I will never forget the first time I learned something in Church before I learned it in school. It was such a fun feeling to already know the history and geography the teacher was explaining because I had learned it from the Bible years earlier. Many other Christians have shared a similar reaction in their school experiences. On some level, it adds a sense of awe and “coolness” to the Bible. (Not that it isn’t cool enough on its own – but that’s another topic for another day!)
Many times when teaching kids and teens the Bible, we focus only on the story. We get so caught up in helping the kids remember who did what to whom, we forget all of that information fits into the context of the world at large. Biblical history is not some special little isolated collection of mysterious almost invisible events. Rather it was as much a part of world history and geography as anything your child will learn in school.
Continue reading Connecting Your Child’s Schoolwork to the Bible
Have your ever surprised a young child with something they have wanted their “whole life”? If you have, you have probably witnessed pure, unsurpassed joy. In fact for many children, childhood is a time filled with joy. As time passes however, the joy seems to slowly seep out of life for many people and is replaced by what the French call ennui – fancy boredom.
If you want your children to be faithful, active, productive Christians as adults, they need to be able to see God easily. Don’t worry. I am not talking about eerie visions or random voices. Your children need to be able to see that God is alive and active today. Not only in the world, but in the lives of your children as individuals.
I love little girls when they are in that three to five year old range. They will put together the most creative outfits you have ever seen. I remember I left our sleeping daughter with my husband when she was that age. He was going to help her get dressed and then they were meeting me somewhere a little later. She showed up in let’s just say a very innovative outfit.
My daughter has always been very confident sharing her faith. She easily shares her beliefs with people many Christians would consider “difficult to convert”. She started this at an extremely young age by just having natural conversations with her peers.