Friday, June 30, 2023

Anchored Will Help You Teach Why the Word is Trustworthy

Churches, parents, and grandparents teach the "whats" - what the Bible says and therefore what we believe. They do this for solid reasons, they also need to teach the children they love the "whys" - why we are able to believe what we believe. Anchored is a supplemental curriculum designed to be used alongside whatever curriculum a church is currently using to teach the "whys" and equip parents and grandparents to do the same at home. But why do we need to teach the "whys" . . . shouldn't we just be able to believe without knowing "whys"? Consider the following . . . 

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Check Out Sample Anchored Lessons - Help Children "Own & Solidify their Faith"

Anchored is available for you to use in your church - it is just $26.00 for an entire year of resources for you to use in your church and for families to use at home - a terrific buy for sure!

We Need to Teach the "Whys" - Do So With Anchored

 

I'm sure you teach the "whats" in your Children's Ministry - what the Bible says and therefore what we believe, but do you also teach the "whys" to the children in your church - why we are able to believe God is real, the Bible is true, God and science DO go together, and God is good? Have you ever stopped to think about teaching the "whys"? I want to share with you a few quotes about the very real need for apologetics for children.

  • Apologetics has never been more important than it is now. People throughout our culture, including many of our friends, family members, neighbors, and co-workers, are becoming increasingly secular. They’re moving farther and farther from Christian teachings and morality. The Bible mandates that we must be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks (1 Pet. 3:15), so this is not an optional activity for Christians or the church. We must confront the errors of our culture and present in their place the truth and gospel of Christ. So I hope Lee [Strobel] is right about it being a “golden age of apologetics” – and there are many signs that he is – but much more needs to be done. — Mark Mittelberg (from, Apologist on Movement to Bring Apologetics Back to Church)
  • I want to see churches start their own apologetics ministries because it is our scriptural mandate to “always be prepared to give an answer.” Yet there often is very little preparation going on! When challenges to faith come, people struggle to find substantive answers. This may cause some believers to resort to a sort of “believe it anyway” mentality; for others it causes them to abandon the faith altogether. Research by the Barna Group has shown that a majority of young people walk away from the faith around the time they go to college or university. They simply have not been equipped to deal with the secular challenges that come against their faith. — Brian Auten (from, The State of Apologetics w/Lee Strobel)
  • It’s time that the Church recognize that asking good questions and doing some good critical thinking is not antithetical to faith. In fact, I would argue that it is the very basis for faith, properly understood…We must remember that “all truth is God’s truth” and we should not shy away from it. If what we have is true, we should not be afraid to think about it, investigate it and question it. If it’s true, what do we have to fear? —Daniel Carrington (from, Should Christians be Anti-Intellectual?)
  • Biblically, faith is a power or skill to act in accordance with the nature of the kingdom of God, a trust in what we have reason to believe is true. Understood in this way, we see that faith is built on reason. We should have good reasons for thinking that Christianity is true before we dedicate ourselves completely to it. — J.P. Moreland
  • Every pastor, youth pastor, and every parent is in competition with the Internet and the information it is spreading. Most young people don’t get their news from CNN or CBS, they get it from bloggers. There are about 181 million bloggers vying for the attention of your children. The unlimited amount of online information that people have access to has caused an increase in skepticism that will only continue to become more pervasive. If you don’t believe me, go around and talk to young people in colleges and in junior high. Go and make ‘truth statements’ and you’ll hear them say, ‘How do you know that’s true?’ There’s so much out there. [For] every kid, even Christians, the age of the Internet is wearing down their convictions because they think tomorrow they’ll find something else. — Josh McDowell
  • I was a non-Christian until the age of thirty-five. I was often frustrated by the few Christians I knew on the police department because they weren’t able to respond evidentially to my skeptical (and often sarcastic) objections. I thought, “How can these folks who seem to have such high regard for evidence in their professional life, believe something about God for which they have no evidence at all?” I was similar to other atheists I knew at the time. I didn’t think there was any good evidence to support the claims of Christianity. The more I learned about the nature of evidence generally, and the more I learned about the evidence for Christianity specifically, the more convinced I became that the claims of the Gospels were true. — J Warner Wallace
  • While the Church seems to be satisfied with undemanding Sunday experiences, young people want so much more: They want answers. They are willing and ready to roll up their sleeves and prepare themselves. They want their own doubts answered and they want to respond to the skeptics in their lives. Sadly, the Church doesn’t seem to recognize this yet, and it definitely seems ill-equipped to meet the challenge…It’s time for the Church to raise up a generation of young people who are equipped with a Biblical worldview and can articulate this worldview with strength and conviction. — J Warner Wallace (from the essay, Students Love Answers More Than the Church Loves Answers)
These are just a few of the excellent quotes on why we need to teach the "whys" - you will find more at this link. Yes, we absolutely need to teach the "whats" - what the Bible says and therefore what we believe - but we also absolutely need to teach the "whys" - why we are able to believe what we believe.

Check out sample lessons at this link and order it at this link. Plan now to use Anchored to teach the "whys" alongside whatever curriculum you currently use to teach the "whats" - and equip the parents and grandparents to use it in their homes with the children they love. When you do this, you will have children who are able to hold on to their faith throughout their lives and who have a confident faith.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Let Anchored Help You Teach the "Whys" Because Teaching the "Whys" Matters as Much as Teaching the "Whats"

Yesterday I wrote about why we need to know and teach apologetics - today I want to share a few quotes which explain why even better . . . 

Monday, June 26, 2023

Anchored - Teaming Up Church & Parents/Grandparents to Teach the "Whys"

 

You may or may not know about the Barna studies which show how so many of our children and grandchildren are turning away from their faith and to atheism. This is not something we have to just sit back and accept. We are able to do something about it. We are able to hand down confident faith and doing this involves teaching the children we love both the "whats" - what the Bible says and therefore what we believe - and teaching them the "whys" - why we are able to believe what we believe.

Friday, June 23, 2023

Why Should I Invest in Generations Quest for My Family? One Final Answer . . .

For the past five days I've been writing about the reasons why investing in  Generations Quest  makes sense - today I'm sharing one more reason . . . because it is something simple you can do to be intentional about passing on your faith with any of your grandchildren, preschool through elementary no matter where they live.

Thursday, June 22, 2023

How Do You Measure the "Success" of Your Children's Ministry?

Is your Children's Ministry successful? Are you sure? Do you really know for sure how your Children's Ministry impacts the children and families in your church and community? How do you know?    

Why Should I Invest in Generations Quest for My Family? Answer #5

I've been writing about why investing in Generations Quest for your family makes sense - today I'm sharing another reason to do this . . . because since God's Word changes lives and helps us walk with God, why wouldn't we want to invest in a tool which gives us a simple way to do this?

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Go Deeper in Your Children's Ministry with Deeper In for Children Curriculum - Make it Your Choice for Fall 2023

 

Teaching children about the Bible so they know who God is and how they are able to know Him is one of the most important things we will ever do, and is why most churches invest in Sunday School curriculum. While there are many excellent curriculum resources on the market, we are watching as more and more children turn away from their faith and even to atheism as they grow older. It does not have to be this way.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

How does Using Deeper In for Children Make a Difference? Make it Your Choice for Fall 2023!

 

It is the time of year to decide which curriculum you will use in the Fall of 2023 in your Children's Ministry. How will using    Deeper In for Children  curriculum help the children in your ministry learn, remember, understand, and live God's Word? It does this in four specific ways . . . 

Never Give Up!

Many years ago - 46 years to be exact - I was a sophomore in high school and was on my church's Word of Life quiz team. I was excited to be asked to be part of the team and somewhat nervous at my first quiz match - we had matches once a month in the local area where I lived and then the local, regional, and international competitions. At any rate, my first question I ever answered is one I still remember today, "According to Romans 12:1,2, how is God's will described?" The answer; "Good, acceptable and perfect" . . . and I got the answer correct!

Monday, June 19, 2023

For Your Most Important Choice - Deeper In for Children - Make it Your Choice for Fall 2023

When you lead a Children's Ministry there are many important choices you have to make to be certain your ministry is truly effective and is a place where all children want to be - particularly those who are there only IF they want to be there. While there are many things you have to do to develop and keep this type of ministry, one big decision is about what curriculum resources you will use because if you choose the right curriculum, you will have the tools you need to engage children - this is essential if you want your ministry to be a place where all children want to be - particularly those who are there only IF they want to be there.

Why Should I Invest in Generations Quest for My Family? Answer #4

For the past few days I've been sharing reasons to invest in Generations Quest for your family . . . because  Generations Quest will allow your family to all be on the same page when it comes to reading God's Word together, because helping the children we love become grounded in God's Word will help keep them from becoming derailed in a world which is running farther from God every day, and because with Generations Quest being "too busy" is not an excuse for not reading God's Word, as it is designed to involve just reading a verse or two a day!

Friday, June 16, 2023

Evaluate What You Are Doing - Deeper In for Children Will Help You Get Where You Want to Be! - Make it Your Choice for Fall 2023

As the school year comes to a close, the Sunday School year is also wrapping up as more and more churches do not offer Sunday School during the Summer. Whether you have Summer ministry or not, it is definitely time to evaluate what you have been doing, what has been working, and what has not - or what you might be able to improve.

Why Should I Invest in Generations Quest for My Family? Answer #3

Our lives, and the lives of our family members, tend to be busy. We have so much to do each day, which means, far too often we do not make time for what really matters; because we are busy. Generations Quest was created to help busy people make time for what really matters - reading God's Word together as a family!

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Why Should I Invest in Generations Quest for My Family? Answer #2

Please share this with the parents and grandparents in your ministry - As intentional Christian grandparents, we are serious about passing confident faith to our grandchildren. But when we look at the world in which our grandchildren are growing up, we may fear there are too many things around them which will derail and side-track their faith. However; there are three very important things for us to remember . . .

Don't Worry: It is Impossible to Spoil Grandchildren & Zephaniah 3:17

Please share this with the parents and grandparents in your ministry - I wrote a book, Don't Worry: It is Impossible to Spoil Grandchildren, which shares my joy as a grandma and my heart for passing on a heritage of faith to my three, sweet rascal grandsons! In my book I share some of my, "sweet grandson stories" and talk about passing on a heritage of faith. At the end of each chapter I share a Scripture passage and then personalize it into a prayer which grandparents/parents can then pray for themselves and their grandchildren/children. 

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Why Another Curriculum? Why Deeper In for Children? - Make it Your Choice for Fall 2023

Yes, I agree there are a number of excellent curriculum resources currently available for churches to use in their Children's Ministries, so why did I release Deeper In for Children? There are several reasons, but the biggest one is because  Deeper In for Children  does several unique things -

Why Should I Invest in Generations Quest for My Family? Answer #1

 Please share this with the parents and grandparents in your church . . . 

Today I want to share with you some excellent reasons for you to do more than just check out   Generations Quest  and to actually invest in it for your family . . . today I'm sharing with you my answer #1 . . . because it will allow your family to all be on the same page, reading the same Bible verses, the same day no matter the age or location of your family members!

Think about it . . . 

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

From One Generation to the Next

I have always found a reading of the Old Testament to be exciting . . . and heartbreaking. You find real people and how their real lives were impacted and changed when they came to know and walk with God; such as David. He went from being a lowly shepherd boy to being the King of Israel. Yes, there were a lot of years between the two, but he knew and walked with God; even as a young teen . . . so much so he was able to trust God to fight for him when facing a real giant none of the older soldiers in the army were willing to fight . . . they just ran and hid! He knew, walked with, and trusted God to keep him through the years when he was being chased by Saul. Yes, he made some really horrible choices over the years, but when faced with his sin he turned from it and asked God for forgiveness and grace. He wrote the Psalms and modeled for us, even today - how to talk with God as well as how to worship and praise Him!

Monday, June 12, 2023

Deeper In for Children includes Anchored - How Do they Make a Difference? - Make it Your Choice for Fall 2023

Sunday school originally began in 1780 because people wanted to teach poor children to read as they typically worked in factories all week. Nearly all children went to Sunday school - even if their parents did not go to church - and along with learning to read, they were taught the Bible - as it was the main book they learned to read. These children also learned to write as they copied verses from the Bible. 

Friday, June 9, 2023

Deeper In for Children AND Anchored will Provide the Tools You Need to Equip Children with a Confident Faith - Make it Your Choice for Fall 2023

Those who serve in Children's Ministry do so because they want to help children learn what the Bible says and how they are able to know and walk with Jesus. Most churches tend to do an acceptable job of teaching children the Bible accounts, but do not always do a strong job of teaching children what difference it makes in their lives to know what the Bible says.  It is essential for children to learn what the Bible says AND learn what the difference is it makes in their lives to know these things. We must teach both.

What Does Your Children's Ministry Show You Believe?

Those who serve in Children's Ministries know their vision and purpose are centered around helping children know God, know He loves them, and they are able to know and love Him back. Clearly "church kids" are the center of what they do, but what about those children who are not really "church kids"? Those children who do not go to church with their parents, but instead come sometimes with a grandparent, other relative, or neighbor? Do you keep your focus on these children, too? This is a vital question, so let's ask it again: Do you keep your focus on these children, too?

Thursday, June 8, 2023

More Info About Deeper In for Children - Make it Your Choice for Fall 2023

The Grace year of  Deeper In for Children  curriculum for elementary age children and the Preschool/Early Elementary level are now available. Each quarter of Deeper In for Children will include thirteen weekly Bible events for Sunday School, thirteen weekly Bible events for a Second Service/longer Sunday School/Mid Week, optional Bible event for Christmas, optional Bible event for Resurrection Sunday, AND Anchored  supplemental curriculum to help you teach the "whys".

Make a Difference in the Other 165 Hours

While serving in Children's Ministry is something which matters and gives us an opportunity to impact lives and make a difference, we are limited by time. A week has 168 hours - 168. Of these 168 hours, even in the best situation, we have  children in our ministries for three of those 168 hours - just three. (And many of you have them for zero hours during the summer.) Yes, we are able to make a difference in those three hours, but we are greatly limited as we are not able to be with the children for the other 165 hours of the week - or anywhere close to those 165 hours. But their parents are. And their grandparents have the potential to influence them for many of those 168 hours as well.

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Why Deeper In for Children has a Unified Scope and Sequence - Make it Your Choice for Fall 2023

I recently shared the scope and sequence for the Grace year of Deeper In for Children - you will find it at this link.  Today I want to write about why Deeper In for Children has a unified scope and sequence.

As Children Ministry leaders, we want to help children learn the "whats" - what the Bible says and therefore what we believe, what the difference is it makes in our lives for us to know what the Bible says, and we also need to teach the "whys" - why we are able to believe what we believe, but we also want to equip parents and grandparents so they are able to continue the teaching at hope - as we know, parents and grandparents and the most influential people in the lives of children.

Monday, June 5, 2023

Make Changes in Your Children's Ministry Which Will Help Children Grow in Their Faith with Deeper In for Children

This Summer as you evaluate your Children's Ministry, please pay close attention to whether you are doing things the same way as you always have and whether or not your results are showing children are leaving your ministry with a strong, confident faith.

Saturday, June 3, 2023

Learn, Be Prepared, Hand Down Confident Faith with the little answer book

There are grandparents/ parents in your ministry who have people they love who have turned from the faith they once had, so it is essential for you to recommend resources to them which will equip them with the answers to the question - why should I believe? I discovered there are solid answers to this question and compiled them into a simple book - the little answer book.

Friday, June 2, 2023

Give a Gift Which Makes a Difference on Children's Day & for Birthdays - the little answer book for children - and it is on Sale!

Please share with the parents and grandparents in your ministry - 

If you are looking for Children's Day and/or birthday gifts which make a difference, then today I am happy to let you know about a book which you could add to your gift list for the children you love - the little answer book for children.

Anchored - Teaming Up Church & Parents/Grandparents to Teach the "Whys"

  

You may or may not know about the Barna studies which show how so many of our children and grandchildren are turning away from their faith and to atheism. This is not something we have to just sit back and accept. We are able to do something about it. We are able to hand down confident faith and doing this involves teaching the children we love both the "whats" - what the Bible says and therefore what we believe - and teaching them the "whys" - why we are able to believe what we believe.