If one of your New Year's resolutions is to have family devotional times on a regular basis, you will appreciate LifeGuide FAMILY Bible Studies, a new series published by InterVarsity Press and created especially for families with children ages four to twelve. It is one of the few guilt-free Bible studies available for those who want to form a new habit of having family devotions every day, yet may have trouble getting started. Or maybe you are looking for a fresh way to liven up an established family tradition. If you can carve just fifteen minutes out of your busy day, you can have a rewarding family time.
Families who are looking for fun, interesting ways to teach their children Christian values should give LifeGuide FAMILY Bible Studies a try. Home schoolers will be especially interested in a curriculum that helps children develop reading and verbal skills, as well as the ability to apply new learnings to their own lives.
What makes the LifeGuide series unique is its simple, friendly, flexible format designed to make family "quiet time" not so quiet. Each study begins with an interest builder that starts where kids are and brings them into the Bible study with fresh eyes. The Bible text, from the International Children's Bible, New Century Version, is printed in the book for easy access (however, any version may be used). Several discussion questions for a variety of age levels are included. Some questions are marked for older children who are ready for the challenge of more difficult concepts. A paper-and-pencil activity is included, as well as a prayer.
But the real bonus is the family activity at the end of the lesson. You'll find that this section is the part the whole family will look forward to with anticipation. The finale of each lesson brings the Bible study back from history to "real time" and drives the new concept home.
Eight volumes present vital Christian concepts and values in a series of studies on topics of importance for today's families.
How can you counter the secular humanistic view of self-esteem? Try the volume on God's Great Invention, which offers children a solid understanding of who God made them to be and why they can take pleasure in being themselves. Maybe your child has hit a physical growth spurt but needs some encouragement in spiritual growth. Grown Up on the Inside is packed with outstanding lessons on humility, mercy, responsibility, and servanthood. Good Choice, Bad Choice teaches kids how to make good decisions when they are facing temptations. Other volumes include The Wisdom Workshop, Fruit-Filled, The Friendship Factory, Jesus Loves Me, and Super Bible Heroes.
You can start with any volume and complete the lessons in any order. All volumes have 18 lessons each, and all are excellent. However, for a more powerful punch, you may want to save the Super Bible Heroes for one of your later studies. This will help you avoid the "Bible biography trap" and reinforce your kids' learning of character building principles.
The writers of the curriculum clearly recognize that families may have children in different age ranges and that keeping the attention of both younger children and older children could be a problem. They offer helpful instructions in a note at the front of each book on leading discussions and making sure all family members have an opportunity to participate. If a family has no young children, they suggest skipping the bonus activities near the end of each session. However, the series is best for children through the fourth grade.
James C. Galvin, the general editor, holds an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction. He served as the general editor of the Kid's Application Bible and is the author of Bible Lessons for Life and coauthor of 102 Questions Children Ask About the Bible.
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