Discipleship – Page 3

Apologetics, Bible Skills, Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Resources

April 25, 2018

3 Ways Q&A Format Encourages Learning

Many KidMin leaders agree that it is critical for us (adults) to begin now helping lay a solid theological foundation in the kids we serve. We want kids to have a right understanding of who God is, what He has done, and what He is doing according to solid biblical truths. But how?

One approach to systematically teaching theology that has seen renewed interest over the last several years is a return to a question-answer format. In this approach, kids are taught to respond to a specific question with a formulated, concise answer. For example, when prompted with the question “Who is God?” Kids would respond with “God is our Creator and King of everything.”

Is a question-answer format the right approach for you? Here are three reasons a question-answer format encourages theological learning.

A Q&A format leans into a child’s inquisitive nature. Children are naturally inquisitive, curious, and are passionate pursuers of answers. Many children seem to ask questions incessantly and feel a great sense of accomplishment once they’ve run through their gambit of questions to get their answers. A question-answer format draws kids in by feeding this part of their nature.
Memorization and repetition are bridges to understanding. When we commit biblical truths to memory, they become a resource for the Holy Spirit to use in our lives for real-life transformation. Few ideas will truly change us if they are not deep in our hearts. A systematic Q&A approach is built on children memorizing answers. As children mature, these memorized statements can be fleshed out with deeper understanding and application. “I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)
A Q&A approach gives a systematic framework for processing both simple and hard-to-understand ideas. Our Bibles contain so much information that it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start and how teach it. Though a Q&A approach is not intended to teach the Bible comprehensively, using a simple question-answer format, like Big Picture Questions and Answers for Kids (see below), provides both a starting point and a structure that become manageable for adults and kids.

Bonus: Employing a Q&A approach can be fun for kids. With just a little bit of effort, a Q&A format can quickly:

Be made into various games.
Be made into a rhythmic beat.
Be used in creative call/response ways like using different voices, volumes, and so forth.

Bonus +

Adding hand motions for kids to do while saying the answers can add another layer of fun while further helping memorization by including physical activity.

To equip church leaders and parents who want to implement a question-answer format for teaching theological truths, the team behind The Gospel Project for Kids has developed Big Picture Questions and Answers for Kids. This resource contains over 70 big picture questions and answers organized into six categories: God, People, Jesus, The Bible, The Church, and The Christian Life. Click here to learn more about Big Picture Questions and Answers for Kids.

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 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, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Parenting

February 9, 2018

Do Your Kids Love God’s Word?

By Jana Magruder

Ah, February—the month of love and romance, chocolate and roses, and yes—the obligatory Valentines Day (or so our minds have been programmed to think of the greeting card business.) Kids spend time carefully crafting heart and doily-decorated shoe boxes with mail slots to receive dollar store cards with superheroes or princesses from friends and classmates. Couples feel the pressure to honor the day with at least a cheesy card or maybe ordering a cheesy heart-shaped pizza. While all of these things are fine and can be fun traditions, I wonder if we could displace some of the energy spent on the theme of love—to actually loving God’s Word even more.

Recently, the Lifeway Kids team commissioned the Nothing Less* study conducted by the Lifeway Research team to find out what makes the biggest spiritual impact on kids as they are growing up. In other words, what can parents do now with their children that will make the biggest difference in their spiritual health as they become adults? The findings were simple, yet profound. The number one thing parents can do (by far) is to help their kids love their Bible. It should be no surprise that reading God’s Word is the biggest indicator of spiritual health in adulthood. After all, only Jesus transforms hearts and He does it through His Word. However, many parents (myself included), have a tendency to chase the wrong things that don’t even make the list of indicators for spiritual health in kids as they age into adults. Let’s use Valentine’s Day as an example.

As a mom, I have volunteered for countless class parties, baked cookies and cupcakes, bought cards, and yes, helped create the aforementioned mailboxes. Our family has participated in Daddy-daughter dances and Mother-son dates, made homemade crafts for teachers, and spent money on flowers for grandma. While nothing is particularly wrong with any of these activities, none of them points to making time for Bible reading.

So, this February, I’m declaring a “love your Bible” emphasis at the Magruder home. Yes, we will still make class valentines. But, more importantly, we will make time to read the Bible more. Ultimately, I want my kids to fall in love with God’s Word and know that the Bible is His love letter to them. The heart behind it all is to rearrange priorities to what really matters instead of chasing all the other things first. I am looking forward to walking through the Gospel of John and having great discussions about how much God loves us. Maybe we’ll have some heart-shaped cookies and cocoa while we read and then maybe we’ll call grandma to tell her what we learned (she actually prefers phone calls over flowers). Maybe you too can adopt the “love your Bible” emphasis in your home and ministry this February—and beyond.

Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me. John 14:23-24 (CSB)

* The book Nothing Less by Jana Magruder is available at Lifeway.com or a Lifeway store near you.

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.

Discipleship, Evangelism, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Missions

January 15, 2018

Teaching Kids to Serve

By Bill Emeott

Teaching Kids to Serve – Emeott

I believe that the Bible is for all people, not just adults but kids, too. And while we need to be sensitive to age-appropriate opportunities, James 1:22 says, “But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only.” Our role in Kids Ministry is not to simply teach but to help kids understand the importance of doing and becoming doers.

There are examples throughout Scripture of kids serving and ministering to others. First Samuel 16 tells of a shepherd boy ministering to a distraught king. Second Kings 5 documents a slave girl ministering to her skin diseased master. Second Kings 22 tells of the boy king who leads his people well and John 6 is a favorite Bible story about a boy who ministers to thousands of hungry people.

BIBLICAL MANDATE

The Great Commission tells believers (all believers) to be witnesses and go and minister. Consider ways kids can serve independently or with little supervision. Give assignments and let them serve. Other opportunities require supervision and lend best to service with peers and leaders. Don’t forget families. Families serving together create great opportunities for parents to teach missional living. Identify needs and share those needs with families.

Acts 1:8 gives some direction: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Most of you will realize the geography associated with this passage. Start where you are and move from there. Establish the three classifications mentioned above: Independent, Supervised Groups, and Families, and get started.

KIDS CAN MINISTER IN THEIR JERUSALEM (THE LOCAL COMMUNITY)

Pick up your local newspaper and you’ll be overwhelmed with ministry opportunities. From the front page through the sports section there are opportunities to show the love of God. Sympathy cards to the bereaved and congratulations to the newlywed and local heroes. From 5Ks and apple festivals to high school sports games and local first responders appreciation opportunities. Your church needs to be on mission in the mission field it’s been placed and your Kids Ministry needs to be a part.

KIDS CAN MINISTER IN THEIR JUDEA (THE REGION & STATE)
Move past your cities limits and the opportunities to lead kids to serve expands. How can kids be involved in ministering to Judea? How can kids be involved in taking God’s love to your state? What opportunities can you identify that gets outside the comfort zone of your community and ministers to those close-by but not next door? Check with your local association or your state convention of like-minded churches for ideas.

KIDS CAN MINISTER IN THEIR SAMARIA (NORTH AMERICA)

For those of us who live in the United States, opportunities for service across North America are advertised nightly on the evening news. Wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes just to mention a few. When you hear the nightly reports do you hear opportunities to involve your kids? What can they do individually? What could a Kids Bible Study class do? What might families join together to accomplish?

KIDS CAN MINISTER TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH (INTERNATIONALLY)

More and more our globe is getting smaller and smaller. Communicating with people halfway across the world is as easy as calling across town. Don’t limit your ministry reach to the US. Think globally and how you can lead kids to make a difference in Jesus’ name in Africa or Eastern Europe. What could kids do to share the love of Jesus in Asia? Start with international organizations like Operation Christmas Child, the International Mission Board, or other trusted agencies to find ways your Kids Ministry might serve.

If we want kids to grow up to serve and share the gospel we need to teach them how to serve and share. Lead kids to establish habits of service and sharing and we’ll see service and sharing as habits of the next generation of adult leaders. If you want to make a difference in 15 years? Start today with the kids in your ministry.

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 currently teaches 2nd Grade Bible study.

Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership

January 2, 2018

Swinging in the New Year!

By Klista Storts

Is your ministry in need of a pendulum swing this year?

It might, if like many other kids ministers, you’ve made changes in programming in an effort to help families fight over-scheduling issues. Unfortunately, our best intentions may be leading us down a road we didn’t intend to go.

While some programs did and still need to be deleted from your calendar, it’s possible that we’ve removed much of our discipleship in the lives of our kids and their families—things such as Wednesday night Bible studies, mission groups, and Bible memorization.

As this new year begins, evaluate your programming. What are you doing in kids ministry specifically focused on discipleship? While I’m not advocating the return of an overly packed schedule, you may need to take strategic measures to ensure that your kids are growing in their relationship with Christ. That doesn’t mean adding hours and hours back into your week, but it could mean re-thinking what you’re doing.

After noticing a downturn in Sunday morning attendance, some churches are returning to Sunday and Wednesday night activities. Why? Because they discovered that a decrease in Sunday morning attendance also meant a decrease in personal discipleship growth of their members. Is that the right decision for you? Maybe. Maybe not. Every congregation is different. Look at your church and community, determine the needs, and make the necessary changes.

Disciple growth can also be encouraged in simple ways without adding to your church programming, such as providing family and personal devotional guides; offering home Bible studies; presenting Bibles to rising first graders and others who might not have Bibles in their homes, and encouraging Bible memorization.

Whether a pendulum swing for your ministry means new programming on your church campus or encouraging changes at home, make a resolution this year to facilitate discipleship growth in the lives of the kids and families in your church.

Klista Storts serves as an Editorial Ministry Specialist for Lifeway Kids. Before coming to Lifeway, she served as the Weekday and Preschool Specialist at the Tennessee Baptist Convention and as Director of Preschool Ministries at churches in Oklahoma and Tennessee. Klista has a passion for equipping leaders to share the love of Christ and lay foundations for conversion in the lives of kids.

Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership

December 1, 2017

3 “Whys” for Practicing Generational Discipleship

By Jeremy Carroll

You may have heard a sermon or read an article based on Deuteronomy 6:4-9. This familiar “go to” passage for family ministry is an important one for both church leaders and parents. It is a beautiful, albeit challenging, set of instructions for parents, and it is a great model for which parents to strive. Specifically referring to the family, this passage sets up an expectation that older generations are to train up younger generations. As we read through the Bible, we see that this generational disciple-making relationship is not limited to parents and children.

To help our conversation, let’s set out a working definition of generational discipleship. Generational discipleship is happening when a follower of Jesus who has reached certain spiritual, physical, and chronological mile markers in life intentionally helps others follow Jesus where they are to reach their next spiritual mile marker. In other words, someone who has “ been there, done that” helping others who haven’t.

Let’s take a look at a few reasons why Christians should be strategically involved in generational discipleship.

Discipling others reveals the object of our worship. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

From Deuteronomy 6, the first few verses are statements of worship. There is only one God and He alone is to be worshiped (Deut. 6:4), and we worship Him by loving Him with everything we are: heart, soul, and strength (Deut. 6:5). Of course this isn’t limited to the Old Testament. When Jesus was asked “Which command of the law is the greatest?” in Matthew 22:34-40, He quotes these verses from Deuteronomy reemphasizing that we need to be “all in” as we worship and follow Jesus.

Discipling others reveals obedience to our mission. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8)

You are probably familiar with Matthew 28:18-20 in which Jesus gives a commission to His disciples: Go and make … disciples. That’s right! To be obedient to our mission as followers of Jesus, we must be active in disciple-making. God requires us to be faithful managers of the gospel (1 Corinthians 4:2). To be found faithful, we must not leave the gospel sitting on a shelf. We must share it’s power for salvation.

God has chosen the people of God, empowered by the Spirit of God and equipped with the Word of God, to be about the mission of God. Those in younger generations are desperate for older generations to authentically show them the way. This is your mission, do you choose to accept it?

Discipling others reveals our ongoing hope for God’s church to outlive us. (Psalm 78:2-8, Judges 2:6-11)

All of us who are actively serving the church, particularly in Kids Ministry, are doing so with the hope that God is raising up a future generation to continue His work long into the future. For many of us, it is this hope that compels us to work tirelessly to serve kids, students, and their families. Discipling relationships are the key for our own personal contribution to this future.

The Old Testament gives us two pictures of the outcome when the people of God either did or did not take their mission seriously.

In Psalm 78:2-8, we see an example of when the people of God DID take their mission seriously. Take a moment to read those verses, taking special note of verses 6 and 7. The psalmist gives us two “so that” statements:

“so that a future generation—children yet to be born—might know”

“so that they might put their confidence in God”

Verse 6 challenges us that our investment in younger generations should not be limited to the children in our lives. Yes, we should invest in them, but as we invest in this group of kids and teenagers, let’s pray for their children and grandchildren … “children yet to be born.” And verse 7 reminds us that the goal is for younger generations to “put their confidence in God.”

We see the second picture back in Judges 2:6-11. Here we read some of the most devastating, heart-wrenching verses in the entire Bible: another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works He had done for Israel. The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.

So how can we be involved in generational discipleship? We’ll have to save that for another time …

Here is a prayer I pray often: God, grant me wisdom to learn from those who have gone before me and intentionally invest often in those that follow.

Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Preschoolers

November 15, 2017

Can Preschoolers be Discipled?

By Landry Holmes

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you and the title doesn’t contain a typo. This post is about preschool discipleship, not preschool discipline.

By definition, a disciple is someone “who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another.” Therefore, the answer to the title question would appear to be, “No.” Most preschoolers have yet to trust Jesus as their Savior and Lord, the first step in becoming His disciple. However, God can use us to build foundations for discipleship in the lives of preschoolers.

Lifeway’s Levels of Biblical Learning® informs us on some ways in which we can do that:

Model discipleship by reading the Bible to preschoolers and praying out loud, using familiar vocabulary.
Tell babies and toddlers that Jesus loves them and that Jesus did everything God told Him to do.
Remind the youngest preschoolers that God has plans for them and helps them grow like Jesus grew.
Teach three- and four-year-olds that the Bible teaches what Jesus did and God wants people to learn from Jesus.
Help five-year-olds understand that Jesus died on the cross and is alive and that people who love Jesus want to obey Him.

Admittedly, the suggestions above are very basic. And, that’s the point. Our role as leaders, teachers, and parents is to lay the groundwork so that when a child does receive God’s gift of salvation through Christ, he or she will already know some foundational discipleship truths.

So if we allow ourselves some latitude, the answer is, “Yes, preschoolers can be discipled through the teachings of the Bible in preparation for a fuller expression of discipleship after they become true Jesus followers.”

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, 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.

Discipleship, Kids Ministry

May 24, 2017

Go Vertical with TeamKID

By William Summey

What’s in a name? A whole lot! Think of how much parents tend to spend time picking a name for their child. They want options, and they try to find just the right fit for how they imagine their little one will be!

In the same way, you are particular about the name for your children’s ministry and activities at church. You want those names to communicate to the families in your church about the end result—that you are making children who are growing followers of Christ.

We have thought a lot about children’s discipleship and have recently re-launched our brand: TeamKID. TeamKID communicates a lot in and of itself. Each week there is a team theme, complete with coaches and lots of fun activities.

But what kind of team? That is hidden right in our name. KID stands for Kids in Discipleship! We want to be a midweek, Sunday night, or summer fun offering for your church that takes the kids deeper in their knowledge of and relationship with Jesus.

And this year, we want to Go Vertical! What do you think of when you hear that someone “went vertical”? You can hear announcers and fans talk about athletes going vertical to indicate they jumped their highest while making a tremendous play, whether a volleyball player blocking a shot, a basketball player’s amazing slam dunk, or a football player making a remarkable leap in catching the ball.

We love the name Going Vertical for the next TeamKID as a sports connection but also to imply the importance of growing closer to God (so a vertical connection with God) through studying His Word and in fellowship with others.

This year’s theme is a kid-friendly study of the Bible itself. Kids today are growing up in a culture where the Bible isn’t revered as a holy book, where they’re made fun of for believing truths that go against the grain of popular thought. Going Vertical will help kids understand the makeup and message of the Bible and why it’s important.

We hope that you will join us for this journey deeper in His Word and going vertical in our relationship with God!

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.