resources for effective children's ministry

Right from Wrong Campaign

    There is such a clear and resounding need in our churches today to help our parents teach their children the absolutes of God's Word.  If you were to poll the children and teens in your church, you would likely be surprised - and even shocked - at how little our children really know about the Bible and how few of them believe in absolutes.  It is the parents primary responsibility to teach their children - read Deuteronomy 6 - but we in the church should equip and encourage parents and then supplement and reinforce that teaching in our various areas of ministry.  I would like to encourage you to make the month of September your "Right from Wrong Month" and utilize  Josh McDowell's
"Right from Wrong" resources for every age in your church.  The following information should help you plan for this important month of vital learning.
 

• begin to promote - consider having a poster contest and involve the kids in making posters to generate interest and enthusiasm in the campaign
• order enough "Right from Wrong" resources for each age group and class in your church
• plan and promote a teacher training to help your teachers be prepared to teach from the "Right from Wrong" resources
• conduct a poll of the children and teens in your church to see how many really know the Bible and believe in absolutes

• continue to promote campaign
• show the promotional video included in the adult class materials
• put together a mailing to every family in the church encouraging them to make participating in the campaign a priority for their family.
• begin letting the church know the results of the poll of their own kids - both good and bad

• continue to promote for families not participating in the campaign
• begin collecting testimonies of how the campaign is making a positive impact on children, teens, and families
• share some of the testimonies - or have church members share testimonies

• begin planning next years "Right from Wrong" campaign - make it a yearly event - church wide

Truth Matters Video Series
Right from Wrong
Authors - Josh McDowell, Dave Bellis & Bib Hostetler
Publisher - Word Publishing
$179.99

    These resources are truly outstanding and are desperately needed in our homes and churches.  The "Truth Matters Video Series" is built around the "Right from Wrong" book and provides a class setting to help teach parents how they can instill a sense of Right from wrong in their children to combat the growing surge of relativism our children are facing on all sides.  When 57% of our own CHURCHED kids can not say there is an absolute right and wrong, there is clearly a resounding need for resources like these.

    Favorite Features - Video Series

• five 30-minute video segments featuring Josh McDowell
• reproducible worksheets
• easy to follow and lead leaders guide
• includes promo video
• each session includes video and group interaction

• provides parents the information they need to teach their own children absolutes
• survey results from churches teens
• part 1 teaches the crisis of Truth and why truth matters
• part 2 teaches the defense of Truth and gives realistic things parents can do to teach  and model truth
• part 3 teaches the application of Truth and provides evidence for truth and activities families can do together to apply truth.
• part 4 shows the research analysis

RIGHT FROM WRONG - RESOURCE REVIEW

Truth Matters Workbook - Adult Edition Right from Wrong Authors - Josh McDowell, Dave Bellis, Larry Keefauver, & Bob Hostetler Publisher - World bridge Press Available from Josh McDowell Ministries $13.99

    As parents we want to teach our children to make right choices - we want them to grab on and hold tight to our values as they will give our teens firm ground to stand on throughout the rest of their lives.  Josh McDowell has prepared some excellent resources to help parents learn how to teach their children to make right choices based on God and His Word.  This resource guides parents on a 35-day journey that combines group sessions and individual study to equip parents with what they need to pass values - based on the absolutes of Scripture - to their own children.

    Favorite Features

• introduction provides great information on how to get the most out of this resource.
• each week has a focus - built on in daily studies and activities.
• daily review questions
• weekly assignments to utilize as a family
• weekly memory verse
• weekly journal to help parents apply what they re learning
• worksheets for group sessions

    IDEAS ON HOW TO UTILIZE:

• Sunday Adult Class
• Wednesday Adult Class
• Special Parenting Seminar
• Adult small-groups

RIGHT FROM WRONG - RESOURCE REVIEW

Truth Works - Making Right Choices Workbook, Younger Children's Edition & Older Children's Edition Authors - Josh McDowell, Dave Bellis, Cindy Ann Pitts, Christine Hockin-Boyd, Bonnie Bruce, & Mark Swadley Publisher - World Bridge Press Available from Josh McDowell Ministries $4.99

    One of the things I like about the Right from Wrong resources is that there is something for almost every age in the family.  The best place to begin teaching absolutes based on God's Truth is to our youngest children - and then continue teaching and reinforcing every year.  The "Truth Works" children's workbooks are an excellent tool to help you begin teaching children right from wrong.

    Favorite Features

• Younger Children's Edition for grades 1 - 3 and Older Children's Edition for grades 4 - 6
• eight lessons - each help children learn how to make right choices
• teach the four "steps of truth" - easy to remember guide for all decisions
• lays a basic foundation for absolutes
• assignment cards for each lesson with daily activities to follow-up on class time
• weekly memory verse

    IDEAS ON HOW TO UTILIZE:

• Sunday School
• Children's Church
• Mid-week club programs
• homeschool
• Christian School
• after school programs

RIGHT FROM WRONG - RESOURCE REVIEW

The Topsy-Turvy Kingdom Authors - Dottie & Josh McDowell, and David Nathan Weiss Illustrator - Lydia Taranovic Publisher - Tyndale House Publishing Available from Josh McDowell Ministries Price - $12.99

    There are so many excellent children's books available to us which help us to teach our youngest children - in fun yet effective ways.  This book ranks up there near the top of my favorite children's books list!  "The Topsy Turvy Kingdom" will help even young children learn the difference between right and wrong and why doing things God's way is always best!

    Favorite Features

• takes an extremely important message and teaches it in a way even young children will understand
• not a lot of words on a page - helps to keep young children's attention
• clever, creative story written in a totally enjoyable way
• comments and questions at the end of the book help even the youngest children begin to learn there are absolutes and they will be happy when they do what's right
• colorful, creative illustrations - excellent!

    IDEAS ON HOW TO UTILIZE:

• Sunday school
• Children's Church
• Mid-week club programs
• pre-school
• school
• homeschool
• home
• read in church to kick of Right from Wrong Month

RIGHT FROM WRONG - RESOURCE REVIEW

103 Questions Children Ask About Right from Wrong Authors - David Veerman, James Galvin, James Wilhoit, Darly Lucas, & Richard Osborne Illustrator - Lil Crump Publisher - Tyndale House Publishers Available from Josh McDowell Ministries Price - $10.99

    How many times have you heard parents talking about a question their child asked them and how they didn't know the answer - maybe this has even happened to you with your children or in a Sunday School class?  Children will ask questions - lots of them and we need to be able to answer them from a Biblical perspective based on God's absolutes.  This book is more than a question and answer book - it has verses from the Bible which relate to the question asked, helpful information for parents/teachers and much more!

    Favorite Features

• 103 questions kids really ask and related questions in 10 area of life
• introduction by Josh McDowell to help parents understand why and how to teach absolutes
• each question has a key verse which reinforces truth and related verses
• each question has related questions
• most include a note to parents with helpful information
• cute illustrations for each question

    IDEAS FOR USE

• home
• Sunday School
• Christian School
• children's church
• mid-week club programs

RIGHT FROM WRONG - RESOURCE REVIEW

Josh McDowell's One Year Book of Family Devotions Authors - Josh McDowell & Bob Hostetler Publisher - Tyndale House Publishers Available from Josh McDowell Ministries Price - $11.99

    One of the most important things we can do in our children's ministry is to help equip the parents in our church to pass on a legacy of faith to their children so these children will be able to make right moral choices.  this is the driving force behind the right from wrong resources and this book is an excellent tool to help parents teach their children.

    Favorite Features

• each month has a special theme
• introduction provides useful information on how to teach children to make right choices
• each devotion is short - made up of a Bible passage to read, key verse, fun - challenging or inspiring short story and an activity to do as a family
• focus of entire year is to teach moral values and how to make choices based on these values

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