Equip the Children You Love for the 2023/24 School Year with Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children

 Please share this post with the parents and grandparents in your ministry - 

One of the most powerful things we are able to do for the children we love is for us to pray for them. One even more powerful thing we are able to do for them is to help them learn to be people who pray. With the 2023/24 school year about to begin, it is the perfect time to equip the children we love with learning to talk with God, so as they face whatever this year brings - the great things along with the challenging, they will have a firm foundation for them to hold to, come what may. To do this, give the children you love ages four through fourteen the book - Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children!

Use Anchored to Teach the "Whys" So Teaching the "Whats" "Sticks"

Your church puts a lot of time and money into teaching children the "whats" - what the Bible says and therefore what we believe, but as Barna's studies and Gallup's Poll shows us more and more of the children in our ministries are growing up and turning away from their faith. How are you able to change this? By teaching the children in your ministry the "whys" - why they are able to believe God is real, the Bible is true, God and science DO go together, and God is good. When children know the "whys", they are much more likely to hold on to the "whats" throughout their lives.

Help Children go Deeper Into God's Word with Deeper In for Children - Make it Your Choice for Fall 2023

 

Deeper In for Children is written to engage children in the learning process from start to finish by getting children to open Bibles, research the Bible event for the day, and prepare props which they use during the Large Group time. We do these things so the children go deeper into God's Word and will remember what they did in class and will be able to understand and live God’s Word in their everyday lives! 

Deeper In for Children AND Anchored will Provide the Tools You Need to Equip Children with a Confident Faith - Make Them 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.

Make a Difference with Bible Maze Journey events

Are you getting ready for the new school year at your church? Are you looking for an idea for an event your could put together which would truly engage families and leave them wanting more? If so, are you planning special events which will bring in families from your church as well as those who may only attend occasionally, or new families from your community? If so, then Check out Bible Maze Journey books - each book has three complete events!

Deeper In for Children includes Anchored - How Do they Make a Difference?

 

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. 

Deeper In for Children AND Anchored will Provide the Tools You Need to Equip Children with a Confident Faith!

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.

AND, along with teaching the "whats" - what the Bible says and what the difference is it makes in their lives to know these things, we also must teach the "whys". Barna's studies show our older children, youth, and young adults are turning away from their faith to atheism at double the rate of any previous generation. Yes, at double the rate. We all know people who are struggling through the pain of having their children, grown children, grandchildren who once had a strong faith, now turn away from their faith. This does not have to continue to happen, but if we want it to stop, we MUST teach the "whys" - why we are able to believe.

Deeper In for Children provides the tools you need to teach children in your church and community both of the "whats" AND the "whys" because when you buy Deeper In for Children you also receive for free Anchored supplemental curriculum. Anchored provides the tools you need to teach the "whys". With the tools you receive when you use Deeper In for Children in your ministry you will be able to equip children with a confident faith!

Deeper In for Children elementary curriculum will be available in a few days and the Deeper In for Children preschool/early elementary curriculum will be available a few weeks later. Please plan now to use Deeper In for Children with the children in your ministry. It will make a difference!

#handdownconfidentfaith #anchored #teachthewhys #DeeperInforChildren  #teachthewhats

Anchored will Help You Teach the "Whys" - More Important Now than Ever

As we approach the start of the new Sunday school year it is important to remember an article about new Gallup Poll results regarding how fewer people in the USA now see the Bible as the literal Word of God. The new poll showed, what was to me, a shocking result - only 20% of people believe the Bible is the literal Word of God - only 20%. This is the lowest percentage since they began taking this poll in 1976. Even more shocking to me, this is the first time more people - 29% - "say the Bible is a collection of 'fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man.'" They went on to say, "This marks the first time significantly more Americans have viewed the Bible as not divinely inspired than as the literal word of God."

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.

Touch bases with your Youth Ministry to see if children are remaining in the ministry, or are dropping out. Check with your Young Adults/ College Age ministry - are they still there? Ask the parents and grandparents what is happening as the ones they love grow older - are they showing a strong commitment to their faith?

What Will It Take?

What will it take for you to decide to offer opportunities which will equip grandparents so they are able to intentionally hand confident faith to the children they love? Clearly the research shows Gen Z is turning from the faith they once had to atheism at double the rate of any previous generation - and Barna believes this will be triple the rate by 2030 - which is not far away. There are absolutely families in your church who are experiencing the pain of this statistic playing out with the ones they love. So, if these things are not enough, what will it take?

Engage Children with Deeper In for Children - Make it Your Choice for Fall 2023

There are several essential things we must do when it comes to Children's Ministry - but one definitely involves creating as engaging a ministry as possible. If our ministry is not engaging, any child who does not have to be there, will not continue to come. These children typically are neighborhood children and those who come with grandparents, other family member, or a friend. These children who only come IF they want to come do matter. They are important. Jesus absolutely cares about them, so it is vital for us to be certain our Children's Ministry is as engaging as possible. Of course it also matters for those children who come with their parents. The day will come when they get to decide if they continue to go to church and if the Children's Ministry was engaging it is more likely they were able to understand what it means to believe in and walk with Jesus. For all the children in your ministry it matters if our ministry is engaging.

God's Leading . . . Are You Sure?

I often hear people in Children's Ministry talk about how God is leading them in their ministry. Often it is shared with the goal of taking their ministry in a different direction. There certainly may be times when God is leading us to go in a different and new  direction, but we need to be careful to distinguish between God's clear leading and our own wants. There is a lot of "power" with being able to say, "God is leading me to . . . " because how does someone "argue" "against" God and His "leading"? Consider the following thoughts -

What does Deeper In for Children Cost? - Use it in Your Ministry for Fall 2023

 

Every Children's Ministry has to work with their budget, so when it comes to curriculum, it matters what it costs. Today I want to write about what one year of  Deeper In for Children costs.

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.

Make This Year the Time When You Teach the "Whys" With Anchored

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 used to learn to read. These children also learned to write as they copied verses from the Bible. 

Use Anchored to Teach the "Whys" So Teaching the "Whats" "Sticks"

Your church puts a lot of time and money into teaching children the "whats" - what the Bible says and therefore what we believe, but as Barna's studies and Gallup's Poll shows us more and more of the children in our ministries are growing up and turning away from their faith. How are you able to change this? By teaching the children in your ministry the "whys" - why they are able to believe God is real, the Bible is true, God and science DO go together, and God is good. When children know the "whys", they are much more likely to hold on to the "whats" throughout their lives.

Offer More than a "Senior's Ministry" for Your Young Grandparents

Most of your churches have ministry opportunities for seniors. Most of the seniors in these ministries are grandparents. Most people become first-time grandparents between the ages of 47 and 50 which means, most of these young grandparents are not interested in becoming part of a Seniors Ministry - they will say it is for their parents! Plus, young grandparents generally have 15 to 20 years before they retire, so they are not even able to be part of most Seniors Ministries.

Use Anchored to Hand Down Confident Faith Which Lasts

If you have been reading my posts about Anchored, you know about the Barna studies which show how so many of our children and grandchildren are turning away from their faith and to atheism and the most recent Gallup Poll which shows only 20% of Americans believe the Bible is true. We do not have to just sit back and accept these things - especially as they impact our children. We are able to do something about it. We are able to hand down confident faith - 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.

Why Use Anchored to Teach the "Whys"?

Why should your church use Anchored to help you teach the "whys"? Consider the following reasons . . . 

Anchored Provides the "Tools" to Teach the "Whys"

With growing numbers of people in our country turning away from faith in God and belief in His Word, we must be ever more careful to not only teach what we believe, but to also teach the children we love why they are able to believe. We would never consider offering a Children's Ministry which did not teach the "whats" - what the Bible says and therefore what we believe - and yet few Children's Ministries teach the "whys" - why we are able to believe God is real, the Bible is true, God and science DO go together, and God is good. 

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

Why do you use traditional curriculum in your Children's Ministry? Clearly the answer is obvious . . . because teaching children the "whats" - what the Bible says and therefore what we believe - is one of the main purposes for your Children's Ministry. Of course you want to teach children about what the Bible says - so, you carefully select a curriculum which will help you do this in the most engaging and effective way.

Why Teach the "Whys"?

We know we want our Children's Ministry to teach the "whats" - what the Bible says and therefore what we believe because we want the children we love to know and believe. Ever since Sunday school began we have been teaching children the "whats" and children have been learning the "whats". God promises His Word will not return empty to Him, so when children learn the "whats", God is able to use His Word to work in their lives. Yet, while many of the children we love hold on to the faith they began as a child, more and more of them are not.

Teach the "Whys" with Anchored - it Matters for Today & Throughout the Lives of the Children in Your Ministry

Why did you choose the curriculum you are using this Fall in your Children's Ministry? Did you evaluate several curriculum lines, talk to publishers, ask other Children's Ministry leaders what they use and why? Did you think about the goals and mission of your Children's Ministry and then select the one which best matched what you want to do and engages children the most so they will remember what you teach? Did you choose the resource you believe will best help you teach the "whats" - what the Bible teaches and therefore what we believe?

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

Today as you may be thinking about getting Anchored to teach the "whys" to the children in your church, I want to share with you a few quotes about the very real need for apologetics.

Use Anchored with the Children You Love So They, "Have Certainty Concerning the Things (They) Have Been Taught"

I have been writing about some of the reasons why we need to teach the "whys" - and we certainly find another reason in Luke 1:1-4 -

Use Anchored So the Children You Love Are "Always Prepared to Make a Defense"

Last week I wrote about how Anchored will help you teach children why they are able to believe the Bible is trustworthy. Today I want to look at 1 Peter 3:15, 16 and how these verses give us another solid reason "why" we need to teach the "whys".