Deeper in 4 Children - I'm Giving Some Away!

I've been writing about being focused in children's ministry and watchful, so we do not
end up with children's ministries which are "fun", but where children end up thinking if church is not "fun" it is not for them. Yes, we want our children's ministries to be fun and engaging so children do want to be there, but entertaining children should not be the focus of our children's ministries. Helping children know, love and walk with Jesus should be our focus. For this to happen, we need to engage children in discovering how God's Word is for them. 

When we "paraphrase" Bible events or have just the adults reading the Bible, children can get the idea God's Word is for adults and has to be "simplified" or turned into a "story" for them to understand it. If this  happens, they are more likely to leave their Bibles behind (lost somewhere in the family van???) as they grow up because they have never learned how God's Word is for them.

But, children are far more intelligent than we often give them credit for being. Children can open God's Word. They can read it (once they have learned to read - about First Grade for most children) and they can understand it. If we truly want children to grow up to be teens and then adults who read their Bibles, we need to start involving them in doing this as children. We need to provide opportunities for them to open their Bibles (yes, actually use their Bibles at church!) and look for specific information about the Bible event for the day. We need to engage children in discovering for themselves what God's Word says!

This is what Deeper in 4 Children has been written to do. Each week Elementary age children open their Bibles to research a portion of the day's Bible event in their small groups. Then, they make posters to show what they learned which they bring with them to large group. In large group as the teacher reads the Bible event - from the Bible - small groups stand to share their posters and answer questions about what they discovered in their research before large group. Then children return to their small groups to discuss what the entire Bible event is about and how it looks lived in their own lives. With Deeper in 4 Children, children actually open and use their Bibles! 

Deeper in 4 Children takes children from Genesis to Revelation each year with a focus on a topic (Grace, Talking with God, Obedience, Walk of Faithfulness). Children will focus on the topic for the year and discover what God's Word has to say about this topic, "from cover to cover"! The first quarter of each year children look at what God's Word has to say about why we need Grace or to Talk with God, or to Obey or to have a Walk of Faithfulness. The second quarter children discover what God's Word has to say about people who chose or did not choose Grace or to Talk with God, or to Obey or to have a Walk of Faithfulness. The third quarter the focus is on how Grace or Talking with God or Obedience or a Walk of Faithfulness changes us. The fourth quarter each year is spent in the Gospels learning about Jesus' great love for us. Deeper in 4 Children is designed to do exactly this; take children deeper into God's Word!

There are four years of curriculum with Deeper in 4 Children and two more are planned. Currently the Grace year is available (Talking with God will be available by September 2015). Each quarter is $75 and is completely reproducible - you are welcome to make as many copies as you need for use in your ministry (which means you are also welcome to share it with church plants of your church and with the missionaries your church supports - since children are opening God's Word and learning from God's Word, this will work with any language and any Bible version.) If your church can not afford the $75 a quarter, just email me (lynda@kidzconnection.us) and I will give it to you for free.

Preschool/Early Elementary curriculum is also available so families are able to all be on the same page - each week the younger children learn the same Bible event their older siblings learn, but in a way which engages non-readers. Preschool/Early Elementary curriculum is $75 a quarter as well and you are welcome to make as many copies as you ned for use in your ministry, just as you are with the Elementary age curriculum.

You will find sample lessons and more information at this link.

And, I'm very happy to announce a give-away! I'm giving away your choice of either two years (Grace and Talking with God) for either Preschool/Early Elementary or Elementary age levels or one year of both age levels (you choose Grace or Talking with God)! Since the curriculum is available in zip files which you download and print, it is open to anyone in any country! You will receive entries in this give-away the following ways - which will be on June 1, 2015, 

• If you share on facebook - please check the new facebook page for kidz Connection/Deeper in 4 Children at this link (please comment to let me know if you do this)
• If you "like" on facebook using the new facebook page at this link you will receive another entry (please comment to let me know if you do this)
• If you "like" on the new Google+ for kidz Connection/Deeper in 4 Children at this link (please comment to let me know if you do this)
• If you "like" on About the Children's Department's facebook page at this link (please comment to let me know if you do this)
• If you share on About the Children's Department's facebook page at this link  (please comment to let me know if you do this)
• If you share on Google + for About the Children's Department at this link (please comment to let me know if you do this)
• If you tweet the give-away (please comment to let me know if you do this)

In addition, if you comment below to let me know your favorite Bible verse about God's Grace, you will receive another entry! For me it is; Jeremiah 29:11-14a - God has good plans for me and when I seek Him, I will find Him - this is all about His amazing Grace!

If you have any questions about Deeper in 4 Children, please feel free to email me (lynda@kidzconnection.us), I'd be delighted to answer them!