3 approaches to get your family into the Bible in 2023

The process of adopting our two boys threw up all kinds of challenges. It goes with the territory. One of the key concerns was the extent to which they would be keen to embrace our faith, and how we would share that faith with them.

It became clear that the seven year-old had received some faith input via an after school club and thankfully the prospect of attending church was happily embraced by him and his younger five  (soon to be six) year-old brother too. But when it came to educating them in the faith at home, what were we to do?

Thankfully The Action Bible came to the rescue! Our eldest was a big Marvel and DC fan and Sergio Cariello, the cartoonist depicting the Bible characters, learned his trade sketching Batman, Spiderman and the Avengers

The Action Bible tells the story of the Bible through cartoons with vibrant colours and compellingly drawn characters. Of course some parts were summarised (laws in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, Psalms-Song of Songs) but all the major plot points are there meaning my boys received a great overview of what happened when and why. They were often asking for ”more!” when the reading time came to an end. And at that age they were amazingly accepting: a worldwide flood wipes out the inhabitants of the earth! No problem. On to the next story. 

Now you probably aren’t facing our dilemma, and your children will be different ages, but if they are primary or early secondary school age, it’s well worth trying out, and the start of a New Year is a great time to start a healthy routine. You can read one mum’s journey to family devotions here

Excellent though it is, I am aware that reading a Bible together is not for everyone. Thankfully there are many other excellent resources to choose from.

A Bible app 

The Bible app for kids has some engaging material suitable for both younger and older children. It is a  library of Bible stories, with the option of engaging narration and connected activities for each story. It has over 70 million downloads worldwide, suggesting that many have found it of great value. It works for apple or android and they can access on a PC or laptop if they don’t have a phone yet. 

The Bible Project

I have been impressed with the way The Bible Project has been developing. It has raised its finance through crowdfunding (hence the name ’project’), but for me gives a compelling insight into the Bible narrative and clear and accessible insights into key Bible themes that more traditional approaches often overlook.

Although aimed at adults it works well for a teenage audience, with a gentle style, super amimated cartoon graphics that cover key ideas speedily and memorably.  But if you check it out for your teens, I suspect you will quickly become hooked, so give yourself plenty of time. 

That’s three options to consider. Whether these are for your family or not, why not make sure you try something?  

Consider this: the stats for young people leaving the church at 18 are not especially encouraging. One survey from the US put it at 50%. But when parents are actively engaged in church and the discipleship of their children: the stats rocket to 82% of young people sticking with the faith. Of course there are a ton of factors that will impact your situation, and there are no guarantess, but why not do your bit to encourage healthy engagement with the Bible? Your children will thank you for it.