LifeWay

Kids Ministry

Dedicated to helping Kids Ministry leaders in their mission of making disciples

Gospel-Centered, Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum

What’s the Story with Story?

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When some kids leaders hear the word story, they hear fiction. It is not surprising then that there is a reluctance to calling what we teach kids a Bible story. Some go further and think it is wrong and even dangerous to use Bible story, believing that it leads kids to think of the Bible as a work of fiction. But is it? There just might be more to this story than meets the eye.

The Gospel Project uses the word story quite a bit. Each session has a Bible story. And we always remind kids that the Bible story each week is part of God’s one big story of Scripture. We aren’t alone in using this phrase; other curriculums do as well. But should we? Are we being unwise, or even harmful, by calling passages Bible stories? Some think we are. 

For some, story is synonymous with a work of fiction. When they hear story they hear fairy tale, myth, or a fable. It is unwise, dangerous, or even wrong then to use story in relation to the Bible. When we do, we communicate to kids that the Bible is untrue. 

Let me pause here and clarify that we at The Gospel Project would certainly hold to the belief that the Bible is absolutely true. That is a deeply held value of ours and it is a big part of what drives our crafting of that resource. Why then do we choose to use story? Because story is a good word to describe the Bible and it is a helpful word to build bridges with our culture, which uses story in many different meaningful ways.

What Story Means 

Here is the first definition of story according to Merriam-Webster:

a. an account of incidents or events

b. a statement regarding the facts pertinent to a situation in question. 

c. anecdote 

As you can see, aside from definition 1c, story is a good word for what is in the Bible. (This will likely blow your mind: myth does not primarily mean something fictional either, which is why you might hear theologians use it at times in reference to the Bible as well, such as the creation myth in Genesis 1-2.) When we use story in relation to the Bible, we are telling kids an account of the incidents or events of God’s plan to rescue people through Jesus Christ. That is one reason why I like story: it connects every passage we study to the overall narrative of Scripture. One alternative word I hear suggested quite often is lesson. That’s not a bad word in many ways, but my concern with using that term is that it can give kids the wrong idea of what the Bible is all about. The Bible is not a collection of unrelated, self-contained lessons to be covered in 60 minutes or so. It is one big story. 

How We Use Story in Our Culture

But let’s move beyond the dictionary and consider how we use story in everyday life. 

When I was a journalist, I wrote news stories.

Facebook has “Top Stories” and a “Stories” feature for people to share what is going on in their lives.

Someone might ask you to tell them your story. You surely would not make up a work of fiction about yourself on the spot. You would know they want to know who you are. 

You might tell your children the story of how you met your spouse or when they were born. 

As we can see, our culture uses story quite often in a way that clearly means real story. This is another reason why I like story: It connects with the people we are trying to reach and it is deep within our wiring. Ever wonder why Hollywood is so successful? Because humans are drawn to stories.  

How We Use Story in Our Faith 

But the case for story gets even stronger when we consider its use in relation to our faith.

The word story appears in some of the beloved hymns many of us grew up singing. “I Love to Tell the Story.” “Tell Me the Old, Old Story.” “You are Called to Tell the Story.” When we sing these hymns, we know they are not positioning the Bible as fiction. We know that story means true story.  

But here is the most important reason why story is a good word for us to use: the Bible uses it. That’s right, the Bible uses story to mean true events. 

  • 2 Kings 8:6 CSB
  • 2 Chronicles 13:22 ESV / KJV
  • 2 Chronicles 24:27 ESV / KJV
  • Psalm 107:2 NIV 
  • Acts 11:4 NIV

If the Bible uses story and many hymns we sang include story without leading us astray, we should not be afraid of using this word. 

Story is not a bad word at all. It is not a dangerous word. And it is not an unwise word. It’s a good word. Do you have to use story? Of course not. But neither should we think those who do are being unfaithful to Scripture. But for those of us who do use story, we need to recognize that the word can be used to mean a work of fiction. Because of this, let’s be wise and pair story with true at least at times. But if the only way the kids know we believe the Bible is true is by our use of a word or phrase to introduce what we are about to read from it, we have bigger issues to consider in what and how we are teaching and how we are living. Our kids should know the Bible is true primarily because they see its truth lived out in and through the story we are living.

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

Explore the Bible: Kids Through Fresh Eyes

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

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

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

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

Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum, Uncategorized

Do Parents Know Your Plan for Discipleship? {GIVEAWAY}

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Chances are, you have an incredible plan to disciple the kids in your ministry.  If not, let me encourage you to find one and implement it to ensure that children of all ages are learning the Bible in a way that makes sense for their age group. Haphazard discipleship and cherry-picking favorite Bible stories to teach randomly doesn’t really work. Need a plan? Check out Lifeway.com/LOBL to learn more about one of our favorite discipleship frameworks—the Levels of Biblical Learning. 

However, once you have a plan, it’s important not to stop there—share this plan with the parents in your ministry. They need to partner with you by discipling their children at home. Make it easy on them by giving them the same framework that you implement at church. Together, the church and home can partner for more effective spiritual growth in kids! 

One of the best ways you can do this is by posting this plan in a format where parents and teachers can clearly see what you have planned for each age group. This is why we produce the Levels of Biblical Learning in multiple formats—including free on the website and app, booklet form for individual use, and poster form for classroom and common space use (or even your office!).

I’d like to give away a package of posters to three winners on the blog today. They come in a package of 12, so you can plaster your walls for parents to see your plan! To enter the giveaway, simply complete the form here and three winners will be randomly selected. 

Here’s to great discipleship at church—and home! 

Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum, Uncategorized

Feeling behind about promotion Sunday? Here’s a “Quick Start”! {GIVEAWAY}

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For many churches, the annual race to promotion Sunday is here! But, you might find yourself still reeling from summer programming like camp and VBS only to realize that promotion Sunday lingers around the corner. If that’s you, I’d like to help you out because let’s face it, ready or not—it’s coming, it’s here. And, can we all acknowledge that we’ve all been there? I certainly have—feeling behind and caught off guard as the seasons change right before your eyes. It’s past time to have chosen a curriculum—especially if you are trying something new. Or is it? 

Today, I’d like to offer a lifeline to those who might need it. Bible Studies for Life: Kids is a trusted and comprehensive curriculum for Sunday School or Bible study and small group environments. It is used by tens of thousands of churches across the globe because it is based on age-appropriate teaching and sound doctrine and is full of numerous teaching tools including a teaching pack that has visuals, books, and games to accompany the content in the leader guides and activity pages and cards. Because of this incredible mix of tools, our team likes to make it easy for our churches to use by packaging it all in one Quick-Start Kit. One box per age level that includes everything you need to teach for a whole quarter—yes, that’s 13 weeks. 

So, if you have found yourself in a promotion Sunday predicament, we are giving away a Quick Start Kit to help you out! In a nutshell, this kit will have all of the fall season covered. Simply complete the form here and we will randomly select and contact the winners. 

Want to know more about Bible Studies for Life: Kids and Preschool? Visit us at teachkids.lifeway.com to view and instant preview of one session, study plans, and more for each of our kids ongoing curriculum options.

Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum, Podcasts

Choosing the Right KidMin Curriculum

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How do you determine which curriculum is best for your kids ministry? Jana Magruder, Landry Holmes, and Bill Emeott discuss what to look for and how to know if a curriculum is right for your kids ministry context. Find out more at teachkids.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.

Landry Holmes is the Manager of LifeWay Kids Ministry Publishing. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Landry served on church staffs before joining LifeWay Kids. 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 parents of two adult sons and two daughters-in-law. 

This episode is hosted by Bill Emeott and produced by Micheal Walley.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum

How Do I Use My Take-Home Page?

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum, Leadership

6 Things Kids Leaders Should Know about Curriculum: Part 4

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

So far we have covered:

  1. Every curriculum is crafted around a set of core values.  
  2. The goal is to teach the Bible, not the curriculum.
  3. There is no perfect curriculum.

Today …

  1. Teaching God’s Word takes work.

The points made on the last two posts require this one. Teaching the Bible is not easy, nor should it be really. It takes work. You can’t expect to put minimal effort into teaching and expect maximum impact. Saturday preparation doesn’t lead to the best Sunday execution. I realize that I may have just stepped on some toes here, but there is no way around this. Teaching others is too important—far too weighty—not to talk about this (see James 3:1). If you are a teacher, you need to be prepared to roll up your sleeves and invest time, energy, and effort into preparing to teach.

The best teaching comes from the overflow of our grappling with the text. We take the leader guide and hold it up next to the Scriptures and use it, with the Spirit’s guidance, to discern what God is saying in the text, what it meant to the author and original recipients, and how we are to understand it and live it out today in our context. None of that sounds easy because none of it is. It isn’t meant to be. It takes effort, which is what our God deserves, what our kids need, and what we are called on to do as teachers.

But this doesn’t mean that you get extra credit for working needlessly harder. The old adage certainly holds true: Work smarter, not harder. Here are a few tips to help you do that.

First, do some heavy lifting up front to help you in the long run. We talked about this in the first post, but to state it again, one thing you will want to do (perhaps need to do is more accurate) is take some time to understand the values of the curriculum you are using. What are you after? Again, to call on a popular adage: If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?

Beyond that, familiarize yourself with the resource as much as you can. How is it designed? What is the logic and flow of a session? What other items and materials are available for you to use in a session (e.g. posters) and how do you access them? I talk to people all of the time who aren’t aware of the various items available to use each week as part of The Gospel Project for Kids. Know about all the tools that you can have available in your tool belt, why each exists, and how you can use them all.

Finally, know of the extra teaching helps provided for you. Many curriculums provide plenty of additional materials to help prepare leaders. The Gospel Project provides blog posts with additional resources, weekly teacher training videos, and more. These are all provided to help you as a teacher dive deeply into the Bible story so that you can teach each session the best as possible.

Questions for reflection

  • What is your normal rhythm of preparing each week? Are you investing well into your calling?
  • What additional resources are available to help you that you might not be taking advantage of?

Next time: The best teaching experiences include activities and group interaction.

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.

Kids Ministry Curriculum, Leadership, Podcasts

Communicating Vision and Goals

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Chuck Peters and Bill Emeott discuss ways to effectively communicating your kids ministry vision and goals to the members on your kids ministry team.

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for LifeWay Kids. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years. They have four amazing children.

 

Bible Study, Kids Bible Study, Kids Ministry Curriculum

Where Are My Extras Helps?

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If you are like most people, you love the idea of getting a little extra for your money. That principle is true whether you are shopping for groceries or Bible Study materials. You have the LifeWay Bible Study resources, but do you know about our extra online helps, supporting content, and interactive communities we provide? These are all extras worth knowing about. Check out the following links and share them with fellow teachers, directors, ministers, and other leaders in your ministry and church.

Bible Studies for Life

Product Page: http://biblestudiesforlife.com/kids

Blog: https://blog.lifeway.com/biblestudiesforlife/category/age/kids/

Facebook Group: http://facebook.com/biblestudiesforlifekids

Facebook Community:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/560190337752194/

Ministry Grid Training Videos: http://ministrygrid.com/biblestudiesforlife

One Conversation: http://biblestudiesforlife.com/oneconversation

Levels of Biblical Learning: http://www.lifeway.com/LOBL

 

Explore the Bible

Product Page: https://www.lifeway.com/en/shop/explore-the-bible/kids/

Blog: https://blog.lifeway.com/explorethebible/category/blog/kids/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExploreTheBibleKids/

Ministry Grid Training Videos: www.ministrygrid.com/web/explorethebible

Bible Skills for Kids: https://www.lifeway.com/en/product-family/bible-skills-for-kids


The Gospel Project

Product Page: https://www.lifeway.com/en/shop/the-gospel-project/kids

Blog: gospelproject.com/blog

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/thegospelprojectforkids/

Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gospelprojectforkidscommunity/requests/?notif_id=1541422957027297&notif_t=group_r2j

Ministry Grid Training Videos: minstrygrid.com/gospelproject

Big Picture Questions and Answers: https://www.lifeway.com/en/special-emphasis/big-picture-questions-and-answers

Please let us know other ways we can support your ministry through our resources or the extras that we offer!

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

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

Getting Take-Home Resources Home

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We all know that it is disheartening to send home take-home pages, devotionals, letters, or announcements with kids after class on Sunday—only to find them in the pews or even trash cans soon afterwards. So the question is, how do we actually get the take-home pages home?

Unfortunately, this is the wrong question! The better question is, how do we connect with parents and equip them to lead their kids deeper into the Bible, life application, and theological discussion during the week? After all, just getting that take-home piece home isn’t a magic formula for success. Parents need to see the value of conversations that follow up with what you are learning on Sunday.

While many teachers report increased success by also using tactics to keep the kids on task with reading materials sent home, most kids need a gentle nudge—or more—to lead them into the Bible. Try the following to speed up success:

  1. Invite parents for a Parent Sunday in your class—where they attend for the whole time or for a smaller time frame toward the end of class. Show parents and kids at the same time the resource you will be sending home each week and explain how to use it. Take it a step further and demonstrate how to use the resource together.
  2. Mail the resource home when a child is absent to let families know the child was missed and explain that you will be sending one home with the child each week.
  3. For younger kids, hand directly to parents as they pick up their child with artwork completed that week and point out a feature of the resource to the parent.
  4. Send potions of the content via email, text, or social media.

No matter how you connect with parents, it will be worth it to get resources in their hands to help them grow their kids during the week!

William Summey is the team leader for Bible Studies for Life: Kids. Each week Bible Studies for Life: Kids not only provides a take home-page on the back of Kids Activity Pages but also provides social media and other digital resources HERE.  

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