We believe that God wants our church to teach kids and teens how to be a disciple of Jesus, and we will make that our number one priority in the precious time we have with the next generation. But everything we do as a church cannot (and should not) take the place of the most important leader in a child's life: mom and dad. The church is not a substitute for spiritual growth and discipleship in the home, and so we greatly want to help parents learn how to train up their children in the ways of Jesus. Here are a few of our favorite resources.
Even though The Bible Project (thebibleproject.com) is filled with brilliant animated videos explaining just about everything you want to know about the Bible, it's pretty advanced for young children. But it's a great way for teenagers (and parents!) to get up to speed on what the Bible says and means quickly and effectively.
For younger children, we recommend The Jesus Storybook Bible ( https://www.sallylloyd-jones.com/books/jesus-storybook-bible/ ). In this easy-to-follow and brilliantly illustrated version of the Bible, all of the major stories in the Bible are connected with the one big story that fills the entire Bible: How God loves us and sent Jesus to rescue us. This version of the Bible invites kids to discover God's story and learn how God wants Jesus to be a part of their story.
If you're looking for help in starting your own personal or family devotion time, we recommend pastor Timothy Keller's The Songs of Jesus ( https://timothykeller.com/books/the-songs-of-jesus ). This book not only offers inspiration for every day of the year, but also offers a prayer and things to think and talk about. This would be a great resource for any Christian as a personal devotional guide, but it would also be a great way for families to share a devotional journey together.
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