Raising kids with God at the centre - resources

Resource List

This is the adapted list of resources that I handed out.

Books for adults:

• Leading Your Child to Jesus, David Staal (Zondervan, 2006)

• Praying the Scriptures for your Children, Jodie Bernt (Zondervan, 2001)

• Disciplines of a Godly Family, Kent and Barbara Hughes (Crossway, 2004)
  

• Treasuring God in Our Traditions, Noël Piper (Crossway, 2003).
  

• Gospel-Centred Family, Ed Moll & Tim Chester (The Good Book Company, 2009)

• Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God, Bruce A. Ware (Crossway, 2009)

This link will take you to a summary page of all books for parents I have reviewed, which include most of these above. From there you can also link to more detailed reviews.


Books for children (from younger to oldest readers):

• Learn about God series by Carine Mackenzie (God has power, God is everywhere, God never changes, God is faithful, etc)
• The Beginner’s Bible series of bible stories
• God knows all about me, Kate Toms
• God Made You Nose to Toes, Leslie Parrott (ill. Valeria Petrone)
• God Gave Us You, Lisa Tawn Bergen (ill. Laura J. Bryant)
• Lost Sheep series by Andrew McDonough. Especially Dave the Donkey (An Easter Story)
• I’d Be Your Princess, Kathryn O’Brien (ill. Michel Garland)
• Ten boys and Ten girls series, by Irene Howat (10 boys/girls who didn’t give in, who made a difference, who changed the world, etc). For confident readers.

Some bible suggestions:

• The Big Picture Story Bible (David Helm, ill. Gail Schoonmaker, Crossway Books, 2004). This is a great bible for the 4-7 age group. It is one of the few children's bibles which explains that there is one unifying theme through the whole of the bible, God's people under God's rule in God's place. The illustrations are vivid and often from odd angles, which kids enjoy. The individual story units are sometimes too long, but you can split them.
• The Jesus Story Book Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, Sally Lloyd-Jones, ill. Jago. Very good for ages 5-8. It draws attention in each story to how Jesus will or does fulfill each part of the bible, Old or New Testament. The illustrations are engaging and enjoyable. It does not shy away from details and emotion.
• The Beginner's Bible (Candle Books, UK or Zonderkidz, USA, 2005). Suitable for 3-6 years. The stories give some detail and the pictures are engaging (although not very realistic!).
• My First Bible (ill. Andrew Gleeson and Sophie Keen; Parragon, 2007). Suitable for 4-6 year olds. The illustrations are less engaging and colourful, but the stories themselves are good and quite detailed.
• When reading independently, move to a full bible (simpler translation), eg. NIrV or Good News.
• For another review of bibles see my previous post or Jean's post.
  

Bible Reading Resources:
(all distributed by the Good Book Company)

• Beginning with God - Bible discovery for pre-schoolers
• XTB (for readers, 6+ years)
• Table Talk (family bible discovery with children age 4+)

Other resources:

• Music: Colin Buchanan, Emu Music, Veggie Tales, adult Christian music – both contemporary and traditional hymns
• Bible verses to song: Colin Buchanan’s Boom Chicka Boom & Baa Baa Doo Baa Baa
• DVDs: Colin Buchanan, Veggie Tales

Christmas Ideas

• Advent calendar / set of readings about the birth of Jesus or the story of the bible up to Jesus: design your own or use another, eg. Advent Calendar Packs or XTB – Christmas Unpacked (both by Good Book Company)
• Celebrate Jesus’ birthday the same way you would celebrate any other family birthday
• Listen to good Christian Christmas music CDs, eg. carols and Colin Buchanan’s King of Christmas

Easter Ideas

• Passover Meal on Thursday night (simplified for your family. An example is here)
• Read through accounts on the days they happened
• Daily readings leading up to Easter (design your own or use another, eg. XTB – Easter Unscrambled)
• ‘Resurrection cake’ on Easter Sunday (put an cracked Easter egg on top – to show the empty tomb)

Many of these Christmas and Easter ideas are from, or adapted from, Disciplines of a Godly Family (Hughes) and Treasuring God in Our Traditions (Piper). See the books for more ideas.


Organisations / Ministries to consider supporting (there are many more!)

• Compassion (Christian child sponsorship)
  
• Tear Australia (supporting Christian relief and development work, they also have a Useful Gift Catalogue)
  
• Samaritan’s purse (for Operation Christmas Child boxes)
• Church Missionary Society (CMS)
  
• Bush Church Aid