2012 Reading Challenge and Bible Adventure

ONE STORY, ONE BIG ADVENTURE

Judging by the success of Sally Lloyd Jones’ The Jesus Storybook Bible and R. C. Sproul’s new book, What’s in the Bible, as well as the many great and not-so-great knock-offs that have come along (i.e. The Story, a new kids’ Bible by Zondervan), there seems to be a new hunger for resources that help readers bring the scope of the Bible into focus.  And for good reason.  The Bible is a complex book–66 books, rather–and covers all of human history.  Its various books arose out of widely-differing cultures and epochs, and they include genres and sub-genres that range from historical narratives, allegories, family genealogies, business contracts, eye-witness accounts of contemporary events, romantic poetry, and on and on it goes.

But what’s it all about?  It’s so easy to get lost in the details sometimes.  Is there one story behind it all?

Janie and I would like to invite you and your children on a journey to find out this year.  Unlike many other Bible story resources for kids, we want to help you take your children to God’s Word itself.  In just two or three passages a week, we’ll help you give your kids a solid foundation in what the Bible–and life–is all about!  And we’ll do it in a creative way.  Each Sunday starting on January 8, we’ll post a passage for you to read with your kids.  Janie will prepare questions and activities for the older kids–ages 12-14, while I will handle the younger kiddos.

THE READING PLAN

Over the course of the year, we’ll cover 1) The Setting, 2) The Problem, 3) The Promise, 4) The Nation, 5) Kings, 6) Prophets, 7) Messiah, and 8 ) The Church.  We’ll give more specifics in the weeks to come.  But as a summary, each week we’ll cover two or three chapters for the older kids and the equivalent of one for the younger kids.  That means the reading will be quite manageable, something we hope will make the study accessible to lots of people, including new Christians or those who aren’t great readers themselves.  In case you are curious, we’ll be using the ESV Study Bible as a primary resource, though I’ll also be drawing from D. A. Carson’s most recent introductions to the Old and New Testaments for historical info or questions.  If you need a Bible for your kids over the course of the project, we recommend the ESV Seek and Find Bible.  (See link below.)

MAKE YOUR OWN STORY BIBLE

For younger kids or kids who are artistically inclined, we’re sponsoring a Make Your Own Story Bible contest to go with the reading challenge.  Week by week, we’ll provide art helps and illustration resources (we hope from some bona fide kids’ book illustrators!) that your kids can use to illustrate a scene from that week’s passage.  We’ll also include a coloring page you can simply download and let your kids color if you prefer that route.  At the end of the year, your child will have his own story Bible, a unique treasure for years to come.  And he’ll have learned quite a lot about both the Bible and art!  Each week, we’ll invite you to submit your kids’ illustration, and we’ll choose one winner each week.  By the end of the year, we’ll take all the weekly winners, upload them to Lulu.com, and use them to create a real picture book memento of our adventure together.   You’ll then be able to purchase a copy, or make one of your own.

SIGN UP BELOW

To sign up for a weekly Reading Challenge email, as well as any related book giveaways and extras that may come along, just leave us a comment below.  Be sure to include your email address in the proper field.   That way only we’ll have access to it–not other people reading the site.  Needless to say, we promise to treat your email address just as we’d like ours to be treated.  We’ll never give it away to anyone else or sign you up for something else on the site.  We’re just cool like that.

Would you like to be more consistent in teaching your kids the Bible?  Do you know a new Christian or someone with reading challenges who could benefit from this study?  We’d love to have you along!

         

COMMENTS

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Stay Up to Date!

Get the information you need to make wise choices about books for your children and teens.

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emily

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67 Comments

  1. Sunny on January 2, 2012 at 1:18 pm

    Wow! I am looking forward to this! Thanks and happy new year! 🙂

  2. Forrest on January 2, 2012 at 1:40 pm

    Me too!

  3. Joey Espinosa on January 2, 2012 at 2:00 pm

    Sounds good. I’m in!

  4. Kim on January 2, 2012 at 2:11 pm

    Sounds great! Can’t wait! Thank you!

  5. Karen on January 2, 2012 at 2:13 pm

    We just bought the Seek and Find Bible per your recommendations. Sign us up!

  6. Kathy on January 2, 2012 at 3:04 pm

    I’m interested in this as well. I’m working on a once-a-week history timeline book for my daughters, one of whom has developmental delays and doesn’t get history in her school. So I probably won’t use your material exactly but it will help as I develop my history timeline page from a Christian perspective.

  7. emily on January 2, 2012 at 3:29 pm

    This is gonna be fun….

  8. Mark on January 2, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    Please sign me up.

  9. Erin on January 2, 2012 at 4:32 pm

    I’d love to be included in the emails. My youngest son has the Seek and Find Bible, but we haven’t used it very much yet. This will be a great opportunity to crack it open.

  10. Chris on January 2, 2012 at 5:35 pm

    I have three young kids that would love to follow along this year. Thanks.

  11. Eileen on January 2, 2012 at 6:20 pm

    can’t wait!

  12. Brandy on January 2, 2012 at 6:46 pm

    This is awesome. I’m so excited. Great idea and thank you!!!

  13. Jess on January 2, 2012 at 8:09 pm

    Me, please! 🙂 Oh, and I was looking for a devotional-ish book or program to do with my brothers, and this is just the thing! Thank you!

  14. Kimberly on January 2, 2012 at 9:12 pm

    I’d love to follow along with you!

  15. willowsprite on January 2, 2012 at 9:21 pm

    Sounds great!

  16. Jennifer on January 2, 2012 at 9:53 pm

    We would love to know more about it! Thanks!

  17. Jenn on January 3, 2012 at 9:19 am

    Sounds great!

  18. Michelle L on January 3, 2012 at 11:05 am

    Our family would love to participate. We have two boys, 10 and 13.

  19. jude on January 4, 2012 at 8:10 am

    this sounds dee-light-full 🙂
    thanks!!

  20. Kim on January 4, 2012 at 10:25 am

    Thank you!

  21. Marlo on January 4, 2012 at 12:01 pm

    I’m in! What a terrific idea — I think my middle will especially enjoy the art challenge!

  22. Stacy on January 4, 2012 at 1:01 pm

    We’re in!

  23. Emily on January 4, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    My crew is young (4 under 6), but we’ll dive in as we can. Thanks!

  24. Ashley Brittain on January 4, 2012 at 3:49 pm

    I have 3 boys ~ ages 13 and twins that are almost 11. We just discussed reading the Bible more in 2012. Excited to do this as a family!

  25. Julia on January 4, 2012 at 7:38 pm

    The “Make your own Picture Bible” sounds very interesting. Thanks!

  26. Bob on January 4, 2012 at 8:45 pm

    great!

  27. Summer Lee on January 5, 2012 at 9:02 am

    We’re in. My 13 year old son and I are looking forward to joining you.

  28. melanie on January 5, 2012 at 3:29 pm

    Okay, we’re in! Looking forward to it.

  29. Amy on January 5, 2012 at 8:11 pm

    Please sign us up!

  30. Lita on January 5, 2012 at 10:31 pm

    We’re in too!

  31. Lauren on January 6, 2012 at 7:19 am

    Sign me up please!

  32. Peter on January 6, 2012 at 8:27 am

    sign me up!

  33. Travis Lowe on January 6, 2012 at 8:39 pm

    Sign me up

  34. Tonya Roth on January 6, 2012 at 10:19 pm

    Please sign us up as well.

  35. Carolina on January 7, 2012 at 2:54 am

    Can i please sign up, thanks

  36. Paula on January 7, 2012 at 8:59 am

    Looking forward to seeing what you put together!

  37. Stephanie on January 7, 2012 at 9:06 am

    This sounds wonderful, please include us! Thank you.

  38. Christina on January 7, 2012 at 9:10 am

    Sign me up!

  39. deonva on January 7, 2012 at 9:35 am

    me too

  40. Sarah C on January 7, 2012 at 9:41 am

    I would love to sign up for this! My little ones are 8, 6, and 4, and we homeschool. This would be a wonderful addition to our studies! Thank you!

  41. kim abbrat on January 7, 2012 at 1:18 pm

    Please sign me up.

  42. Amy Blundon on January 7, 2012 at 1:36 pm

    So excited to start this with my family! Thank you!

  43. An on January 7, 2012 at 8:28 pm

    Please sign me up.

  44. Serena on January 7, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    So glad I read this today! Looking forward to the first installment tomorrow.

  45. Lyndy White on January 8, 2012 at 2:18 pm

    Please include me.

  46. Christine on January 8, 2012 at 4:42 pm

    Found your website through a friend. Would love to be added!!

  47. Tisha Powell on January 8, 2012 at 5:31 pm

    Please include me. Thanks!

  48. April on January 12, 2012 at 8:56 am

    Looking forward to trying this out in our household and excited about the Make-Your-Own-Bible drawings. 6yr old daughter will love this.

  49. Sandy Leadbeater on January 12, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    Bit late but would love to be part of this!

  50. Jen on January 17, 2012 at 9:55 pm

    Would love to receive the weekly Reading Challenge please!

  51. Betsy on January 18, 2012 at 6:32 pm

    Sign me up! I’m a bit late to the party, but we’ll catch up.

  52. Kathy on February 2, 2012 at 7:46 am

    Sign me up also. We will catch up!

  53. Kathy on February 2, 2012 at 7:46 am

    Sign me up also. We will catch up!

  54. Phyllis Drew on March 5, 2012 at 10:08 pm

    If it’s not too late, please sign us up! Thank you!

  55. Shani on March 13, 2012 at 5:48 am

    We would love to be signed up! Thanks,

  56. Marcia on March 13, 2012 at 6:15 am

    Please sign me up. It is the Persian New Year, so I will start now. Thank you

  57. Sarah G on March 13, 2012 at 3:37 pm

    I would like to be on the list as well. Thanks!

  58. Alane on March 18, 2012 at 8:01 pm

    Ummm…are we too late? If not, we’d like to join you. Thanks!

  59. Susan on March 19, 2012 at 8:45 am

    I’d like to join in, too. This looks great!

  60. Julie on March 20, 2012 at 9:08 pm

    Is it too late to join in? Please sign me up if I can still join.
    Thank you.

    • emily on March 21, 2012 at 2:39 pm

      Not too late at all! In fact, in the next few weeks we’ll be putting together a download for folks who need to catch up. Happy to have you along with us, Julie!

  61. Deb on April 25, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    Getting later…but this looks wonderful.
    Thank you.

    • emily on April 25, 2012 at 7:24 pm

      Glad you’re interested, Deb. We are hoping to put together a download with the previous months’ materials, especially for folks like you who want to catch up. Watch for that in the next few weeks!

  62. Christine on October 3, 2012 at 2:43 pm

    Just came across this site and I am so interested in joining the challenge. As it is late in the year, do you think you will do this again starting in 2013? Or would you recommend starting now at the beginning? Any suggestions? Thank you!

    • emily on October 4, 2012 at 7:57 am

      Christine,

      I don’t think there’s any advantage in waiting, since everybody tends to go at their own pace anyway. BUT, we will probably produce a download so you can get all the materials at once. That will probably be available in January, if you’d rather wait for that.

      Glad you’re interested!

  63. Christine on October 6, 2012 at 1:55 pm

    Thank you for the info! Looking forward to starting.

  64. Luanne K on November 12, 2013 at 1:32 pm

    I’m interested in receiving the downloads if they are still available! I was searching for reviews on Children’s Bibles and came across this site. Thanks!

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