Make copies of the bookmarks below on cardstock. Use the bookmarks to help you memorize these Scriptures and hold your place in your favorite book or Bible.
Fun Friday: Scripture Bookmarks
Family Ministry Week: The Whole Narrative of Scripture
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Author and speaker, Angie Smith, joins us on the last day of Family Ministry Week to share her perspective of family ministry as well as how much priority we should give to teaching kids and families the entire narrative of scripture. This conversation helps to frame up this year’s ETCH Conference theme, Nothing Less. Remember, our discount ends at midnight on Sunday! If you are planning to attend this year’s event, register today using the special code announced during this episode!
Essentials of a Healthy Kids Ministry: Heart Transforming
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Today is part 2 in our Essentials of a Healthy Kids Ministry series. Jana and Chuck help us think about why our ministries should be focused on heart transformation, not behavior modification. While we would all agree with this statement, has your team really spent time evaluating everything you do to this end? What are the things you should be looking for to ensure your ministry is rooted in Scripture, as opposed to something else that is unable to transform hearts?
Resource:
Kids Ministry That Nourishes: Three Essential Nutrients of a Healthy Kids Ministry
Lifeway
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Teaching the Tough Stuff
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We want to teach the full counsel of Scripture to our children, but what do we do with the violence and mature content in the pages of our Bibles? On today’s episode, we are talking with John Murchison, Director of Children’s Ministry at The Austin Stone Community Church, about how to teach the tough stuff of Scripture to children with wisdom and faithfulness.
Resources:
3 Ways to Encourage Kids to Dig Deep in Scripture
Can kids “get” hermeneutics? Basically, hermeneutics in everyday language means interpreting Scripture. As Kids Ministry leaders, do we think the kids we shepherd each week can go beyond learning Bible verses to interpreting what they mean in context?
Here are 3 ways to challenge kids to dig deep into the Scriptures.
1. Use the 5 W’s approach.
This isn’t a new teaching strategy, but it’s a good one. Think about the Bible studies we as adults have been in through the years. A great Sunday School teacher or pastor will challenge participants to think about these questions when looking at a biblical text. We can use these questions when teaching kids!
- Who wrote this passage and who is the assumed reader?
- What is the point of this passage?
- When was this passage written?
- Where did this portion of Scripture take place? Where was it written?
- Why did the author write it? Why does God want us to know this?
2. Stay in one book of the Bible for longer than one week.
In order to truly dig deep into Scripture, it’s important to stay there long enough to unpack the text in context.
3. Engage kids with visuals to help them understand the Scripture they are studying.
Use maps, photographs, real objects and infographics to encourage them to ask more questions and want to dig deeper.
We know that only God’s Word can transform hearts. Let’s give kids the opportunity to take a deeper dive into the Scriptures, ultimately giving them a chance to respond to the gospel.
Jana Magruder serves as the Director of Kids Ministry Publishing. Jana brings a wealth of experience and passion for kids ministry, education, and curriculum writing. She and her husband, Michael, along with their 3 children attend Forest Hills Baptist Church where she teaches The Gospel Project to preteen girls.
