Discipleship

September 25, 2019

Crossing the Checkpoints of Life’s Race: Part 2

In July 2019, we posted an overview of Crossing Life’s CheckPoints. Partnering with families during the checkpoints of life provides natural opportunities to help parents recoup, reevaluate and realign strategies, and be refreshed for moving forward in family life. Let’s dig into Checkpoint #1: Welcome to the Family a little bit more.

Checkpoint #1 – Welcome to the Family

Birth/Adoption—Whether it’s a family’s first, second, or fifth child, each new addition adds new rhythms and challenges to family life. This checkpoint brings both celebrations and joys along with potential anxiety and challenges. When ministries come alongside families at this checkpoint, parents feel refreshed, valued, and comforted that they are not alone.

“New Addition” Gift Bag—Consider creating a small gift bag to give to new families when a new baby is born or a child is adopted. This gift bag might include:
- a hand-written encouraging note
- a Christian parenting book
- a restaurant gift card
- calming Christian music CD or code for downloadable music (such as quiet hymns)
- a diaper bag tag

Baby/Parent/Family Dedication—One partnering opportunity that is still quite popular among American churches is the presentation of young children and parents before a congregation for public dedication to the Lord. Consider how you can make this a meaningful experience for parents by:

providing invitation cards parents can send out to their extended family and friends.
hosting a dinner or lunch for parents and close family members and friends.
encouraging parents to write a prayer for their child which incorporates a Bible verse (some churches call this a “life verse”).
Preparing a gift bag for each family which may include an age-appropriate Bible, a framed certificate or Bible verse, and a letter from you or your pastor to be opened on the day of the child’s salvation or baptism.
providing additional training, like a class mentioned below, for young parents on God’s expectations for Christian parents.

Parenting class/classes/conference—Parents can easily find themselves living in “survival mode” and allow long-term priorities to fade out of focus. Providing dedicated training opportunities is another helpful resource for expectant parents. Consider offering training on child development and spiritual growth. Parents who participate in these trainings will appreciate the focused effort to be equipped for Christ-centered approach to parenting.

Utilize technology to connect with and engage parents for training.
Such training could include:
- theology of biblical parenting
- trust development
- developmental stage characteristics
- Conversion
- Baptism
- the Lord’s Supper

The goal of these checkpoints is to be strategic with the ways churches partner and celebrate with families as they grow. Many parents feel inadequate to spiritually lead their families. When churches “run the race” alongside families, they will feel more confident to embrace biblical principles and wisdom and lead their families toward authentic relationships with God. I encourage you to “run with endurance the race that lies before [you], keeping [your] eyes on Jesus … ” as you “pursue as [your] goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:1-2; Philippians 3:13-14)

Click here for a downloadable Checkpoints PDF to help you share your vision with families. One with the checkpoints we’ve listed in the original post (found here) and one with some blank boxes for your to write in your own.

This is not an attempt at a comprehensive list. What other partnerships would you add during this phase of life?

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.

Discipleship

September 2, 2019

Discipleship is not a Conveyor Belt

By Kids Ministry 101

Guest Blogger Ben Trueblood serves as the Director of Student Ministry for Lifeway. He is also one of the hosts of the ETCH Family Ministry Conference and will be speaking at this year’s conference October 7-9 in Nashville. Find out more at etchconference.com.

For many years, one method of ministry has been to compile a list of outcomes that should be present in a teenager’s life when they graduate high school and then work backwards organizing the student and kids ministry to achieve those outcomes. Organizing this way gives you, other leaders, and your senior pastor clear markers that can be measured along the way. For example: a junior in high school, if they’ve been active in the church for the last few years, should be exhibiting X outcomes in their life. When done correctly, this approach can also be an effective tool for parents to see the importance of family ministry in the life of their kid or teenager, as well as a game plan to help them as they seek to spiritually nurture their student. Generally, it isn’t a bad way to look at the overall strategy or approach of a student ministry, but it isn’t discipleship.

This approach makes one major assumption: every kid and student is the same.

It turns our ministry into a conveyor belt that says if we do X then the result in a kid or teenagers’s life will be Y. It sounds great, but discipleship doesn’t work that way because each student is different. They have different home lives, thoughts, struggles, gifts, and personalities, which lead to discipleship being much more of a personal endeavor than one-size-fits-all. Discipleship is meant to take place within a relational context where God’s Word can be read, memorized, discussed and applied in real-time to the issues a teenager is walking through. The conveyor belt approach doesn’t leave room for the needed individualization that true discipleship requires, and it isn’t working.

“In a recent study from Lifeway Research and Lifeway Students we see that 66% of teenagers who are active in the church during their high school years will drop out of the church during their college years.”

At the same time, we see that the number of adult spiritual mentors a teenager has in their life during their high school years has a profoundly positive impact on them staying connected to the church. Statistically, when a high school student has three or more adult spiritual mentors from the church investing in their life, they are three times more likely to stay connected to the church in their college years.

Why is a spiritual mentoring relationship so important?

Because, once again, it is the natural avenue for discipleship. The adult gets to know the personal context of the teenager through this kind of relationship to the point that they are able to connect the dots of what the teenager is walking through with scripture. The result is that the teenager begins to see and experience the transformational power of God’s word; that it really does speak to the real issues of everyday life. Furthermore, when a teenager has several of these spiritual mentors throughout their time in student ministry they get to peer through the window of how an adult applies God’s word to their own life. They get to see the individual struggles of each adult and discover different perspectives on how to follow Jesus because each of those adults has their own personal context as well. Through these kinds of relationships the teenager gets to live more spiritual lives than their own learning along the way and storing up spiritual wisdom for later in life.

The Application?

Continue to build a strategy for your preschool, kids, preteen, or student ministry with clear outcomes and measurable markers along the way, making sure to create as many opportunities as possible for spiritual mentoring relationships to take root.
Make time in your schedule to train and develop the adult leaders in your ministry to be able to take on a spiritual mentoring role. Few leaders will take the step beyond small group leader to become a spiritual mentor without being nudged in that direction. (Kids can be mentored too!)

Spiritual mentors can be small group leaders, but not all small group leaders are intentional spiritual mentors. As the kids or student pastor, it is your responsibility to cast vision for them on what this looks like, and to train them how to do it. Because discipleship is personalized, your investment in your leaders should be the same. The good news is that in a world where minutes can be easily stolen by so many responsibilities, every minute spent training and investing in leaders will never be wasted.

Ben Trueblood serves as the Director of Student Ministry for Lifeway Christian Resources and has nineteen years of student ministry experience, fourteen of which were spent in the local church as a student pastor. In addition to his role at Lifeway Ben is involved in training, consulting, and speaking to student ministries throughout the U.S. He is the author of three books: A Different College Experience, Within Reach, and Student Ministry That Matters, and is the host of the Lifeway Student Ministry podcast. Ben is driven by a desire for student ministries to expand God’s Kingdom, to see the lives of students transformed by the gospel, and to develop students who shape the culture in which they live. Ben and his wife Kristen have four children. In his free time Ben enjoys family, hunting, is a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan, and is a collector of hobbies. Connect with Ben on social media: @bentrueblood

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.

Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership

July 15, 2019

Whom Are You Discipling?

By Landry Holmes

Ministry is time-consuming. There are so many details to handle, and daily interruptions often distract us. Yet, Jesus reminds us in Matthew 28:19-20 that our primary purpose is to “make disciples.” As KidMin leaders we have the opportunity to be disciple-makers of at least four groups.

Preschoolers: A true disciple is a follower of Christ, so how can preschoolers become disciples before they receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior? They can’t, but they can learn about who Jesus is and how Jesus wants us to live. When we allow God to use us to build these spiritual foundations in the lives of preschoolers, we are preparing young children for a life of discipleship.
Elementary Kids: Similar to preschoolers who are not yet believers, we can teach kids the foundations of the faith. Once a child becomes a Christian, we have the responsibility of helping them grow in their faith by developing healthy spiritual habits such as Bible reading and prayer.
Parents: One of the ways we can disciple parents is by providing them with resources to disciple their own children. Also, we can encourage parents to develop their own personal spiritual habits. Remember, however, that some parents may not be believers. Part of the disciple-making process includes sharing the gospel with them.
Volunteers: God calls us to equip volunteers, which we do with resources, training, and encouragement. But, what about discipling volunteers? We can do this one-on-one and in group settings when we talk about what God is doing in our church and in our kids ministry. Also, we can encourage volunteers to develop healthy spiritual habits, including studying the Bible and worshipping with other adult believers. You might even consider starting a small group just for preschool and children’s teachers in your church.

Look back over the list. You may already be doing some of these things as part of your ministry. If not, consider making a few adjustments to reclaim your purpose as a disciple-maker.

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 three adorable grandbabies.

Bible Skills, Discipleship, Kids Ministry

May 22, 2019

Not On Our Watch

By Jana Magruder

Recently, a colleague in children’s ministry reached out to me after she read Nothing Less: Engaging Kids in a Lifetime of Faith. She was encouraged to see that the book touches on themes she had implemented in her church in Texas. I invited Erin Woodfin to share her story with you.

I began reading the book of Judges in my quiet time and kept coming across the fact that it only took a generation for the Israelites to forget about the glorious deeds of the Lord. Judges 2:10 says, “And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.” This verse spoke to me and I began to think about my own child and the children who come to our church. I began to realize that the reason a generation arose who did not know the Lord was because the parents and teachers had failed to do what God had called them to do. They did not carry out the verse in Psalm 78:4. They did not tell to the coming generation the things the Lord had done. I began to be convicted and committed that this would not happen on our watch. So the phrase “NOT ON OUR WATCH” kept playing over and over in my head. “NOT ON OUR WATCH” will a generation arise that does not know the glorious deeds of the Lord. Together we will raise up a generation who knows the Lord and the glorious things he has done. I never want families to forget, I never want children to forget the glorious deeds of the Lord. Practically for our church, we did this in three ways:

Volunteer Vision

When we launched the NOT ON OUR WATCH vision to our Kids Ministry Volunteers, we went all out. We got shirts, cups, bracelets, you name it we had it. I wanted my volunteers to know that this was something I wanted them to push hard. I wanted them to know the time they spent with children was not just glorified babysitting but that it was Kingdom work. I used Psalm 78:4 in almost every conversation I had with a volunteer and wanted them to have that verse memorized by the time the year was over. I saw so much excitement in the lives of my volunteers because, for the first time, they felt as though their position mattered and was playing a huge roll in the spiritual development of children. If I wanted the “NOT ON OUR WATCH” vision to take off, I knew my volunteers were going to have to sell it for me.

Volunteer Training

Training of volunteers is the largest part of what we do in Children’s Ministry. A well-trained volunteer is the lifeblood of your ministry. The year we ran with the “NOT ON OUR WATCH” vision, I had several other children’s leaders who I trusted come in and help me with training. Sometimes we as children’s ministers say the same thing over and over again, but bringing in someone with the same passions can excite the volunteers in your ministry.

One of the other things we incorporated that year was a time for me to meet with all my volunteers. While my small group leaders were with the children, I would meet with my ministry team leaders. In these meetings, we would pray together, take care of any housekeeping matters, dream together, and talk about ways we could improve things. This was also a time I would use to train and encourage my volunteers. I would also let them tell me things that were working for them or things that were frustrating. It allowed me time to be able to minister to my precious volunteers. A well trained and loved on volunteer will take your ministry to a whole new level.

Parent Involvement

When we launched the “NOT ON OUR WATCH” vision I knew I would need better parent involvement. Parent involvement is always something that is challenging for ministers. However, I believe there are changes that can be made to increase parent involvement in your ministry. Curriculum choice is one of the main ways to get parents involved. Choosing a curriculum that has multiple ways of getting parents involved is the way to go. We use the Gospel Project, which has several ways of connecting with parents. They have take-home sheets, information for weekly emails, and even an app to make things even easier for parents on-the-go.

Another way parents are encouraged to be involved is by my volunteers reaching out to families each week. My volunteers reach out in the form of handwritten cards, texts, or phone calls. This constant communication with parents shows them they are not alone in the discipleship process. We want them to know we are in the trenches with them.

Children’s ministry is the best and most exhausting job on the planet. However, with the right vision for your volunteers who are trained and loved on well, and good parent involvement, your ministry will become something that is life-giving. Remember, “NOT ON OUR WATCH” will there come a generation that does not know the Lord. We will stop at nothing to make sure children know the glorious deeds of the Lord. We are equipped to do what God has called us to do. Let’s face this challenge head-on and refuse to fail. Children will be discipled, families will be changed, and the Kingdom will grow.

“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.” Psalm 78:4

Erin is the children’s minister at Immanuel Baptist Church in Marshall, TX. She is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Erin is passionate about finding ways to creatively engage children and help point them to Jesus. She also enjoys writing, running, a hot cup of coffee, and watching baseball with her husband Michael and their two precious daughters.

Bible Skills, Bible Study, Discipleship, Leadership

March 25, 2019

Teaching God’s Word to Impact Young Lives

By Tim Pollard

Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word is living and effective. When you hear these two words, what comes to mind? Do they seem foreign as they apply to an inanimate object like the Bible? When the writer of Hebrews called the Bible living what did he mean and how can we take the living Word and help it shape the lives of boys and girls?

Obviously, the writer’s intent is not to imply that the Bible itself breathes, thinks, or in our understanding of life, is alive, but the Bible indeed is living. The end of Hebrews 4:12 shows how life comes from the Bible when the author says that God’s Word “is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” When leading conferences I like to ask conferees why they continue to read the Bible. Why not just read it once and be done with it? The reason is clear—because God’s Word means something new to us each time we read it. The Spirit of God highlights for our souls what we need to hear from God as we read His living Word! Experiencing God’s Word in such a way should guide our teaching as we help kids allow the Bible to impact their lives. Here are a few ways you can help guide kids to understand and appreciate God’s living Word.

Teach kids that God’s Word is inspired. Help them understand what this means. God’s Word came by human pen through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As such, God’s Word represents the actual words God intended for people to read. God inspired the words that kids can read as they open their Bibles.
Teach kids what a daily discipline of Bible study looks like. Encourage girls and boys to begin a simple daily time of Bible reading. Once kids understand the importance of daily Bible reading, challenge them to begin deeper study into God’s Word.
Teach kids the wonderful things that the Bible teaches about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and daily life. As you are excited to share the truths of the Bible, kids can learn to be excited to open God’s Word and dig deeper into its pages.
Provide resources that help kids know what God’s Word teaches. As a living Word, the Bible speaks to many issues or circumstances kids are faced with. Guide kids to find how God’s Word teaches about issues they are challenged by and help them remember how to use the Bible to guide them in their daily walk.

God’s Word is living and effective. As kids begin to understand how God’s living Word affects their lives they will desire deeper understanding and see the impact of the Bible on their lives. Take seriously the role you play in guiding girls and boys to cherish God’s Word.

Tim Pollard is 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.

Discipleship, Evangelism, Gospel-Centered, Podcasts, Uncategorized

September 13, 2018

Sharing the Gospel with Kids

By Chuck Peters

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Jeremy Echols and Bill Emeott join Chuck on the Kids Ministry 101 Podcast this week to discuss the importance of Sharing the gospel with Kids. Jeremy and Bill talk about how we train our CentriKid Camps staff and how they relate everything back to the gospel. We aim to help kids grow in their relationship with Christ and to present the message clearly for those who don’t have a relationship with Christ.

Earlier this week, we released a free training that was used at CentriKid Camps this summer to train staff and leaders on how to clearly and appropriately share the gospel with kids. You can find that training here!

Jeremy Echols leads the CentriKid Camps and Student Life for Kids teams. He, his wife Emily, and their precious daughter love their church, their neighborhood, and spending time together. Jeremy loves to read, watch sports, and grill burgers.

Bill Emeott serves as Lead Ministry Specialist for Lifeway Kids. A graduate of Mercer University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Bill has served as a Kid’s Minister and considers himself a professional Sunday School teacher. He currently teaches 2nd Grade Bible study at his home church in Nashville.

To find out more about CentriKid Camps click HERE!

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.

Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Spiritual Disciplines

May 14, 2018

4 Disciplines for a Disciple-building Kids Ministry

By Bill Emeott

Over the years I have shared the “3 Ds” of a child’s spiritual journey, (Discover, Discern, Decide). As evangelical people, we’ve intentionally placed evangelism as the focus of our ministries but I’m concerned that in many of our churches we have dropped the ball with discipling past the point of conversion. It’s time we focus on a fourth D, DISCIPLESHIP.

One of my favorite books is Richard Foster’s “Celebration of Discipline.” It’s where most of my thoughts regarding spiritual disciplines have originated and continue to contemplate and grow. I want to share four of these as we think about creating a Disciple-Growing Kids Ministry.

Solitude: Spending time alone with God, meditating and focusing on His nature and His character.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Being still in a busy world and allowing that silence to increase our awareness of God’s presence and guidance is not easy. Including prayer and meditation in our very busy lives is difficult but the Bible is clear:

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

Children can pray (and should) and we must teach them how. Children can say their own prayers, pray when others are praying, know the Model Prayer, pray Scripture, participate in sentence prayers, and they can create a prayer journal.

Children can get quiet and think about and listen to God (and they should). Children can identify and think about the characteristics of God. It’s been said that children can be still for one minute for every year old they are. Start there.

Bible Study: Intentionally reading, studying, and memorizing the Bible.

“If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

Reading the Bible renews our minds so that we have the thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes of Christ. But we must go beyond simply reading the Bible to studying, comprehending, and understanding the Scriptures.

A fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs is to memorize Scripture. The purpose of memorizing Bible verses should be to understand the verse in addition to reciting it. Hiding God’s Word in our hearts is the beginning of pure living.

“I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11

Children can read the Bible (and should). Children can study the Bible (and should). Children can memorize age-appropriate Bible verses and phrases (and should). Kids Ministry leaders must place priority on Bible reading, meditation, and memorization as we equip kids for a successful spiritual journey.

Worship: Responding to the overtures of love from the heart of God.

“Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things and by your will they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:11

Be insistent that the Object of your worship is the One True God. Jesus said:

“You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” Matthew 4:10

Worship involves our whole being. When asked, Jesus told the scribes the greatest commandment was

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30

Children can worship (and should). Children can participate in different aspects of congregational worship. They can sing, they can pray, they can give, and they can listen and observe (and they should).

Jesus taught that if we don’t praise Him, “the very rocks will cry out” (Luke 19:40). As Kids Ministry leaders we need to be busy putting a few rocks out of business.

Service: Becoming a servant of others.

“Little Children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

“But be doers of the word, not hearers only deceiving yourself.” James 1:22

True service builds humility. In his book, Celebration of Discipline Richard Foster says, “Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness.”

In choosing to be a servant, we surrender the right to decide who and when we will serve. We become available, vulnerable, and Christlike! Christ was a servant. To be Christlike, we will strive to be servants, too.

“Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around Himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him.” John 13:3-5

Children can serve (and should). Children need to be less occupied with themselves and more interested in the needs of others. Children can be made aware of others needs and expected to show the love of God in their actions.

Kids ministry should be an equipping ministry, equipping kids and helping to equip families. If we’re not equipping kids with the skills to live as growing, loving, followers of Jesus Christ we’re just playing. Teaching kids spiritual practices, habits … yes, spiritual disciplines must become the core of who we are and undergird everything we do. If not, we’re just playing and not equipping.

Bill Emeott serves as Lead Ministry Specialist for Lifeway Kids. He is a graduate of Mercer University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has served as a Kid’s Minister. Bill currently teaches 3rd Grade Bible study.

Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Levels of Biblical Learning

May 2, 2018

Levels of Biblical Learning: A Wise Discipleship Plan

By William Summey

If you are like me, you hear people describe the best parenting approach as “starting with the end in mind.” However, in the midst of parenting, I was focused more on survival from day-to-day, and it was difficult to set aside time to plan for the future. I was always thankful to have a helpful book or magazine on parenting that helped me see the future and best ways to parent.

Many of us have the same challenge when we think of our child’s spiritual development. We want him to grow in reading God’s Word and biblical understanding, but the task can be daunting. I have found that one of the best tools in growing kids in Bible knowledge is the Levels of Biblical Learning® (LOBL). Specifically, the LOBL serves as a wise discipleship plan that teaches ten key biblical concepts at each age and stage of your child’s development—from birth to the preteen years—in words and concepts that they understand best. For this reason, the Levels of Biblical Learning is useful for parents and teachers who disciple their kids.

As kids grow, their understanding of foundational truths grows with them. For example, how does a 12-year-old grow to learn the truth that “People can live with joy regardless of their circumstances”? It begins with teaching the truth as a baby that “God loves me.” Notice how the concepts build upon the other as a child grows.

Younger Preschoolers can learn that God loves them.
Middle Preschoolers can learn that God will always love them.
Older Preschoolers can learn that no matter what happens, God loves people.
Younger Kids can learn that good and bad happen to people, but God still loves them.
Middle Kids can learn that people can respond in positive ways to what happens to them.
Preteens can learn that people can live with joy regardless of their circumstances.

Each statement in a concept builds upon the statement before it. So each concept begins with a foundational truth for babies and, with each passing year, a child’s ability to understand more about who God is increased. In this example, kids grow each year in their understanding of how much God loves them.

In my work at Lifeway on the Bible Studies for Life: Kids ongoing Bible study curriculum, we utilize the Levels of Biblical Learning, in how we plan weekly Bible stories, lessons, and other resources. For more information about LOBL, please visit lifeway.com/levelsofbiblicallearning where you can see the statements for each age group and free training videos. To learn more about Bible Studies for Life, visit biblestudiesforlife.com/kids,

William Summey is the Publishing Team Leader for ParentLife, kids devotionals, and short-term products. He is a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Vanderbilt University. William lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Christy, and two boys.