The Ministry Lab: Faith Formation: Bible with Children

Websites & Curricula

StoryPath equips parents and all who nurture faith by connecting God’s story with the stories in our lives so that we see the presence of God in everyday life.

Grounded in their shared love of books for children and adolescents, and a conviction that these books could serve as a rich resource for those involved in educational ministry in the church, professors Dr. Pamela Mitchell-Legg and Dr. Rebecca Davis created StoryPath. It is searchable via a Scripture Index, Theme Index, and through links for the Revised Common Lectionary, Narrative Lectionary, Womanist Lectionary, Justice Lectionary, and Mission Lectionary.

Each faith review explores the book’s ties to scripture and includes ideas for using the book to prompt conversation that enriches faith.

Picture the Bible is a set of 52 images depicting 52 individual Bible stories. The images and corresponding student engagement pages offer a creative approach to Bible study that fosters biblical literacy and interpretation, and encourages people to see connections between their lives and the biblical story. Picture the Bible adapts to a wide variety of congregational settings; connects worship, education, and mission; and provides a link between church and home.

Order Picture the Bible Story Bible here. See the trailer here. Find an info flyer here.

Visit the Picture the Bible website here.

The Beatitudes: An Illustrated Curriculum

The Beatitudes: An Illustrated Curriculum is a twelve-session, verse-by-verse study of the Beatitudes from the Gospel of Matthew. This intergenerational curriculum is highly adaptable, providing a flexible and formative experience for your entire Sunday school program and the whole family.

Designed to be led virtually, this study explores Jesus’ timeless teaching through art, reflection, and discussion. This passage is full of wisdom that will enrich families and churches by exploring Jesus’ vision of God’s inclusive kingdom, observing how Jesus turned expectations and traditional beliefs about being blessed upside down, and imagining ways to live into the promises of Jesus’ Beatitudes.

Free Bible Images, 'wants to help those teaching the Bible in all nations of the world in this visual age. All pictures are free for use in teaching and non-commercial streaming. We provide the pictures and you tell the story, with the Bible as your reference source'.

All Together: God’s Story for You & Me serves as the source of the story for Elementary classes using MennoMedia's Shine! Curriculum. One new volume is produced each year, containing all the Bible stories for that year. Each week includes two versions of the Bible story—an illustrated version and a version to read together—along with God’s Story and My Story prompts that provide questions and interesting facts about the story. The God’s Story and My Story prompts help develop leadership skills as children read a question and ask it to the group.

Help the children in your church grow with the newest multiage curriculum for children ages 5-10, based on the best-selling story Bible Growing in God's Love: A Story Bible.

Download a Sample Session

New Downloadable At-Home Kit Guides are attached to each unit.

Sparkhouse's One-Year bible Reading Plan: each month includes four stories, discussion questions, an intergenerational activity, and a short prayer. Use your own Bible or choose one of their Story Bibles.

forma/Faith@Home shares weekly and semi-daily RCL “lectionary-based readings and reflections” for discussions in youth group or at home; age-appropriate options for toddler through high school

GATHERING GENERATIONS TOGETHER
BLENDING WORSHIP AND EDUCATION
CONNECTING CHURCH AND HOME

Bible Song Cross+Gen builds a fun and life-giving cross generational (Cross+Gen) ministry by engaging the senses, the brains, and the hearts of people of all ages. Walking through the biblical narrative from Genesis through Acts, Bible Song Cross+Gen creates Biblical literacy.

Click here to order Bible Song Cross+Gen, for more information or to download a free sample.

Click here to order Bible Song Cross+Gen Journals.

The FAITH5 Course provides the tools needed to incorporate FAITH5 into the core of children, youth and family ministry in your church.

This fun and engaging 6-session resource creates the home as a church, and the church as a home.

Click here to order the FAITH5 Course, for more information or to download a free sample.

Feasting on the Word is a lectionary based curriculum that allows all ages to study the same text each week. Preparatory materials equip leaders with the biblical background they need to feel confident with any age group.

Sample Sessions are available for:

The Free Guide offers tips for online use.

In Our Library - Hebrew Testament Bible Stories

Blogs, Podcasts & Articles

WE WONDER

Contemplative Bible Storytelling for Children & Grownups Alike

Refreshing Ways to Engage Scripture in the New Year

offers numerous video and podcast series as well as their small group study series, Church at Home. Disclaimer: while accessible for many age-groups, God is imaged as exclusively male and their motto is, "Helping people experience the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus" (a form of Christo-centrism that subsumes the Hebrew narrative for its own purposes). Significant editing may be required, but might also make for powerful conversations about biblical interpretation and usage.

Activity Suggestions

Download a Free Liturgy for Celebrating the Bible!

This liturgy acknowledges and celebrates some of the many kinds of stories that are in the Bible—everything from adventure stories to miracle stories. Each kind of story carries a message of God’s love for us. This could be used as a children’s message that leads into a celebration of scripture. Find more content like this on Sparkhouse Digital!

The Peace Table Activity Booklet accompanies The Peace Table: A Storybook Bible. Each page takes children first into The Peace Table to read a Bible story and then offers a fun and interactive way for children to learn more about the stories and teachings of the Bible. Pages feature coloring, activities, prayer prompts, and more, with beautiful characters and illustrations that bring the Bible to life and nurture faith.