Recommended Reading

Here is an article with some recommendations for Children's Bibles and books. We use several within the ministry here and I just read about several I want to purchase. The books recommended span all age-groups. Please check it out for ideas for you and your little ones!

More than lip-service

I was having a conversation with a mother who was concerned her son understood the true meaning of Christmas only enough to repeat it back to her, but not in a way where he truly believed it. She said he knew all the right answers but she could tell he was still more enticed by the presents and parties than the celebration of Christ's birth. What do we do when our children know the right answers but don't own them? How do we make the truths of Christmas more than just knowledge?
Truthfully, I'm not sure. But just like in evangelism, we must trust the Lord to cultivate belief. You can teach your children all the right answers, but it is God who changes their hearts to love.
I've written before about the importance of sharing your own story as a method of evangelism. Let me encourage you to take a similar approach when teaching your children about Christmas. Don't stop at explaining what the birth of Christ means to the world, tell what it means to you. When you talk about the difficulty surrounding Mary and Joseph's lot, explain how you would have felt were you in their place. When you describe the angels' song of celebration, relay how you would have felt were you in the field with the shepherds.
Give your child a glimpse into your own love for Christ as it relates to the Christmas story. Share what it is about this time of year that stirs your heart to worship and that excites your faith and increases your joy.
Catechizing your children is not a bad thing. But don't rely only on question-and-answer methods. Use Scripture and your own testimony to teach your child why Christmas reveals the Father's deep love for His children and His plan to redeem them from sin.

Follow-up: Advent Week 3

Story: Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem

Fundamental Truth: The Bible is God’s Perfect Word

Making it Real:
It seemed like everything was working against them! Mary and Joseph had to overcome a lot of obstacles in their young lives. They found themselves having a child before they were planning to, before they were even married. They knew people wouldn’t believe that this child was from God, so they had to deal with what everyone would say. They had to travel from home and have the baby in a town where they didn’t have a room to stay in! And that was just the beginning … What can we learn from this part of Mary and Joseph’s story?
Mary and Joseph show us how to trust God even when it’s hard. We can learn what it looks like to obey in times of pain, confusion and fear. Mary and Joseph could have done things that would make their lives easier, but they chose to obey instead, and because they chose obedience, they were a huge part of the great story of Redemption. And it’s probably a safe guess to assume they were both one hundred percent glad they chose to walk the hard rode of obedience instead of taking the easy way out.

Making it Stick:
Spend some time with your child looking at his or her baby pictures. Tell your child stories of how you got ready for their birth, what you did prepare, how you felt as you prepared. Talk about how you found out you were going to have baby and what you did to celebrate. Talk about how Mary and Joseph found out and how they felt. Talk about how different it must have looked for them to go get ready for the baby, what they did, what people said, etc.

Christmas Service Opportunity

If you are looking for an opportunity to serve with your children this Christmas, there is an opportunity to volunteer at the CCA (Christian Community Action) donation station at Stonebriar Mall. These are 3-hour time slots you can work with your children. Email me (amanda@insideprovidence.com) for contact information and available time slots.
It's a great chance to show your children how to serve this season and spend some sweet time together!

The Hard Truths of Christmas

As we attempt to teach our children the truths of Scripture, may we not neglect the hard truths. The Nativity story is full of pain, scandal and shock. Look at just a sample of some of the facts surround Christ’s birth:

• Mary was an unwed girl who became pregnant.
• Joseph would always carry the stigma of a man whose bride was pregnant before she was married.
• The parents of Jesus were lonely, poor and unknown in Bethlehem.
• King Herod planned to find and kill the child once he heard of His birth.
• Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt to escape the plans of Herod.

Depending on your child’s age (the older they get, the more they can comprehend and be exposed to) be honest and forthright about the actual events surrounding the birth of our Forever King. Because, interwoven amidst the unmarried mother, the poor, outcast shepherds, the murdering king and the fleeing family, there is the beauty of a world redeemed. Amidst the story of shame and scandal, there is a greater one of grace, humility and mercy. Miracle after miracle overshadows the ugliness of the fallen world.
In the context of a story we might otherwise try to protect our children from hearing, they can see and understand how "God works all things for the good of those who love Him," (Rom 8:28) and in so learn to trust the Lord during hard times. After all, if Mary and Joseph could worship in the midst of all they were going through, so can we!

Follow-up: Advent Week 2

Story: Jesus is Coming! Angels proclaim the birth

Fundamental Truth: God is in Charge of Everything

Making it Real:
Angels exist to glorify God and carry out His commands. We exist to glorify God also. We give God glory by making Him famous. What are some ways we can make God famous this Christmas season?
We can make Him famous in our own lives by turning from our sins (repentance), offering prayers that praise God for His greatness, praying for those around us and recognizing God’s power over everything, being obedient to our parents and teachers and reading the Bible.
We can make Him famous to other people by telling them the great things He’s done in our life, telling them the truth of Christ’s death to save us from our sins, spending our time in service to others and speaking, singing and praying God’s greatness out loud.

Making it Stick:
Angels appeared to Mary and to Joseph to proclaim the birth of Christ. With your child, come up with ways to proclaim Christ’s birth to your family. You can come up with a song that tells the Good News, a skit or news broadcast, a poem or any other form of proclamation. Include what is happening (the birth of God’s Son), why (to redeem sinners) and what it achieves (restoration to our perfect God). Spend some time one evening proclaiming the news of Christ’s birth to those in your family and/or to neighbors and friends.

Carols & Hymns

One of the most unique aspects of the holiday season is the music. As children grow, they come to know and love the Christmas Carols and Hymns that surround the season and associate them with fond memories, special activities and meaningful traditions.
I encourage you to talk through some of your child's favorite Christmas Carols. They often convey very deep, very sweet theological truths that unless looked for or explored, may be missed by you and your children. So talk through the lyrics to Silent Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, and other favorites. Even secular carols can communicate the excitement of the holidays and provide a transition to talk about the spiritual.
So take some time these next few weeks to talk about the words we are singing, and, like always, let me encourage you to sing with your child often and loudly, and in so doing convey a joyful worship to our King!

Follow-up: Advent Week 1

Story: Jesus is Coming! The birth of Christ foretold

Fundamental Truth: God is Good

Making it Real:
When sin entered the world, everything changed. God’s perfect world became imperfect. God’s very good creation, people, became lost in their own sin and separated from God. But God is good, and from the beginning gave us hope that sin would not win. For hundreds, even thousands of years God gave us clues about Jesus. Why didn’t God send Jesus immediately after sin came into the world?
The whole time that God waited to send Jesus, He was preparing His people to receive Him. God was making us ready for the promised Rescuer. God was showing us why it was necessary that Jesus bridge the gap to God. He was showing us how we can never be good enough to get to God alone. He was making us see that there is no other way, no other hope, but Jesus Christ.

Making it Stick:
Make up an easy recipe with your child. Have them choose a few ingredients for the recipe and blend or cook the ingredients together. After you’ve tasted what you made, have your child change 1 or 2 of the ingredients and cook again. Talk about how each ingredient is unique and adds to the taste. Talk about how if you change one thing, the result is different. Talk through how God gave us very specific prophesies that all resulted in Jesus and His saving work.

Advent Calendar

A few days ago we talked about the importance of Advent as a season of preparation and expectation. We have now put together this online calendar to help you initiate some traditions and customs into your family and to help guide you on ideas on how to instill the true spirit of Christmas into your children's minds and hearts.

Have a blessed holiday season!

Sharing Christ at Thanksgiving

Generally, hopefully, as you gather your family around a delicious family Thanksgiving meal, there is some talk about things you are thankful for. I encourage you this Thursday to take advantage of that time to share the gospel with your children.
The most precious gift we've ever received is the gift of our salvation and that is what we should daily be most thankful for. When talking with your children about the things you are thankful for, tell them that you are thankful that God, in His mercy, gave us Jesus to die to pay the price for our sins. Tell them that you are thankful that God gave us a way to be made right again even though we are so full of sin. Explain that God gave us Jesus to take all of our sins on Himself on the cross and that if we love and trust Jesus and accept His gift of death on the cross for our sins, we can be made right before God.
Don't neglect to express joyful gratitude over your salvation this Thanksgiving and in doing so share with your children the most important message in the world!

Follow-up: Daniel

Story: Daniel and the lion’s den

Fundamental Truth: We Can Talk with God

Making it Real:
Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den for refusing to pray to King Darius instead of to his God, the One, true God. We don’t have a king, and our president probably wouldn’t make a rule like that, but how might we be tempted to put something above God or worship something before God?
When we put anything, a person, a possession, a skill or a hobby before God, we are neglecting to worship Him like we should. King Darius made a rule that said his people could only pray to him. He was trying to be the most powerful thing in their lives. Nothing and no one is or ever can be more powerful than God. When we are loving God like we should, we remember that it is to Him only that we pray and it is Him more than anyone or anything else that we love.

Making it Stick:
Daniel was committed to praying 3 times a day. Sit down with your child and draw up a schedule for the week. Schedule 3 times to pray each day and schedule what you will pray for each time. Each morning you can pray for family, each afternoon for friends, and each evening for the church. Or you can pray for 3 individuals each day. You can pray praise in the morning, thanksgiving in the afternoon, and intercession at night. Whichever way you want to schedule your prayers, make them intentional throughout the week so that you and your child have a glimpse of Daniel’s discipline in and commitment to prayer.

Advent & Traditions

Advent is the season preparation, of expectation. The month preceding Christmas is a time of excitement and anticipation. Under what better circumstances can you initiate traditions and customs into your family that both celebrate and teach your child to value the birth of Christ?

When a child notices something out of the ordinary – an advent wreath, Scripture hung on the wall, a story told over a candlelit dinner – a parent has a unique and engaging opening to tell about the story of Christ. Establishing traditions with your family that will cause your child to take notice and ask questions is a powerful way to gain a hearing, and not just an obligatory ear, but a curious inclination to know and understand the reason behind new practices and activities. Anytime we can peak a child’s interest for spiritual things, we want to take that opportunity. This Advent season, I encourage you as a family to establish a new tradition that is rooted in the gospel story and will be an engaging exercise for your children and provide you as parents with the opportunity to worship as a family and to share with your child the reason behind the celebration and reverence of the holiday season.

Possible new traditions:

• Sunday night Advent story – each Sunday preceding Advent, gather as family to retell in part or in whole the Christmas story. Give 1 small gift a week.
• Carol Songs – sing traditional Christmas carols with your children before bedtime, but explain the words and meaning of the songs. Choose songs that talk about the birth of Christ and worship of Him.
• Nativity Scenes – make a new Nativity scene every year out of paper, cookies, clay, etc. Use this time as an opportunity to retell the Christmas story.
• Christmas Invitation – make an invitation inviting a friend, neighbor or family member either to Church or to a special family dinner. Include part of the Christmas story on the invitation. Deliver it by hand and retell all of the Christmas story to the recipient.

New Music

Andrew Peterson is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists and I just discovered that he has a children's cd out!


This is a collaborative effort with Randall Goodgame. The cd is a mix of silly, kid-friendly fun tunes and sweeter, more serious songs about God. In my opinion, it's best suited for ages 4 and younger.
You can find Andrew's children's cd Slugs & Bugs & Lullabies here or on iTunes if you search Andrew Peterson and click on Children's Music.

Follow-up: David and Goliath

Fundamental Truth: Jesus Came to Save Sinners

Making it Real:
David fought and defeated the giant, Goliath. If anyone just looked at the two men, they would never guess David could win. But God fought with David and gave him victory over Goliath. David’s victory saved his people, the Israelites, from being slaves to the Philistines, Israel’s enemies. What can we learn from this story?
We can learn that if we are fighting on God’s side, we will have victory. God cannot be defeated. Even if our victory looks different than we imagined, God always wins. If we are fighting on the side against God, we have no chance of winning. We can also see how God used David to rescue his people Israel, another example of a rescuer who points us to Christ, the ultimate Rescuer who saves us from our sins.

Making it Stick:
Put on a skit to reenact the story of David and Goliath. You can be Goliath and your child can be David. For your part, mock the armies of God and for your child’s part, have him or her defend God and fight for God. Use pillows instead of rocks and play up the theatrical aspect of this. Talk about why David fought, what he believed while fighting, and why the Lord gave David victory.

Follow-up: Moses wk 2

Story: The Exodus

Fundamental Truth: The Bible is God's Perfect Word

Making it Real:
After Pharaoh released the slaves from Egypt, he changed his mind and sent his armies after them to bring them back. When the Israelites saw that the Egyptians coming, they became afraid and accused Moses of bringing them out of Egypt to die in the desert. The people said, “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” What does this show us about Israel’s faith? Do we ever make the same mistake?
The Israelites doubted God’s goodness. They let their fear of their enemies overcome their trust in God. Sometimes we can let our feelings affect our trust in God. When we are angry or afraid or confused, we can remember this story of God taking care of the Israelites and remember that God is Good and takes care of His people.

Making it Stick:
God gave us the 10 Commandments to show us that we cannot keep the law all the time. Make up several arbitrary, even silly rules for your child to try to keep throughout the day or week. Make sure at least a couple of these rules are impossible to keep. After your child breaks the rules, don’t punish him or her, but do talk about how we are sinners who can never keep all the rules. We are not perfect enough to earn God’s favor. God gave us Jesus to fulfill the law and to restore us to Him. We cannot be saved by obeying rules, only by receiving the grace that Jesus gives through His death on the cross. What a relief!

New Check-in System

In the next few weeks, we will be rolling out a child check-in system to speed check-in time for regular attendees. This system will also improve the security of our preschool and children's area. I will write more on the specifics of the system the week prior to implementing it, but right now we need your help.

To be able to use Providence Check-In, each family will need to register. Go to www.insideprovidence.com/checkinregistration to enter your family's information.

Thanks for taking the time to ensure this transition is quick and smooth.

Keeping the Bible in our Bible Stories

Our church is studying Christ in the Old Testament in our Women's Bible Study. Last week we were talking about how so many of these stories that we have grown up with took on new meaning when we read them as adults from the Scriptures and not just from Children's Picture Bibles or in the context of a Sunday School lesson.
So often we grow up hearing Bible stories but don't actually get them from the Bible.
Scripture is whole, perfect and complete. But how often do we settle for a summary or paraphrase of Bible stories instead of the inerrant, perfect Word of God? There is nothing wrong with teaching your children from Children's Picture Bibles, as long as you are also teaching them from the Bible.
In the Preschool Ministry, children begin hearing each story back-to-back from a Children's Bible and from an NIV Bible each week beginning at age 5.
It is in this context that they hear, not only the fundamental truth we are trying to teach and not simply the Christian value or moral lesson, but the written word of God, provided to teach, rebuke, correct and train in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).
May we not neglect to teach our children biblical truths from the Bible, God's Perfect Word.

Follow-up: Moses

Story: God calls Moses to deliver Israel

Fundamental Truth: God is in Charge of Everything

Making it Real:
God sent Moses to Egypt to rescue His people, the Israelites. The Bible says that God hardened the Pharaoh’s heart so that he wouldn’t free the people. Why would God do that?
The Pharaoh wanted to be more powerful than God, in the same way that Adam and Eve sinned when they wanted to know as much as God and be as powerful as Him. Pharaoh didn’t want to admit that God is in charge so God decided to show Pharaoh 10 miracles to prove to him and all the people that no one can stop the plans of God. God was showing everyone that He is in charge of all life, all people.

Making it Stick:
With your child, come up with a play or skit to act out the beginning part of the Exodus story. Go outside to a bush or plant, decorate it with tissue paper and one of you can do the voice for God and one can be Moses. Then one of you can be Pharaoh and one Moses demanding the Israelite’s freedom. Help your child act out some or all of the plagues and act out Pharaoh finally granting the Israelite’s their freedom. You can put this play on for the family one night after dinner.

Thanksgiving Meal Boxes

As a church one of our core values is foot washing, or service. And just as we strive to worship corporately through service, we also want to worship together as a family through service. One great opportunity we have is the preparation of Thanksgiving Meal Boxes. Providence Church is teaming with Frisco Family Services Center to provide low-income families, families in crisis, and senior citizens with these packages. All you need to do is purchase the items on the list, place them in a box, and bring the box to the church building on Sundays or to the church offices during the week. The deadline for dropping off your box is November 9th.

Now that I have given you the logistics, let me present a few ideas that you could use to involve your children in the process. Be sure to explain to them what you are doing and why. Let them know that one family will receive everything in the box that you choose for them. So on Thanksgiving Day they will be preparing and eating what you have chosen to give to them. Help them to pray for the family throughout the process.

• Read the list aloud as your children look through your pantry for items that you already have (make sure they haven't expired). Several things on the list you may already have such as canned fruit and vegetables, macaroni & cheese, or an extra bottle of mustard. Even children as young as 18 months could help in this way, finding food they know.


• Print out the kid-friendly list, and bring it as you and your children go to the grocery store to choose items for the family. Read over the list together so that they know what all the items are. Using the pictures, your child can help you find everything on the list (the optional items are not included in this list). This will help them be involved in the process and you may find that your preschooler or elementary child has more fun at the store than usual when they have a job to do. Give them a pen or crayon and they can even check off the items as you find them.


• Make a huge pile of all the items on the list you have found or purchased. Get your list and call out the items as you pack them into a box. Very young children can help find things, and older children will be practicing spacial reasoning and logic skills as they try to fit everything into the box and not crush anything in the process.


• Get your family together and make a Thanksgiving card from your family to theirs. Preschoolers can dictate kind words, older children can write their own thought, budding artists can draw pictures of turkeys and potatoes, babies can even add their own scribbling. Have each child sign their first name to the card. Let the family know you will be praying for them.


• Pray for the family that will receive your box. Help your children remember to pray as you gather and shop, as you check and pack, and as you deliver the box to the church (by November 9th). Remember to pray for that family on Thanksgiving Day. And thank God that He has blessed your family so that you can help another family.

Follow-up: Joseph - The Promise Continues

Story: God takes care of Joseph

Fundamental Truth: God is Good

Making it Real: Lots of bad things happened to Joseph. First, he was sold into slavery by his own family. Then his owner didn’t believe him and threw him into prison. Then, the men he helped in prison forgot to help him get out too. What can we learn from Joseph’s life?
Joseph’s life was not easy, but we see how God used so much bad for good. He didn’t allow Joseph’s brothers to kill him. The man who took him as a slave treated him well, until he put him in prison. The prison guards put him in charge of others. When he finally got out, the Pharaoh put him in charge of all of Egypt and made him the most powerful man besides him. In the end, God used Joseph to save the lives of thousands of people during a time of famine. Joseph became the rescuer for many, many people – pointing us to Christ, who was the rescuer to all people who love and trust Him.

Making it Stick: Take a walk with your child and talk about your story. Tell your child of some of the mistakes you made in your life or some of the bad things that happened. Talk honestly about hard times. Talk with your child about how God used those bad things for good. Talk about what you learned during those times and how God brought you out of them. Talk about how you would not be where you are now or the person you are now without having gone through those hard times.

Redeeming Halloween

There's no denying the controversy that accompanies Halloween. Whether or not you choose to acknowledge the day is up to you (obviously) but I'd like to offer some suggestions for those of you who would like to in some way participate in the festivities.
At Providence, we believe in redeeming Halloween. It is the only day in the year where the community comes to you - literally to your door. Because of that, we have a unique opportunity to meet people where they are (on our doorstep!) and bless them.
With a view to that end we take a couple of simple steps:

• Giving away full-size candy bars. We want the children to tell their friends about our house so we give away the best candy. Not only is it big, but it has a large sticker on it with information about the church. We take advantage of the real estate on the candy bar to get a message out.

• Yard Parties - Another way to make your house the best on the block is to do it up big. We do bounce houses, hot soup or chili or burgers and drinks for the parents, face-painting and little carnival games. This way, you're not only seeing the children and interacting with them, but you get face-time with the parents while their children play. No longer are parents waiting at the base of the driveway while their children run up to the door and back down.

These ideas might be hard to achieve based on limiting variables. The point is, there are steps we can make to get out into the neighborhood, meet both parents and children, and show others that Halloween can be redeemed for God's glory. A day that is taboo to some and downright wrong to others has the potential to bring people together and open up opportunities for the gospel.
So, should you choose to partake, make the most of your opportunities.

Happy Halloween!

Sharing our Stories

I was writing the Bible Story Follow-up application steps for parents and got to thinking about how parents dialogue with their children. We want spiritual language and topics to be the norm in our homes. We want the words of Scripture to be familiar words of comfort and training to our children. We want songs, Bible stories and Christian values to be a part of the foundation of our homes. But how practiced are we at telling those stories as a backdrop to our own stories? How well do our children know exactly what God did in Mom's heart to make her love and trust Him? Do our children know what it was that brought Dad "out of the darkness and into the light"? (1 Peter 2:9).
Depending on the age of our children and the nature of our salvation stories, being honest to tell our testimony may be difficult. But let me encourage you to, as much as is appropriate, share your stories with your children. Our testimonies can be the most powerful tool we have for evangelism because they are our stories. So talk with your children about why you love Jesus. Tell them what He saved you from. Be honest about the life you now lead because of the saving work of our glorious Lord.
Let your children hear the stories of the God who saved you. May He be the God who saves them also.

Follow-up: Jacob - The Promise Continues

Fundamental Truth: Jesus Came to Save Sinners

Making it Real:
In our story this week, Jacob had a dream. He dreamt about a ladder where angels were going up and down from the earth to Heaven. What can this dream show us?
Just like we see all throughout the Old Testament, here God is giving us a picture of Jesus Christ. Jacob’s ladder bridged the gap between Heaven and earth. It showed us that there was separation between us and God and that God would provide a way to bridge that gap. It helps us look forward to the time when God would forever bridge that gap by sending Jesus to die on the cross. The Cross was the New Testament picture of Jacob’s ladder and it gave us access forever to God through the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins.

Making it Stick:
Give your children guidelines to make a bridge. It can be a small bridge for dolls or a life-size bridge in the yard or at the park. Give them a list of materials they can use to make their bridge – make it a good-sized list, consisting of more than one type of material. Give them a time limit to complete their bridge, but one that they cannot stay within. Once they have run out of time, test their bridge and talk about why it failed. Give them more time, enough to finish, and test their bridge again. Talk about how we can remember that the cross is the perfect bridge to Jesus and that God, in his perfect wisdom, not only gave us the cross, but gave it to us with Jesus at the perfect time that God had planned. Talk about how God’s timing is perfect and how God’s plans are perfect.

Learning Like Our Children

One thing I love about leading a Children's Ministry is hearing my teachers say week after week, "I think I learned more from that lesson than the kids." And so often I feel the same way!
It is amazing to me how much I can learn by writing or teaching a children's lesson. The Bible says this about itself in Hebrews 4:12:
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
When we are teaching the Bible to our children, there is so much we can learn ourselves. Regardless of how many times we may have heard the stories, they are new! So my challenge to you as you teach your children is to search the Scriptures both for lessons and truths to communicate, but also for lessons and truths that you yourself can learn.
May we never be a people who think they have gotten all they can from any particular story or passage. May we always come before Scripture ready to learn.

Follow-up: Abraham wk 2

Fundamental Truth: The Bible is God’s Perfect Word

Making it Real:
God gave Abraham and Sarah a baby when they were very old. Why didn’t God give them the promised son sooner?
We can never know why God does things the way He does. What we can do, is remember that God is in Charge of Everything. So no matter what He does, we can believe that He is doing it the best way possible. We can also learn from Abraham and Sarah’s story that even when it’s hard to trust God or remember His promises, He keeps them. Abraham and Sarah had to wait for a baby and it can help us remember that God’s people had to wait for Jesus to save them – but He came and with His death on the cross, the work of punishing sin was completed.

Making it Stick:
At the beginning of the week, make a promise to your child. You can promise a special meal or treat, a special outing or anything that gives your child something to look forward to. Tell your child that in order to receive the special thing, they need to trust and obey you throughout the week, just like Abraham had to trust and obey God. During the week, when your child disobeys, tell them that at times, Abraham doubted God’s promise and tried to do things his own way, but in the end, Abraham remembered and believed God. At the end of the week, give your child the promised treat and talk about how God kept His promise and gave Abraham and Sarah a baby and began Jesus’ great family.

Bedtime with Your Baby

As you put your child to bed every night, you probably have a routine you follow. This routine may include a bath, putting on PJs, reading a story, but does it include time with God? I want to start a multi-part series on how to use your bedtime routine as another setting during which you can teach your child about Jesus.

Let's start today by talking about your newborn baby. Even at the youngest age, you can choose a time each night to read a short story to her from a children's Bible, maybe sing a song that gives her a basic Truth, and say a quick prayer. There are many children's Bibles available, but one thing you want to do before purchasing one is to read it, cover-to-cover, to make sure it is theologically sound. Children's Bibles are not God's inerrant Word, as someone is just summarizing certain stories. After you have done that, you will be able to sort through what is most important to you. Some parents want to ensure that specific stories are included in their children's Bible, some want a Bible that is easy to understand at an early age, some want good pictures, etc. At this young age, as long as the content is consistent with the Bible and you won't be reading your baby things that are conflicting with God's Word, I think there is a lot left to personal choice. The important thing is that you are exposing your son or daughter to the Bible on a daily basis. Praying for them and with them is also a great habit to start from day one.

After reading the story of creation to your baby, your prayer may go something like this: "Dear God, I praise you that you made everything! I thank you for giving our family this precious baby. Please give her lots of good sleep tonight. We love you God. Amen."

If you are looking for a recommendation on a beginning Bible, you might consider this board book that we use as our children are infants and young toddlers, Baby Blessings Bible, which lists for $12.50 on Amazon. Beyond the Biblical accuracy, we like the rhyming, the bright colors, the short length, and the durability of this Bible.

Follow-up: Abraham

Story: God tells Abraham to move

Fundamental Truth: God is in Charge of Everything
Making it Real:
God told Abraham to pack up and move to a new place. Why did He do this?
God chose Abraham to be the father of a great big family, Jesus’ family! God set Abraham apart to show the world that through this man, the Rescuer would come. Abraham was a normal man who believed God and trusted Him and obeyed His directions. And because of Abraham’s faith and obedience, God lets him be part of the greatest family the world has ever known.

Making it Stick:
Create a scavenger hunt for your child. Depending on your child’s age, hide picture or word clues around the house or yard to lead your child to a special treat. Once your child finds the special treat, talk with him or her about how it was necessary to trust you and follow your directions in order to get the treat, just like it was necessary for Abraham to trust God and follow God’s directions when he moved to a new home. Talk through how hard it might have been for Abraham to take all of his things and his family and go to a new place, especially since had to wait for God to show him where to go. Explain the importance of faith and how God rewards our faith by letting us know and love him deeper.

Scripture Placemats

If you haven’t read Charity’s idea on the church’s site for making placemats, I reposted it here. If you have, you will know that my idea for making a Biblically-based learning placemat came from her. That said, here’s what we’re trying around our house.

My son is just starting to memorize verses for the first time. He’s also in the early stages of learning how to read a little. The first verse we memorized is 1 John 4:14 “We have seen and testify that the Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.” We then started learning John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Now he is mixing the two verse together into quite a mess. It usually sounds something like this: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son to be the Savior of the world.”

So I thought since he mostly knows the letters and the sounds those letters make, that I would write these verses down and make them into placemats. My goal is that as he is quoting the memorized verses he would look at each word on the placemat and see that the initial sound is the same as the one he is saying. Hopefully the written words will just guide him in the right direction. We’ll see how it works! (If your kids are readers, writing verses on placemats could be a good way for them to memorize new Scripture.)

Family Dinners and the Glory of God (Charity Keldie)

Originally posted on www.insideprovidence.com 3/18/2008

A few years ago, Barry and I were laying in bed one night, spending some quiet time together with God. Barry was reading aloud a devotional out of John Piper’s Pierced by the Word. Usually, these times were a sweet encouragement in my spiritual walk, but on this specific night, my heart would be pierced in such a way that I would never again be the same.

We were reading “How to drink Orange Juice to the Glory of God” and if you’ve never read it, it is truly convicting. The basic idea of the devotion is taken form 1 Corinthians 10:31. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Piper addresses living a life in which everything you do brings God glory. I don’t know about you, but this was a blow to my wonderful little world. You see, I live a good life. I love God, study my Bible, pray, serve in the church and obey the law. So, I consider myself a “good” person. Unfortunately, when you hold my life up to the light of this Scripture, all of the sudden, my good life seems dark. If I were truly honest, the “all” that I do each day seems to do little to bring God glory. So, with a lot of prayer and trust that God will one day complete this good work in me, I began working to change the way I approach life and the activities of the day.

I truly felt my heart was being changed and I was well on my way to “doing all to the glory of God,” when yet again my life was changed forever. In November of 2006, God blessed Barry and I with a son. All of the sudden, I was not only responsible for living a life that brought God glory, but I was also responsible for raising a son to do the same. The weight of this responsibility seemed almost overwhelming. Suddenly, I began to pray like never before. And, I began to seek out ways to make each moment I have with my son moments that would reveal the beauty and majesty of God, hoping that one day, God would save his soul and he would begin his own journey of living a life that glorified God.

Here are just a few ideas to help turn a basic necessity into a wonderful time of worship for your family.

First, mealtime is a time families need to spend together. This is a foreign concept in America, but I would encourage you to sit down together and share a meal.

Secondly, take a look at where you eat. Does your table look like a place of worship? This is not an excuse to go out and buy a new dining set (although I have tried to convince my husband we should!) It is an encouragement to be intentional about surrounding yourself with things that draw your mind and heart to God.

My favorite thing at our kitchen table is a placemat I made for my son. We actually have about 10 placemats that I made because I tend to go overboard. Kids (and adults) like color and things to look at while they eat. It’s why we read the back of the cereal box. So, give your children something beneficial to look at during mealtime.

Use construction paper or poster board to make your child their own placemat. If your child is in a highchair, trace the tray onto poster board to make a custom-fit placemat. Cover it with things you are trying to teach your children about: animals, their name, family pictures or maps. Then, pick a Scripture that relates to your placemat and write it on the placemat. Do the same thing with a different theme on the back. Take the placemat to Staples or Mardels and have it laminated. Now you have a two-in-one placemat that teaches your child. Make sure you talk about what is on the placemat during mealtimes. Read the Scripture to your child. If they are old enough, work on memorizing the Scripture. You can use this concept to teach your children Bible stories. You can use crafts they do at church to decorate their placemat. Have fun and be creative. These placemats can costs as little as $1, but can help create an atmosphere that opens up discussion to the things of God.

Additionally, use your words to bring glory to God and teach your children during mealtime. Start each meal with prayer. This is not a task or duty, but a brief moment to show gratitude to God for meeting our basic needs. Children need to see and hear their parents not only acknowledge God, but show affection for and the need of God himself. If you have children who can speak in complete thoughts, let them pray. Sure, sometimes their prayers will be difficult to understand or even silly, but they are learning to interact with God! Allow them the opportunity pray – you will often be amazed at the depth of their words.

Finally, be intentional and glorify God in what you feed your family. I’m not saying you should slave over a three-course meal where everything is made from scratch. But we should make sure our families are fed in such a way that gives them strength and health. As believers, we are daily at war with the evil one who will use all means necessary to bring us to destruction. Protect your family by keeping them healthy.

None of these ideas are groundbreaking, they are just simple ways to take a moment of the day and begin using it to bring God glory. Hebrews 10:24 tells us to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” My hope and prayer is that we can stir one another to honor God in our homes. Think about how you use your time and resources and look for ways to teach your children about God and glorify Him in all you do. Hopefully, one day soon we will all celebrate the salvation of our children.

Sunday's Stories

One of the easiest ways to talk about spiritual things with your child is to review with them what they learned at church on Sunday. I often hear stories about the funny things children respond with when they get the question, "What did you learn today at church?" Following up in the car on the way home or at bedtime Sunday night is a great way to review what your child learned and build on it.
But Sunday's Bible story can serve to encourage spiritual conversation all throughout the week. Depending on how much your child remembers, you can add to the story each day or night. By mid-week, your child should begin to be able to tell you the story. By later in the week, maybe they can write it, act it or draw it out.
Make the story review a regular part of each day. Share what the particular story has taught you or how you felt when you heard the story. Talk with your child about what a particular story teaches about God, His love for us and our need for Jesus.
May Sunday's stories serve to teach, encourage and equip you and your child throughout the week!

Follow-up: The Flood wk 2

Story: The Flood

Fundamental Truth: Jesus Came to Save Sinners

Making it Real:
What does the story of the flood show us about Jesus?
After God saved Noah and his family and set the ark on dry land, He placed a rainbow in the sky, a sign of His promise to never flood the earth again. We can be confident that God will keep that and all promises. The most important promise that God ever kept was His promise throughout the Old Testament to send a Savior to fix the sin problem and reconcile the people, or bring them back, to God. God promised to send someone to pay the price for the sin that we all do that keeps us separate from our perfect God and He did that when he sent Jesus to earth to live and die as a man. Since Jesus was fully man and fully God, he could die a physical death but His death could cover the sins of all men for all time who choose to love and trust Him.

Making it Stick:
God used a rainbow to give His people a reminder of His love for them. With your child, come up with a symbol or picture that represents your family’s love for God. Draw, paint, or otherwise create your symbol or picture and display it somewhere within your home. Feel free to add a special verse or saying that explains that this is a reminder that your family loves God.

Best Children's Bible I've Found

Last week I bought a new Children's Bible for use within our ministry.


The Jesus Storybook Bible is not only my new favorite Children's Bible, it's currently my favorite book! This Bible takes each story, Old and New Testament, and brings it back to Christ and our need for a Savior. In doing so, it presents a theologically sound and beautiful view of God and His love for sinful man and our need for a Rescuer.
This Bible is great for all ages, preschool through elementary.
This is a great read for parents, children, and anyone!

Prayer and Fasting: How your involvement can serve and teach your children

(originally posted on providenceprayerandfasting.blogspot.com)

As we strive to be intentional in the spiritual teaching of our children, I urge you during this season of prayer and fasting to not only participate, but to use your participation as an opportunity to talk with your children about the practice of prayer and fasting and what it means for your relationship with God.

There are seasons in life when we give up things that normally play a large role in our day-to-day activities, in this case eating, in order to more eagerly and deliberately pursue the Lord through prayer. Just as we are intentional in our pursuit of God, so should we be in how we communicate this new season with our children.

Children notice when things change. When mom and dad don’t sit down for dinner, when snacks are left unopened and dessert left unprepared, children understand that something out of the ordinary is going on. Take the opportunity to have an open dialogue about why you and your spouse are not eating. Explain that when we go without, it is so that we can pursue the Lord in a more disciplined and uninterrupted manner. Explain that while food is a gift from God and something that we can partake of in worship, foregoing eating for a season can serve to renew purpose, insight and direction and increase worship and trust.

Instead of catching up on the day over a family meal, think of the testimony as your children watch you come together in prayer for your church. Instead of hearing the latest news or the plans for the coming weekend, imagine how powerful it would be for your children to hear you call out to God for wisdom and direction. Instead of the laughter and casual conversation that may accompany the normal dinnertime, think of the significance in a home in quiet contemplation and sober prayer.

Consider also ways you can encourage your children to fast. Maybe your child can fast from television, video games, or a favorite toy or electronic. Be creative in involving your children and helping them to see the part they can play in prayer and fasting. Walk through this practice with them, helping them to pray and worship as they give up some form of entertainment. What a sweet time you can share with your child as you seek the Lord together!

As with every act of worship, we want to deliberately communicate the heart behind the things we are practicing. As you obediently spend time in prayer and fasting during this season, make sure you are being careful to talk openly, pray openly and worship openly before the God who sees.

May the things you partake of and the things you refrain from serve to reveal to your children your love for God and His glory.

Follow-up: The Flood

Story: The Flood

Fundamental Truth: We Can Talk With God

Making it Real:
God sent a flood to destroy the earth. Why did He do that and why did He choose to save Noah?
The Bible says that, “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become…” The people that God had created had forgotten about Him and turned away from following Him. They did what they wanted and gave no thought to God. God decided to destroy the earth and all the people He had made because they were so sinful. But God saved Noah because Noah was, “righteous… blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” Noah still loved and trusted God so God saved him and his family. We can see how important it is to follow God and live for Him even when everyone around us turns from Him.

Making it Stick:
Using sand or chalk, help your child create some kind of art project. Make it as elaborate and detailed as time will allow. After you are finished, talk about how much work you put into your project and how much you admire it. Then retell the story of Noah’s ark. Talk about how bad the people God made were behaving and how God had to punish them for their disobedience. Talk about how God destroyed the earth so that He could start over with the one man, Noah, who was obedient to God. With your child, destroy what you made using water and remind your child that we can remember that God is Good and that God is in Charge of Everything.

Singing with your children

One of the little things I look forward to most about being a mother is singing with my children. I have yet to meet a child who does not love to listen to music and sing and dance along.
Music can be a powerful tool to communicate foundational truths, namely, the greatness of God. Children can begin to understand not only who God is, but why we sing to Him and what those songs communicate.
There are numerous CDs with songs that present Scripture, biblical attributes, character values and other spiritually enriching content that are fun to listen to and sing along with.
The great thing about singing with children is that they don’t care how good you are! I have absolutely no musical abilities, but when I sing with or to the children on Sunday mornings, they love it! I think it’s because children hear the heart behind my voice, a heart that loves to sing praises to our Lord.
Singing with the children not only teaches them truths about God, but it models praise and worship. Our children typically do not go to church with their parents, so for them to get to see Mom and Dad singing at home with them shows them what it looks like to come before the Lord in worship through song.
I want to encourage you to make singing with your child a part of every day. Be intentional in your song choices and choose music that reinforces the truths of what you’re teaching about God at home. Play the music during playtime or craft time and take time to sing along. What a great thing for a child to grow up in an atmosphere saturated by the Word of God expressed in word, deed and song!

A couple of my favorites:
Phil Joel
Seeds of Praise, Seeds of Worship

Why a Blog?

One of the main goals of our Children’s Ministry here at Providence is to provide resources to parents that will help them live out Deuteronomy 6:6-7

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

What does it look like for a suburban mom and dad in the year 2008 to talk about the Bible when you “sit at your house” or when you “walk by the way”? How do we make these words come alive so that our children learn to believe, love and revere the Scriptures and the God they proclaim?

We know you’re often pulled in twenty different directions as you go throughout what is probably a hectic day. So we put together this blog to give you quick, applicable and practical ideas for incorporating spiritual lessons into everyday life. Our prayer is that this site would be a valuable resource to help you introduce your children to the God in whom we “live move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

Blessings,
Your Contributors:
Amanda Shelton
Amy Bowling
Matt & Courtney Rakes
Charity Keldie