Resources for parents

Numerous other resources that may be of interest to parents are listed on topic pages under headings of Apologetics, (ie. articles, books, videos, websites, etc.), Bible (ie. Bibles, books, spiritual growth, Bible apps, Bible studies, etc.), Creation (ie. articles, books, videos, websites, etc.), History (ie. articles, books, videos, websites, etc.), and Leaders (ie. Kidmin Resources, Resources for Preteens, Preteen Leader Resources, Resources for Teens, etc.). There are also other resources under the Families heading (ie. Camps & Internships, Homeschooling, etc.).

BIBLE VERSES / TRACTS FOR KIDS:

“Let the Little Children Come” – collection of Bible verses for children with downloadable wallpapers” – can be viewed in 6 different translations and each comes with a mobile and desktop wallpaper“; also offers tracts for kids and resources for sharing the gospel.

“Creation Moments Scrambled Scriptures” – “‘word search'” puzzle to help kids of all ages memorize Bible passages and learn what the Bible says about creation and other Bible-science issues”.

“Summer Bible Quest” – by “Teach Sunday School”: “15 Bible Quests to Build Character & Faith”; kids choose from 2 adventures for each quest; those on their email list receive offers for many great deals on resources to teach the Bible.

CREATION BIBLE INSTITUTES, COLLEGES, & SEMINARIES:

Creation Bible Institutes in U.S. – handy list compiled by “Answers in Genesis” (AIG); see main section page.

Creation Colleges and Universities in U.S. – handy list compiled by “Answers in Genesis” (AIG); see main section page.

Creation Seminaries in U.S. – handy list compiled by “Answers in Genesis” (AIG); see main section page.

DISCIPLING KIDS (see other resources on homeschooling, Kidmin, & Preteen pages):

Articles:

“A Devastating Report on Christian Education” – by Mike Riddle, founder of “Creation Training Inititative” (CTI); with excerpts from “You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving the Church… And Rethinking the Faithby David Kinnaman, President of “Barna Group”.

“A Guide For Parents On How To Introduce Christianity To Their Children” – by John Stafford for “Religious Degrees”; [note: great tips, but site founder does not unequivocally recommend all of the resources listed].

“Apologetics for Children: Be Ready – Always!” – by Mary Jo LeBlanc for “Creation Today”.

“Equipping Children to Share Their Faith” –  by Dale Hudson, founder of “Building Children’s Ministry”.

“Gender Transition for Minors: What Does the Research Say?: Contrary to what is consistently filling our newsfeeds, there is a disturbing lack of evidence that intervening in a child’s gender development produces beneficial results of any kind. More than that, many studies are showing a strong potential for lasting harm. ” – by John Stonestreet &
Kasey Leander for “Breakpoint, The Colson Center”; “Last month, Dr. Stan Weed with the “Institute for Research and Evaluation” produced an invaluable paper on the subject, entitled “Transgender Research: Five Things Every Parent and Policy-Maker Should Know”.

“Generations” (from October, 2021 email newsletter) – “Five Considerations When Choosing Books for Your Ravenous Readers [each suggestion had more detail, but that would make it too long here]: 1. Make sure your children are getting saturated in God’s word FIRST; 2. Give your kids the great Christian writers; 3. Use caution in introducing books that present opposing/anti-Christian worldviews; 4. Watch out for escapism; 5. Be proactive in monitoring your child’s reading diet”; site offers a page of book collections for children for as well as a “New at Generations” page.

“Growing Up In Church and Then Walking Away” – by Dale Hudson of “Building Children’s Ministry”.

“How Should I Teach My Kids about the Armor of God?” – by author & professor, Iain Duguid, for “Crosswalk”.

“Three Ways to Teach your Kids Apologetics (without them realizing it)” – by Paul M. & Ethel M.” Gould for “Christian Research Institute” (CRI); taken from CRI’s magazine, “Christian Research Journal”.

“Transformation of a Transgender Teen” – by Sarah Eekhoff Zlystra for “The Gospel Coalition” (TGC).

“Understanding Gender Dysphoria: Navigating Transgender Issues in a Changing Culture” – by Sam Ferguson for “The Gospel Coalition” (TGC).

“Why I Drove Past 50 Restaurants and Didn’t Stop” – by Dale Hudson of “Building Children’s Ministry”.

Books/Studies:

“Ask My Pastor: He Knows That Stuff!: A quick-start guide to what Christians believe” – by evangelist, author of preteen curriculum, & “musicianary”, Alan Root.

“Brave Heroes and Bold Defenders: 50 True Stories of Daring Men of God” -by: Shirley Raye Redmond.

“Chronicles of Dinosauria” – by David Woetzel, founder of “DinoDave.com” and President of Genesis Park”; “aims to prove that dinosaurs and humans once lived alongside each other. Similarities between dragons and dinosaurs, controversial human-dinosaur footprint tracks, Moche pottery depictions, accounts of fossils ‘younger’ than the record, and modern cryptozoological expeditions are all shown as lines of evidence leading towards a literal-biblical model that supports a hypothesis of human-dinosaur interaction”.

“Courageous Identity for Teen Edition”“Equip your TEEN to stand against the attack on their IDENTITY”; a 36-week student course book and companion parent guide written by Certified Mental Health Coach and homeschooling mom of over 20 years, Angela O’Dell; can see the Scope & Sequence here; her website also offers a blog and other resources.

“Creation Fun with the Grandkids: Activities That Inspire Conversations About Our Creator” – by Ruth Carter; offered by “Answers in Genesis” (AIG); “How can you share biblical truth with your grandchildren during the precious time you have when they are young? Use the over 40 tried-and-true project ideas in this book from a ‘veteran grandma’ to help you do just that. Each project is accompanied by Creation Moment discussions to share with your grandchildren or children.”

“Deeper Kidmin” – online resource with “innovative thoughts and practical resources for KidMin leaders to use in their ministries and for parents to use at home”; founded by Brittany, former children’s ministry leader; offers the “DKM Marketplace with free resources, leadership admin & volunteer resources, events, curriculum, her blog, free weekly downloads, & more.

“Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible” – by Danika Cooley, homeschooling mom & author and founder of “Thinking Kids; “Leading our kids to life through Scripture is not only doable, it’s an essential part of parenting kids for Jesus. And the good news is studying God’s Word as a family doesn’t have to be hard or overly time-consuming. This book will give you the tools and confidence to study the Bible as a family. It will help you identify and overcome your objections and fears, give you a crash course in what the Bible is all about and how to teach it, and provide the tools and techniques to set up a family Bible-study habit.”

“Discover 4 Yourself series” – by Kay Arthur of “Precept Ministries”; many inductive Bible studies for older kids/preteens; can use at church or home.

“Eat this Book Challenge!”by Dema Kohen, pastor, speaker, & founder of “We are Kidmin”; has blog for parents/leaders; “We want them [kids] to fall in love with the Bible and develop a passionate, life-long relationship with God’s Holy Book.”; uses Facebook page; can be used at church or home.

“Explorer Series for Kids” apologetics series for 5th-6th graders – by “Apologetics Press”; 13 sessions of “full-color, 8-page lessons includes professional artwork and illustrations that appeal to young readers”; “flexible enough so that it can be used in Bible class settings, VBS classes, homeschooling, or even summer camps.”

“Fertile Soil…see kids’ faith grow and flourish for a lifetime” – by Dale Hudson – pastor, author, speaker, & founder of “Building Children’s Ministry”.

“Follow Me” – 8-week preteen series based on book by pastor, author, speaker, David Platt, of “Radical”; study offered through “Lifeway”; can be used at church or home.

“GodQuest” DVD-Based Study for Teens – by Sean McDowell.

“Is God Real? Prove It! A Child’s Defense” – by Pam Antoun.

“JOY International” – “is dedicated to the prevention of child trafficking and to the freedom, healing, and empowerment of trafficked children, teens, and young adults worldwide”; vision is is to see each captive set free from a life of slavery to experience the true joy of reaching their greatest potential in every area of life”; offers “Freedom Project” which is “based on Micah 6:8, the 6:8 Freedom Project curriculum provides an age-appropriate, faith-based look into trafficking around the world, while encouraging students to discover their own passions and gifts to make a difference”. “Each of the 12 lessons included in the curriculum invite students to : learn, engage, and make an impact.”

“Kingdompreneur Academy”“Make money – Make a Difference”; for kids to become entrepreneurs and raise money for Kingdom work; by Dema Kohen, pastor, speaker, & founder of “We are Kidmin”; uses Facebook page.

“Merging Science and Scripture” DVD – by “Creation Today”; demonstrates “some of our Creator’s scientific law and scriptural applications with ten exciting experiments”; good for church or home, preteens or teens.

“My Awesome Adventure” – by “Discipleland” in partnership with Karl Bastian, founder of “Kidology”; offers Disciple Guides for ages 9-12 and 6-9 and Leader Guides; bundle also available; fun discipleship Bible study for church or home.

“New Growth Press” (NGP) – “publishes gospel-centered, Bible-based materials that provide churches, families, and individuals with resources for personal and spiritual growth and change”; offers books, small group studies, kids’ curriculum, books for teens/young adults, a blog, & more.

“Patterns of Evidence for Young Explorers” – based on movie “Patterns of Evidence: Exodus” (discovering evidence for the Exodus account); by Tim Mahoney; see trailer on website; can be used at church or home.

“Revelation for Kids: Revelation made simple for kids and grownups too” – by Shama Stock; offers resources for those who “feel overwhelmed by the complexity of Revelation and yet know it’s important” or “have a desire to share the Revelation of Jesus with the kids and teens in your life but need some resources”, and are “looking for truth based on the Word of God alone”; great Bible-focused resource to help people understand and teach from this important book; Revelation 1:3 tells us, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”; offers “The 7 Churches: Lessons from the Book of Revelation” (see sample lesson); can also find picture cards, coloring pages, and an e-book for teens (“Dragons and Beasts”) and even offers a 3-session overview of the book of Revelation to download at no charge; also offers a  “Revelation Quick Start Guide” and the “Read Revelation Challenge”.

“Root Bible Academy” – “non-profit with the goal of equipping families to grow together spiritually”; offers “tools to empower parents, not replace them (You are the spiritual leader of your home, not us Root will equip you to be that, and do it well.); helping kids find God and  fall in love with Him (through fun weekly learning and tools to apply what they learn, your kids will grow spiritually); online courses (mini courses free); Kate Richter is founder & homeschooling convention speaker; also offers Facebook page & YouTube channel.

“Sea Kids” DVD trailer“Sea Kids help kids to build a relationship with Jesus and others. Join the Sea Kids in three fun adventures about respect, sharing and teamwork”; also have Facebook page, Sea Kids TV, and book series by author & Bible professor, Lee Ann Mancini from “GLM Publishing”; can find on “Rightnow Media” and “Pureflix”.

“Talking with your Kids about God: 30 Conversations Every Christian Parent Must Have” – by Natasha Crain, founder of “Christian Mom Thoughts”; addresses apologetics for kids; see 2-minute video interview with “One Minute Apologist”.

“The Case for Christ Children’s Curriculum: Investigating the Truth about Jesus” DVD preteen study based on book by Lee Strobel; can be used at church or home; also available are series of kids’ books as well as teen books on same topics as books for adults.

“The Greatest Journey” – 12-part discipleship program for kids from “Billy Graham Evangelism Association” (BGEA).

“Truth:78” offers material for discipling kids; from “Desiring God”, founded by pastor, author John Piper.

“Unseen: The Armor of God for Kids” 7-week spiritual warfare study of Ephesians 6:10-17; “based on the Armor of God study by Priscilla Shirer of “Going Beyond Ministries” and helps equip kids to put on the Armor of God to fight life’s battles. Each week develops an aspect of God’s own character, as expressed through Jesus, through Bible study and fun learning activities”; can be used at church or home.

“What’s for Dinner?” campaign kit: “a simple, fun, and powerful tool that will encourage and equip the families in your church to gather around the dinner table more often and connect with each other on a deep and meaningful level” – by Dema Kohen, founder of “We Are Kidmin”.

FAMILY EVENTS:

“Bible Bee”“to know God’s Word and Make Him Known” – 4 age groups from age 4 – 18; Summer Study registration starts in mid-March; late registration ends May 31; summer study June & July; qualifying test in early August; national competition in November.

https://vimeo.com/155747161

“FamBlitz LIVE” “a 1 hour and 20 minute crowd participation show that we bring to your venue. With the theme of inspiring families to think like a team, parents and kids participate on stage and from their seats in a variety of games and challenges. A Biblical message is woven in throughout games and crowd challenges with no dedicated preaching time”.

“Kids’ Celebration” church events for whole families to have fun together; can invite other families as fun outreach.

“Seeds” Family Worship Events from “Seeds Family Worship”; Word of God put to music – families memorize Scripture through fun music; also offer CDs, DVDs, and sheet music.

“Spirit West Coast”“single-day, multi artists Christian music festivals that are presented in three California cities: Ontario (Inland Empire So Calif.) Concord (Bay Area) and Del Mar (San Diego)”.; was in June in 2019; co-produced by “Transparent Productions and “Celebration Concerts”; took our kids when they were elementary & junior high ages – was a camp-out event then – created great family memories (even if I didn’t notice that I had pitched our tent on a bit of a slant).

“Yancy” family Christian music events from “Yancy Ministries”; also has CDs, DVDs, Kids’ Worship, & more.

PARENTING ARTICLES:

“3 Reasons to Teach Kids About Life in the Womb” by Danika Cooley, home-schooling mom and founder of “Thinking Kids”.

“4 Things I Want to Be for My Grandkids” – by Sherry Surratt for “The Parent Cue”.

“7 Ways to ‘Disciple’ Your Kids” – by Dr. Tim Clinton for Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk.

“8 Ways to Pray for Your Children & Teens” by Elisabeth Lee (could not find bio) for “Parent Ministry”.

“12 Ways to Love Your Wayward Child” – by Desiring God” staff.

“About High Sensitivity, Autism, and Neurodiversity” – by Dr. Elaine N. Aron, founder of “The Highly Sensitive Person” (author refers to evolution in her book, but her insight of highly sensitive and autistic people is helpful).

“Apologetics for Children: How can we help our children understand evidence for the Christian faith?” – by Mikel Del Rosario, founder of “Your Apologetics Guy”.

“Children Should Not Be Allowed to Medically Change Their Genders,’ Says Johns Hopkins Professor” – by Amanda Casanova for “Christian Headlines”.

“Dinner Time Discipleship” – by Dale Hudson of “Building Children’s Ministry”.

“Eight Tips to Help You Disciple Your Kids” – by Brian Dembowczyk, Managing Editor of “The Gospel Project”.

“Enhancing Kids’ Worldview” – by Dale Hudson of “Building Children’s Ministry”.

“Fighting for the Heart of Our Adopted Son” – by Kim Nunes for “The Parent Cue”.

“Five Keys to Setting Children Free from Fear” by Dema Kohen of “We Are Kidmin”.

“Great Parents Build Balanced Disciples” – by the Discipleland blog in 2018.

“Help! My Child is the Bully! What Should I Do?” – by Dr. Chinwé Williams
for “The Parent Cue”.

“How a Biblical Worldview Shapes the Way We Teach Our Children” by the Discipleland blog in 2018.

“How I’m teaching my 6-year-olds to be critical thinkers” – by Natasha Crain of “Christian Mom Thoughts” for “North American Mission Board” (NAMB).

“Journeying Through a Tough Diagnosis” – by Toni Collier for
for “The Parent Cue”.

“Montana Students Have Constitutional Right to Go on Dinosaur Museum Field Trip Without Fearing Threats From Anti-Creationists, Says Legal Group” – by Michael Gryboski for the “Christian Post”.

“Navigating the Challenges Teens Face” – by Jim Daly, President of “Focus on the Family.

“Parenting Is Hard for a Reason” – by

Preparing Kids for the Real Worldby Dale Hudson of “Building Children’s Ministry”.

“Reaching the Heart of Your Tween Daughter” – by Rebecca Ingram Powell for “Lifeway”.

“Redeeming Love for Run-Down Parents” – by Jon Coombs (bio on same page) for “Rooted”, “a place to reflect theologically on how student ministers can ground their message and ministries more deeply in the Cross and the Gospel of grace”.

“Special Needs Parenting is Too Big to Do Alone” – by Diane Dokko Kim for “The Parent Cue”.

“Talking with Kids About the El Paso & Dayton Shootings” [note from site founder: or any other tragedy that creates anxiety in kids] – by Dale Hudson of “Building Children’s Ministry”.

“Teach Them About Marriage Before the World Does” – by Jani Ortlund of “Renewal Ministries” for “Desiring God”.

“The Biblical Way to Build Your Child’s Self-Worth” – by Erin Davis for “Lifeway”.

“The Critical Pre-Teen Years” – by Dale Hudson, founder of “Building Children’s Ministry”.

“Three Ways to Teach your Kids Apologetics (without them realizing it)” – by Paul M. & Ethel M. Gould for “Christian Research Institute” (CRI); taken from CRI’s magazine, “Christian Research Journal”.

“Understanding How Your Teen Thinks” – by Jim Daly, President of “Focus on the Family”.

“What are the Colors of Sin, Sorry, and Saved? (Teaching Children About Salvation)” – by Shari Abbott of “Reasons for Hope* Jesus.

“What Kids Really Need” – by the Discipleland blog.

“What practical advice would you give to parents as they shepherd their children’s use of technology?” 2-minute video answer – by R. Albert Mohler.

“What To Do When a Child Has Doubts About God’s Existence” – by Dale Hudson, founder of “Building Children’s Ministry”.

“Why Showing Kindness to Your Spouse Matters to Your Kids” – by Ted Lowefor “The Parent Cue”.

PARENTING BIBLE STUDIES:

“Grace-Based Parenting” small group DVD study – “raising spiritually strong children who grow up with a sense of calm and a heart full of purpose“; by Tim Kimmel, founder of “Family Matters”, “whose goal is to see families transformed by God’s grace into instruments of restoration and reformation by equipping families for every age and stage of life”.

“Visionary Parenting” – DVD 8 session small group study by Rob Rienow, founder of “Visionary Family Ministries”.

PARENTING BOOKS:

“Praying the Scriptures for Your Children” by Jodie Berndt; “how to make the Bible a book of prayers that can powerfully influence your children’s lives. You’ll discover how to pray specifically and expectantly for their faith, character, safety, relationships, and future”. 

“Big Truths for Young Hearts” – by professor, author, & theologian, Bruce A. Ware.

“Boundaries with Kids” – by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend, founders of “Boundaries Books”; excellent book on creating and maintaining healthy relationships with kids.

“Boundaries with Teens” – by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend, founders of “Boundaries Books”; excellent book on creating and maintaining healthy relationships with teens.

Heaven Help the Home” – by master teacher, Howard Hendricks.

“Talk Now & Later: How to Lead Kids Through Life’s Tough Topics” – by Brian Dollar, pastor, author, conference speaker, & founder of “High Voltage Kids”; learn more at “talknowandlater.com”; also has small group video study for parents.

“The Highly Sensitive Child: Helping Our Children Thrive When The World Overwhelms Them” – by Dr. Elaine N. Aron, founder of “The Highly Sensitive Person”; God created each of us with unique personalities and characteristics with 15 – 20 % of people as highly sensitive; can be easily misunderstood by others; be aware that the author references evolution as fact, but the research and insights may be helpful for parents, teachers, & leaders of a highly sensitive child.

“Who Should We Then Read?”, Volumes 1 & 2 (image of Volume 1) – by Jan Bloom, co-founder of “BooksBloom” (listed under websites).

“Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul” – by John Eldredge of “Ransomed Heart” (not just for guys – I found it helpful as a wife; would be helpful for moms of boys as well).

“Wonderfully Made: God’s story of life from conception to birth” – by Danika Cooley of “Thinking Kids Press”, a blog with multiple resources for other parents in raising kids with a biblical world view.  Check out the “Bible Road Trip”, a 3-year journey through the Bible (could be used as kids’ or teens’ Bible study material as well.

PARENTING EVENTS:

“Blended and Blessed” – “one-day live event & livestream for stepfamily couples, single parents, dating couples with kids, and those who care about blended families”; from “Family Life”.

“Family Matters” live events ; intro video explains the goals of grace-based parenting; the “house model” is described in more detail on their website; online training also available; one of their parenting studies is listed above under Parenting Bible studies.

“National Center for Biblical Parenting” (NCBP) – intro video; offer “Parenting Seminars”; also offer “THRIVE!”, “a 12-session video training program”; “THRIVE” live events; “Thriving Kids’ Connection”, a subscription online community with articles, coaching, research, etc., & churches can be a “Parent Training Center”.

PARENTING MAGAZINES:

“Families Online Magazine” – main site is not set up as a Christian magazine, but link is specific to Christian parents.

“Focus on the Family Magazine” – monthly subscription magazine – by “Focus on the Family” (scroll down page for free family monthly resource).


“Home Front Magazine – online articles, resources, and parent curriculum; can learn about ministry online.

“Jelly Telly” – email access subscription for parents & kids from “What’s in the Bible?, founded by Phil Vischer (creator of “Veggie Tales”).


“ParentLife Magazine”– print subscription from “LifeWay”.


”Thriving Family Magazine”  – free email weekly newsletter.

TRAFFICKING ISSUES:

“Childproof America”“safeguarding families against sex trafficking”; urban & suburban teens & children are actively being targeted, groomed, & brainwashed over time in school and online by very organized sex traffickers); site founded by parent Kelly Litvak to “educate, equip and support America’s parents in the protection and defense of their children, and improve the quality of aid to impacted families”; see her 36-minute interview on “The Epoch Times”; see her daughter’s 48-minute interview as a survivor of trafficking; offers resources including “Ask the Expert”, “6 Step Recruiting Process”, “e-learning parent curriculum”, “Family Guides Program”, “Can you spot the pimp/trafficker?” (classmates, teachers, coaches, etc. are paid to befriend/groom teens & children for trafficking), events, & more.

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