lord is teaching me to turn off the media and delight in the law of the LORD. He’s teaching me to develop a love for silence so I can more deeply contemplate who He is and what He’s saying for these days. By grace through faith, I’m trying to obey.

ETB: What’s something about God that amazes you and draws your heart to worship?

Joel: The God of the cosmos is the God of the details of our lives. The God who gives breath to billions of creatures is working to change my own heart to look more like Jesus. How could a God so great be so intimately aware of a man, like me, so small and insignificant? Like David says in Psalm 139:6, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.” All I can do is lift my hands and praise His name!

ETB: Why do you enjoy helping kids explore the Bible?

Joel: I always think of Jesus’ words when He says, “Let the little children come to me and do not forbid them; for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Jesus wants children as His disciples. He wants kids to follow Him. That’s amazing! I want to do whatever I can to help kids follow Jesus. Explore the Bible is such a great tool that helps kids see Jesus in the Word. I love hosting Explore the Bible because I basically get to be face-to-face with a bunch of new disciples. Teaching kids to follow Jesus is one of my greatest joys.

ETB: What’s your funniest or favorite ETB moment?

Joel: I think it was when I got licked by a bear. The bear was so old and gentle. He barely had enough energy to move around to get his food. He’d basically turned into an old lap-dog who was always trying to get more food from his caretakers. His name was Gideon. I went up to his fence, he got up slowly and moved towards me. He weighed over 800 pounds! He came up to the fence, leaned his body up against it, tilted his head back, and began licking my arm. I was like, “Whoah, I just got licked by a bear and lived.”

ETB: Have you met any ETB kids? What was that like?

Joel: I’ve had the privilege of meeting lots of ETB kids and I’ve gotten to go to at least three different ETB kids’ classes. It’s the best! At first, they’re like, “Umm … is this for real? Why is Joel here? He’s so strange. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with Him being in my presence.” Then they warm up to me as I constantly joke with them and sing silly songs about whatever activity we’re doing. By the end, I’m the ETB Kids’ jungle gym! I’ve got kids hanging on my arms and my back, singing the silly songs we made up, and trying to get me to laugh. It’s one of my favorite things to do!

ETB: What’s your biggest hope for the kids watching OR If you could say one thing to the kids watching, what would it be?

Joel: That they’ll develop the daily devotion of Bible study! There’s nothing more life-giving than 365 solid days of Scripture study, journaling, and prayer. If I could say one thing to these kids it would undoubtedly be, “Explore the Bible!”

Tim Pollard teaches 3rd graders 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.

Bible Skills, Bible Study, Bibles, Kids Ministry, Leadership

November 6, 2017

Top Indicators of Spiritual Health in Kids (Part One)

By Jana Magruder

The “Nothing Less” Research was conducted to answer the question: “What can parents do now to affect their children’s spiritual health when they become adults?” In partnership with LifeWay Research, I set out to find the answer to this question. Secretly, I was hoping for a ‘magical’ formula that I as a mom could mix up and produce, making sure my kids would be faithful servants of Christ as adults. What the research discovered was something more profound, yet very simple.

By far the number one thing we as parents can do is to incorporate Bible reading often. Statistically, this was way far above and beyond the other indicators (we will discuss those in parts 2 and 3). Bible reading may sound like the obvious church answer, but if it’s so clear—why aren’t we doing more of it?

Statistically, we know that Americans on average own seven Bibles—but rarely open them. The numbers don’t change much even when you segment evangelicals. It’s no wonder we have a biblical literacy crisis in the church today. Therefore, we cannot ignore this new study that tells us reading the Bible is the number one thing kids can do to grow up spiritually healthy. The question is, what can we as adults (parents and church leaders) do to encourage them to love God’s word? Here are three ideas I discuss in the book, Nothing Less that unveils the research.

Choose an age-appropriate Bible: There are many choices of translations, designs, and covers for families to choose from. It’s important to find one that fits the child’s life stage. For example, a toddler and preschooler may enjoy being read to from a storybook Bible with colorful pictures and easy language that communicates the biblical truth. An older child may enjoy something they can write in or that has devotionals inside that help them understand what they are reading.
Use a Bible Reading Plan: Find something that works for your child and your family. Stick to succinct passages that kids can read in 10-15 minutes. This will lead to creating a consistent habit.
Commit to Just Do It: I recommend making the commitment along with your child so that you can both get in the habit. Just recently, I started Bible and Tea with my kids in the evening before bed. We sip on chamomile tea and read from the Bible. Sometimes we take turns reading aloud and sometimes we read quietly. It’s working now, but I suspect that will change—and that’s ok. The most important thing is just to keep at it.

I am on this journey as a mom and as a leader in Kids Ministry. Join me and let’s dig in together because only God’s word transforms hearts! Nothing Less!

Find Nothing Less at Lifeway.com

Jana Magruder serves as the Director of LifeWay Kids. She is a Baylor graduate and offers a wealth of experience and passion for kids ministry, education, and publishing. She is the author of Kids Ministry that Nourishes and Life Verse Creative Journal, which she co-authored with her teenage daughter. She and her husband, Michael, along with their three children reside in Nashville.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Sunday School, Teaching Kids

October 11, 2017

Teaching Begins at the Door

By Delanee Williams

As teachers, you are constantly teaching through your words and actions. We want our teaching to have a positive impact on a child. Greeting a child at the classroom door as he arrives has many benefits. Most importantly, the simple action of greeting children and their families at the door communicates you are happy they are at church. A teacher can set the tone of the class for the day when she physically greets a child at the door. A child can sense the teacher is happy he is at church. Additionally, when a teacher greets the child at the classroom door, he helps the child who may be experiencing anxiety feel comfortable .

Consider using the following ideas as you begin teaching at the classroom door.

Designate the same teacher to greet children each week if possible. Seeing the same face each week can be comforting to the child and the parents.
Greet the child by his name. Then, greet his parents. Smile and genuinely communicate you are happy they are at church.
If possible, greet the child at his level. If you are physically able, bend down to the child’s eye level to greet him.
Engage the child’s attention by showing her the teaching picture or another teaching activity for the day.
Share the Bible verse for the day with the child.
Post a sign outside the classroom next to the door sharing the Bible verse and other activities the child will experience during the teaching session. (Make sure to list any items on an allergy alert if necessary.)
Sing a song or sing words to a familiar tune such as, “I am glad you’re here today, here today, here today. I am glad you’re here today. We will learn about Jesus.” (Sung to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb”)

Use the opportunity to build connections with the family, welcome the child, and begin teaching. By following the above suggestions, you as a teacher are not only teaching the child, you’re showing parents ways to teach and connect with the child. Which of these ideas could you implement as you teach? What other ideas can you think of to use to teach at the door?

Delanee Williams serves as a Ministry Specialist with LifeWay Kids. She is a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Delanee has served in kids ministry for over twenty years and is passionate about developing, equipping and encouraging leaders.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Sunday School, Teaching Kids

October 9, 2017

Is Trustworthy Content a Kidmin Deal Breaker?

By Landry Holmes

If you are a kids ministry leader, then you are a content provider.

“Whoa! Hold on now!” you may be thinking. “I’m not publisher, writer, song-writer, or video producer; so how am I a content provider?” Every preschool and children’s ministry leader and teacher is a content provider. The question is, “What kind of content are you serving to the kids in your church?”

Our ultimate goal is to make disciples of kids. The Bible is clear that making disciples includes teaching them the Bible. Jesus says in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Emphasis mine.)

So, what are we teaching the kids in our churches? I’ve seen a lot of curriculum, some published and some not. A lot of good, trustworthy content is available. However, there is also an abundance of not-so-trustworthy content out there. How do we discern the difference?

Start with asking yourself, “Does the content teach the truth and nothing but the truth?” Paul reminds his young protégé in 2 Timothy 2:15 to, “Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” (Emphasis mine.) This means that we present Bible content to kids without embellishment, always. If we think we have to add to the Bible content just to make it interesting to kids, what are we saying about our belief in God’s inerrant word?

Another question to ask is, “Does the content point kids to Jesus?” This may come as a surprise to many of us, but kids were around during Bible times. How do you think they learned about God’s plan of redemption? They studied the Scriptures. Again, Paul reminds Timothy, “And you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15)

The kids alive during Bible times either experienced violence and hardship or heard stories about battles and God’s provision. Some of them heard about the Messiah. Others sat in the Messiah’s lap. They also memorized long passages of Scripture that didn’t have any action in them. Do you think their parents and teachers embellished the stories of old to keep kids from being bored? Of course they didn’t, and neither should we.

Before you teach kids this week, evaluate the video, music, scripts, and printed words you plan to present. Does the content teach God’s truth unaltered and point kids to Jesus? If not, what changes will you make to be a provider of trustworthy content?

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.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership

September 27, 2017

5 Leadership Lessons from the Bible: Nehemiah

By Brian Dembowczyk

Nehemiah: How do leaders think?

After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days, I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding. Nehemiah 2:11-12

Nehemiah was the rare leader who was simultaneously a visionary and an organizer. Usually, leaders are one or the other. Visionaries tend to be so lofty and big picture in their thinking that they struggle with implementation and execution. At the same time, organizers tend to be so detail-oriented and grounded in their thinking that they struggle to dream.

For most leaders, the goal is to excel in one area and be competent in the other. But every once in awhile there are leaders who excels in both—like Nehemiah. I love how the Book of Nehemiah captures Nehemiah’s heart and how his vision and planning intertwined so tightly. We don’t just see a leader who had a vision for a rebuilt city, but he thought strategically, and organized the people to build portions of the wall by family, knowing that families will work with more conviction and effectiveness together.

Nehemiah looked at the task God had given him, pondered the solution, and motivated the people to work together even in the midst of opposition. That’s leadership! Here are five tips for thinking strategically in our ministries:

Read leadership books. One of the best ways to learn to think like a leader is to read books written by leaders. There are many good leadership books written from a Christian perspective, but don’t limit yourself to those. There are fantastic leadership books that you can learn so much from, even if they are not written from a biblical worldview. Be discerning when you read these (as you should be with Christian leadership books too), but don’t be afraid to read a business best-seller just because it comes from a different worldview.
Guard time to dream and think. This may be a challenge, but it is worth it. Leading your ministry doesn’t always mean people have to always see you doing something. Being busy is not the same thing as being effective. One of the most effective things you can do is to guard time to dream, think, and pray. Nehemiah did. More importantly, Jesus did too. Schedule time on your calendar to get away by yourself as an appointment and keep it.
Set wise goals. Goals are an essential part of strategic thinking as a leader. Former Major League Baseball player Yogi Berra is credited as saying, “‘If you don’t know where you are going, you‘ll end up someplace else.” It’s a pretty humorous quip, but it is also saturated with truth. If you don’t set goals in your ministry, you won’t be able to guide and direct where you believe God wants you to go. So set goals, but be sure they are wise ones. Your goals should stretch you, your leaders, and your ministry, but they need to be realistic too.
Evaluate. Like dreaming, it is critical that leaders guard time to evaluate. While the frantic pace of ministry makes regular evaluation difficult, it is worth the time and effort. When something goes well in ministry, evaluate the reasons so you can replicate them. Also consider if the event could have even be better. Likewise, if something doesn’t go well, look for what went wrong and what can be improved for next time. Find wins in it too. Very rarely is a ministry event a total loss.
Include your leaders and leadership team. Don’t miss that Nehemiah took some others with him as he developed a plan. As you think, dream, and evaluate, involve others as much as you can. God has given you and your team different experiences, perspectives, and abilities for a reason. Inviting others to think strategically with you is good for you, your team, and your ministry.

Next time — Barnabas: How do leaders breathe life into their teams?

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, Sunday School, Teaching Kids

September 25, 2017

4 Signs You Might Teach A Reflective Learner

By Tim Pollard

Scientist have defined around eight distinct approaches to learning. Many of us can identify the kids in our groups that fall into some of those categories. It’s very easy to spot a verbal learner who likes to lead discussion and chatter a bit; a physical learner who can’t quite sit in his chair; or a visual learner who loves to draw and always chooses the brightest crayons in the box. Some other approaches are a bit harder to identify. You might struggle to identify the kid who is a natural learner and enjoys natural environments to learning. You might not be able to peg the logical learner in your group, but after a few well placed puzzle games you will know who they are too. Reflective learners might be easy to spot, though sometimes we mistake their style of learning for apathy or rudeness. Here are four quick ways to possibly identify the reflective learners in your group.

Reflective learners may appear to be disinterested. A lot of times a reflective learner by nature is reflecting on what you are teaching and saying. As leaders it is sometimes very easy for us to dismiss this behavior as disinterest and wonder if the child is even paying attention to any of the words that you are saying. I assure you, if you have a reflective learner, she heard every word you said and is pondering quite well.
Reflective learners may not answer you right away when you ask a question. If you engage a reflective learner in conversation you may need to be patient and wait for an answer. Reflective learners want to make sure the answer they give you is the correct answer so they do an evaluation processes before giving you an answer. If you have a reflective learner include him in discussions but give him time to formulate an answer without pressuring him for an answer.
Reflective learners like to journal. If you have a child in your group that likes to write or journal and usually chooses a writing activity when given choices chances are she might be a reflective learner. Journals are great ways to engage reflective learners and they will thrive in that endeavor. They might even be willing to share their journals with others. If you have a reflective learner make sure you provide choices that include some type of reflective activity to give them time to journal their thoughts.
Reflective learners will ask you questions when you aren’t expecting them. Sometimes these kids will ask you questions weeks after a discussion because they have had time to process. One year the group of sixth grade boys I taught had a young man who would come prepared the next session to ask questions based on what he processed from the week before. If you have a kid who likes to ask question about prior content you’ve taught, you might have a reflective learner. Give time to answer those questions and maybe begin your session each week by asking if anyone had any thoughts from the last time you were together.

If you have reflective learners in your group take some time to identify who they are and give them an opportunity to be who God made them to be.

Bible Study, Discipleship, Gospel-Centered, Kids Ministry Curriculum, Worship

September 19, 2017

The Big Picture Worship Hour

By Kids Ministry 101

Perhaps you have come in contact with The Gospel Project for Kids and seen value in its approach of teaching Jesus’ story throughout Scripture. Even though you see its value, you are not in a position to make a change from your primary children’s ministry curriculum. If you fall into this group, our new Big Picture Worship Hour resource may be for you!

The writing and creative team behind The Gospel Project for Preschool and The Gospel Project for Kids is excited to announce two brand new worship resources: The Big Picture Worship Hour for Preschool and The Big Picture Worship Hour for Kids. The Big Picture Worship Hour products are designed for churches who are looking to introduce The Gospel Project for Kids strategy without replacing their primary curriculum or whose weekly Kids Ministry schedule only allows for a “large group” format.

Each Big Picture Worship Hour is a Christ-centered worship resource that walks kids through the big picture of God’s story—the story of redemption through Jesus Christ. Each week, kids will follow a chronological timeline of Bible events through the Old and New Testaments, while learning how each story points to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each product provides an age-appropriate hour of content ideal for preschoolers/kids worship, mid-week gatherings, or other “large group” settings. For elementary age kids, each worship hour session features a worship guide, Bible story video, music videos, missions video, group game, group demonstration, and more. Our Preschool Hour features a worship guide, Bible story video, music videos, missions video, and activities using a variety of learning styles.

Current customers of The Gospel Project for Kids: If you are already part of The Gospel Project family and use our curriculum in your ministry, The Big Picture Worship Hour is available as the Worship Hour Add-On to our Leader Kit.

If you are looking for a worship resource to integrate into your ministry, we invite you consider The Big Picture Worship Hour from The Gospel Project for Kids team.

Bible Study, Bibles, Kids Ministry, Leadership

July 19, 2017

Nothing Less than the Whole Bible

By Jana Magruder

Biblical literacy in adults today is anemic at best. We know that on average, American adults own a total of seven Bibles, but rarely read them. Statistics tell us that only 25% of church-going adults read their Bible regularly. And of those who do choose to read the Bible, many Christians never even read eight or more books (I’ll let you guess which represents the current generation). What does this mean for the kids we are bringing up in the faith?

A recent study published in Transformational Discipleship found that the #1 indicator of spiritual growth in the life of a believer is Bible reading. Not surprisingly, a recent study found that the #1 predictor of a child’s spiritual condition as an adult is directly related to how much they read the Bible. As kids ministers who reach a broad range of children and their families, we need to ask ourselves, “Are we prioritizing the Bible in our ministry?”

A.W. Tozer once said, “Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.” If this is true, many of us are living the Christian life without the fullness of the complete Word of God. There are 66 books in the Bible, yet most adults gravitate to only a handful. If we truly believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, then we must prioritize reading all of the Scripture. This hold true for the children we lead as well.

Why do we hold back from teaching kids certain books of the Bible? Some of us feel ill-equipped to teach about them because we’ve spent such little time reading and understanding them Or, we feel like a certain book may not be appropriate for a child—whether it’s too difficult to understand, doesn’t apply to them, is too gory or graphic, or even contains sensuous material (hello Song of Songs!). One can certainly argue there is a timeline for when certain stories and Scriptures are revealed to children of young ages. However, it would be a mistake to withhold part of God’s Word because of our own comfort level.

So then, what shall we do?

Commit to spending time in books of the Bible that we may not normally read. We should ask God to teach us more about Him as we read and study, and request for Him to reveal something special that we can present to kids in an age-appropriate way.
Consider finding a plan that will help us teach all of Scripture. Review curriculum that has been developed through research that provides age-appropriate lessons for children to learn the whole Bible.
Pray that children and families would fall in love with God’s Word. After all, the Bible is His love letter to all of us.

At LifeWay Kids we want everyone to fall in love with the Bible. This truth convicted us to dedicate time and space at our 2017 ETCH Family Ministry Conference to unpack what it means to not just say the Bible is important, but unpack how this truth transforms your leadership and your ministry. Our 2017 ETCH theme is “Nothing Less”. Throughout the event, we will unpack and help put context to A.W. Tozer’s quote. We will help you apply it to your ministry, your leadership, and your team. At the end of the day, our desire is to do everything we can to equip you to serve and equip parents of the kids in your ministry. For more info on ETCH speakers, breakouts, and more, visit ETCHConference.com.

Kids will not be fully nourished without development in biblical literacy. As they take on the sword of the Spirit, they will be ready to expand the Kingdom as salt and light in a culture of darkness. Give them His Word in its entirety—as it was meant to be—and watch how the fruit of the Spirit will surely develop inside of them at every age. Let’s change the trajectory of biblical literacy from anemic to fully nourished. For His glory!