The time has come, you are a new mom or dad and you have been given the biggest responsibility of your life…making disciples of your children! We are called as parents to be the “primary discipler” of our children.
We are, as some would say, the most inner sphere-of-influence in our children’s lives, and we have an amazing opportunity to teach them the truth of who Jesus is daily by word and action. While this is an exciting adventure and noble calling, I know from firsthand experience that this can also feel overwhelming.
You are filled with questions like, “What if I mess this all up?” Or, “What if I don’t know enough about the Bible?” Or maybe the most common questions, “When do I start, and where do I even begin?” While discipleship at each phase looks different, the answer to the “when” question is easy.
Right now.
Right now is the perfect time to start the discipleship process of your child whether they are nine months or nine years old.
So where do you begin?
This is a great question with an answer that might look different depending on the phase your child is in. It can also depend on the flow, structure, and needs of your family at the moment. Where to begin and how to proceed can also change often as your children grow and change.
As the mom to a fifteen-month-old, this simply looks like praying for my child every night when I lay them down. We pray for their greatest need – their relationship with Christ – that they would know Him and trust Him as their Savior. We pray for the fruits of the Spirit to be in their life as a response from their salvation, and for their lives to glorify the Lord.
We read books about Jesus, sing songs about Jesus, and we make a habit of being in church on Sundays and surrounded by fellow believers. While the process of discipleship might look small right now, this will grow over time as my child grows and as their relationship with God develops. When that day comes, I will be excited to utilize some of the resources that exist to help me in this process!
Below are a few of my favorite books and discipleship-resources for kids…
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Tiny Theologians resources – https://www.tinytheologians.shop/
This website has incredible resources designed to help your kids in areas from Bible literacy to church history to theology! These tools are fun, creative, and loaded with truth. You can find the perfect resources for your family either by searching for a category or for a specific age-range. Several of these resources are perfect to be utilized at the dinner table, in the car while on the road, or just hanging around the house together as a family!
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The Ology: Ancient Truths Ever New by Marty Machowski
This book introduces systematic theology to children in a way that is fun and easy to understand! It also included built-in adaptations to be used for older or younger children. Perfect for ages 6-12, and also perfect for the family to gather around to learn together!
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Catechesis Books
The Catechesis Books publishing company creates books that help educate children in the basic tenets of faith. Their resources are designed to grow with your child starting at infancy and going through elementary school. They cover topics ranging from prayer to the study of Scripture, to worship, and more. Along with board books, they also create kid-friendly prints and resources for the home that help instill truth in your child throughout the day!
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The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
An incredible children’s Bible that seamlessly weaves the Gospel through from start to finish helping children to understand the story of Scripture as a whole! On top of this, Sally Lloyd-Jones has created a variety of resources that pair alongside the storybook Bible – from videos, to Christmas and Advent resources, to coloring books, and more!
● Exploring the Bible: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids by David Murray
This workbook will help kids ages 6-12 see the overarching story of God’s Word. This resource is simple, easy to use, and helps train your kids in creating a daily habit of reading their Bibles! It includes daily Bible readings, prayer points, memory verses, discussion questions, and space for notes.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of children’s resources! There are so many great tools that exist to help you in the process of discipling your children. We would love to hear what your favorites are, or other resources you have utilized within your family! Feel free to share them below and let us know which ones you and your kids are loving these days.
Looking for a community or someone to grab coffee with who is in a similar life season? We’d love to connect with you and get to know you better! Below you will find a few people that can’t wait to meet you, shoot us an email so we can make a plan!
Tyler OJ Campus
Teresa Ator: teresaa@gcc.org
Bethanie Tayler: bethaniet@gcc.org
Tyler UB Campus
Max Heller: maxh@gcc.org
Chrisleigh Heller: chrisleighh@gcc.org
Lindale Campus
Molly Pontius: mollyp@gcc.org
Debra Kirby: debra@gcc.org
