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!
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67 Comments
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Wow! I am looking forward to this! Thanks and happy new year! 🙂
Me too!
Sounds good. I’m in!
Sounds great! Can’t wait! Thank you!
We just bought the Seek and Find Bible per your recommendations. Sign us up!
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.
This is gonna be fun….
Please sign me up.
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.
I have three young kids that would love to follow along this year. Thanks.
can’t wait!
This is awesome. I’m so excited. Great idea and thank you!!!
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!
I’d love to follow along with you!
Sounds great!
We would love to know more about it! Thanks!
Sounds great!
Our family would love to participate. We have two boys, 10 and 13.
this sounds dee-light-full 🙂
thanks!!
Thank you!
I’m in! What a terrific idea — I think my middle will especially enjoy the art challenge!
We’re in!
My crew is young (4 under 6), but we’ll dive in as we can. Thanks!
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!
The “Make your own Picture Bible” sounds very interesting. Thanks!
great!
We’re in. My 13 year old son and I are looking forward to joining you.
Okay, we’re in! Looking forward to it.
Please sign us up!
We’re in too!
Sign me up please!
sign me up!
Sign me up
Please sign us up as well.
Can i please sign up, thanks
Looking forward to seeing what you put together!
This sounds wonderful, please include us! Thank you.
Sign me up!
me too
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!
Please sign me up.
So excited to start this with my family! Thank you!
Please sign me up.
So glad I read this today! Looking forward to the first installment tomorrow.
Please include me.
Found your website through a friend. Would love to be added!!
Please include me. Thanks!
Looking forward to trying this out in our household and excited about the Make-Your-Own-Bible drawings. 6yr old daughter will love this.
Bit late but would love to be part of this!
Would love to receive the weekly Reading Challenge please!
Sign me up! I’m a bit late to the party, but we’ll catch up.
Sign me up also. We will catch up!
Sign me up also. We will catch up!
If it’s not too late, please sign us up! Thank you!
We would love to be signed up! Thanks,
Please sign me up. It is the Persian New Year, so I will start now. Thank you
I would like to be on the list as well. Thanks!
Ummm…are we too late? If not, we’d like to join you. Thanks!
I’d like to join in, too. This looks great!
Is it too late to join in? Please sign me up if I can still join.
Thank you.
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!
Getting later…but this looks wonderful.
Thank you.
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!
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!
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!
Thank you for the info! Looking forward to starting.
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!