4 Family-Friendly Resources to Join in the International Day for the Unreached

Between sports practices, grocery runs, and the chaotic descent of the school year, adding the International Day for the Unreached to already overflowing schedules may feel like too much—never mind ascertaining why it matters or how to participate.

May 24th is International Day for the Unreached, a day set aside to spark awareness and prayer about unreached people groups around the world. Our families can participate in a simple, but powerful way: prayer.

WHY THE UNREACHED MATTER

"For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts" (Malachi 1:11 ESV).

God’s plan has always involved the nations knowing and worshiping him. 

In the Old Testament, the Israelites worshiped God through two ways—incense and offerings. When incense is burned it makes a good smell. Offerings are animals or grain given to God. Before Jesus came, these acts of worship could only be done in one place—the temple in Jerusalem (Deut. 12). 

But God designed a plan even before Jesus came to earth. God planned for a day when people from across the world could worship Him in every place. God didn’t want worship to be available to only one people in one city. He wanted everyone in every town, village, and city around the globe to know and praise Him. Since the coming of Jesus, worship is no longer in one place (John 4:21-24). Jesus opened the door for worship to happen all across the globe and ended the Old Testament system of sacrifices by becoming our eternal sacrifice (Heb. 10:11-14). Faith in Jesus unlocks the door to a right relationship with God, but this Good News isn't fully known in every corner of the world.

Another issue existed during the time the book of Malachi was penned. God's people weren't rightly worshiping Him. They were going through the motions. Not following the rules outlined to properly offer sacrifices to God. They failed to see His greatness and it was reflected in their lackluster worship.

The purpose of missions is for the Lord to be fully worshiped by every nation. For God to be glorified in every corner of the world. John Piper states this clearly, "Missions exists because worship doesn't." 

Malachi 1:11 grants us a glimpse into God's heart: He wants people from every nation aware of His greatness and responding to Him in genuine worship. 

In the grind of daily life, we can forget how holy, merciful, and powerful our God truly is. We can offer up half-hearted worship. We may not join in seeing God's name made great in our family, neighborhood, state, country, or across the globe because our hearts are focused on lesser things. Perhaps busyness has crowded out space for this.

If we believe God is truly the greatest, then our actions should match this belief. One way we can do this is through praying for the gospel to reach parts of the world still in darkness. We can realign our hearts to what matters to the Lord through finding pockets of time in our day or week to pray for the lost.

Throughout the world there are places where God isn't receiving the glory and praise He deserves. God desires to make His people a "light to the nations" so His "salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (Isa. 49:6). God is great and no one or nothing is better than Him.

Unreached people groups (UPGs) don't have access to hearing the gospel and aren't giving God the glory He rightly deserves. Unreached means from the time someone is born until the day one dies, this person doesn't have a chance to hear who Jesus truly is or even know a Christian.

If God cares about His name worshiped among every nation, then so should we. The International Day for the Unreached can be more than just one day, but an invitation to rightly worship our great God and join in His global plan through prayer.

4 FAMILY-FRIENDLY UPG RESOURCES

We can find ways to weave awareness and prayer into our family's day. We can find pockets of time in the rhythm of our days and week and transform them into times of prayer. Whether we're driving to school or church, taxing kids to a sports practice or lesson, talking over dinner, or walking the dog, we can redeem our minutes for eternal impact. Figure out where you have a window of time you're already together as a family and use that time to pray for the unreached together—even three to five minutes of prayer matters!

Here are four family-friendly resources to raise awareness about and foster prayer for UPGs:

1) The Great Gathering Prayer Cards for the Unreached World

Via Families created family-friendly unreached people group prayer cards, The Great Gathering Prayer Cards for the Unreached World, to guide families in praying for the unreached in five minutes or less. Each of these colorful 25 cards shares a bit about an unreached people group and how your family can pray. My kids and I use these cards on our way to school in the mornings. One of my kids reads the card, then we all take turns praying for the unreached people group of the day. If you have kids who still enjoy coloring, Via Families created a coloring book, The Great Gathering Coloring Book, that pairs with the prayer cards.

2) Wonder Letters

Each month, your family receives a letter in the mail from a fictional child from an unreached people group. Each letter includes a story, activities, and prayer prompts. The subscription rate is $10 a month. This resource is ideal for those who may want to a dive a bit deeper into learning about different UPGs, but don't have time to research themselves. Additionally, your family spends an entire month learning about and praying for a specific UPG before moving onto a new UPG.

3) Kid's UPG Cards

Author, artist, and former missionary Sarah Nunnally created these 26 beautiful digital UPG cards for younger kids. You can download the PDF for FREE to guide your family in praying for the unreached. (Plus, she provides other lovely FREE resources to foster prayer for the world.) Sarah Nunnally wrote three mission-minded picture books for young readers (ages 4-8) that would pair well with learning about and praying for the unreached with little ones.

4) The Dreamer (To the Ends) by Jenny Marcelene (🠜that's me!)

Magic Tree House meets God's heart for the nations in this delightful book for young readers. In The Dreamer, Jason and Fred must fulfill a strange mission to deliver a holy book to a dreamer in Afghanistan. If only the brothers knew who. Can they lose the mysterious person following them and figure out who needs the book before time runs out? 

I'm the author of this series (published by Calla Press) and was inspired to write it after spending six years in conservative Muslim cultures. To the Ends is a missions chapter book series for children ages 6-10 and crafted to introduce young readers to people they may never meet in person, but can pray for the gospel to reach. Spark prayer for the nations in your family through this faith-based adventure. (The Menders based in Sri Lanka will be released October 1, 2026.)

The Dreamer includes discussion questions, a family-friendly prayer guide, and a glossary of terms. Additionally, if you swing by my blog, I offer a FREE digital 4-Day Family Guide, Ticket to Afghanistan, to dive deeper into Afghan culture along with other FREE resources to extend the learning and prayer beyond the story. 

Our God isn't just for the United States, but for every country and people group across the earth. Let's show our kids how great God is through praying for UPGs around the world to know and worship Him. 

Step into God's global plan and weave prayer for UPGs into the fabric of family life starting today. 

Chapter Books vs. Middle Grade Books: What's the Difference?

I used to think middle grade books were for middle schoolers. I was surprised to learn that wasn't the case.🙃

An overlap exists between chapter books and middle grade books, but readers should have different expectations based upon which one they're reading. This will help you know what you're getting into before checking it out or adding it to your shopping cart. 🛒

✨Chapter books are written for kids ages 6-10. The reading level varies, but is often 2nd-4th grade. These books are usually under 100 pages and typically have at least one black and white illustration per chapter.

📖 Middle grade books are written for kids ages 8-12. The reading level also varies, but tends to settle in the 4th-6th grade range. These books are usually under 300 pages. Illustrations aren't a given, but sometimes can be sprinkled in.

✨Chapter books are written to be read aloud or given to young readers. They tend to be quick paced, have shorter sentences, focus more on lighthearted stories, and contain simple character arcs.

📖 Middle grade books are written to be read alone by a young reader, but are still fun as a read aloud. They tend to have more plot complexity, tackle deeper themes, and contain full character arcs.

✨Examples of chapter books: The Magic Treehouse, Ranger in Time, The Secret Explorers, Ballpark Mysteries, The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls, Imagination Station, and To the Ends.

📖 Examples of middle grade books: The Tree Street Kids, The Wingfeather Saga, Mr. Lemoncello's Library, How to Train Your Dragon, The Penderwicks, and The Treasure Hunters (but this series has loads of illustrations!).

I've shared a general overview of chapter books and middle grade books here, but there are always exceptions.

Early chapter books and upper middle grade books are different, smaller categories within the chapter books and middle grade books categories.

Now go forth and read! (And hopefully you're a touch more prepared to know which category of book is the right fit for your reading needs and what the author was shooting for when he/she wrote it.) 🤓

7 Practical Ways to Cultivate Faith in Children from a Young Age

Standing in the toy and picture book-strewn dining room, I stared out our third-floor apartment window. The sun cast a shadow across the rocky, empty lot across the alley. Unsettledness crept across my heart.

How do I teach my preschooler and toddler to follow Jesus?

Discipleship felt like such a daunting task—even though I was the children’s ministry coordinator for my city church.

I wasn’t more qualified than anyone else, but my job description involved encouraging parents in our church to teach their kids how to follow Jesus.

I couldn’t come alongside other parents if I wasn’t doing it myself.

God gave me two kids, and it was my role as a parent to point them to Jesus.

So I embarked on a journey to figure out what intentionally training my kids to follow God looks like for my family.

Almost a decade later, it’s still a learning curve to coach my kids in following Jesus through the different ages. But I’m convinced that teaching the next generation about God’s faithfulness means laying a biblical foundation before the teenage years arrive.

Read full article on Living By Design Ministries.

When Your Kid Is Treated Unfairly

I pace along the sidelines of the turf field and past my abandoned chair. This warm and sunny day feels ironic given the emotional storm crashing inside of me. The first game of my son’s recreational flag football team isn’t going as expected.

My eleven-year-old sits on the sidelines across the field, shoulders hunched. He gazes toward the track and plucks at the fake grass. His friend comes off the field and plops down beside him. My son is momentarily pulled back to the present. He smiles, offers a high-five, and utters what looks like “Good job.” He talks with his friend for a couple of minutes before the coach puts his friend back in the game.

Disappointment flashes across my son’s face, and I watch as energy drains from his body. He shifts his eyes away from the field to anywhere but the painful moment he finds himself. When the game finally ends, my son has played thirty seconds of a forty-minute game. And he’s not the only kid with this low playing time. Three others were in the same boat.

My anger surges. How could a program advertised as recreational, intended to teach youth who’ve never played flag football before, treat kids like this?

My son meets me on the track beside the turf field, eyes cast downward. His arms sag at his sides.

“I’m so sorry for the way the coach treated you,” I said. “It wasn’t right.”

My son snaps his head my way and stands a bit taller. The acknowledgment of the unfair situation he faced makes him feel seen for the first time in an hour. No one likes to be treated unfairly. And when we or someone we care about experiences unfair treatment, it can be unsettling.

Read full article on Gospel-Centered Discipleship.

Six Ways For Families To Join God's Global Plan

“Your kids have asked me better questions than most adults.” The visiting missionary shook her head in surprise, then smiled at me across the dining room table.

My family was hosting a missionary our church supported. Over dinner, my children had a chance to hear about her ministry and ask questions. Joy sprang up in my heart like a bouncy ball. Their interest in another culture wasn’t an accident. I cast a simple vision for how we—my kids included—have a part in God’s global plan and now it was spilling out during a dinnertime conversation.

Over the years, I’d found pockets of time in our family rhythms—like the drive to school, mealtime, or bedtime routines—to foster a heart for the nations and teach my kids how God is a God for all people groups (Isa. 49:6). Somehow God multiplied these small investments to develop a global perspective in my children.

Read full story on Gospel-Centered Family.

Navigating Hard Things: Lessons from Esther

Moving 2,000 miles across the country took its toll on our family. Starting over was hard for my husband and me, but even more so for our then-8-year-old son. Leaving behind a life he loved, with friends he cherished, and a school he thrived in, hurt. Rather than a smooth landing in our new town, that first year threatened to crash our boat onto the rocky shoreline.

Life is filled with challenges and unexpected twists. Learning to navigate hard things as a family is not as simple as following a paint-by-numbers kit. But we can glean truth from Scripture to help our family walk through the ups and downs that come our way.

Read full article at vianations.org.

Read Around the World This Summer

INTERNATIONAL KID LIT PICKS 

Whether you're looking for a new book to explore together, a novel to fold into a library summer reading program, or a well-told story for a long road trip, here are some international kid lit books to add a splash of worldwide adventure:

Picture Books (ages 3–8)

Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story: Lailah is old enough to participate in the month of fasting for the first time, but living in America makes it different. When classmates are confused about why she doesn't join them during lunch, a school librarian provides a quiet space for Lailah in the library.

Binny's Diwali: Binny finds the courage to tell her classmates about her favorite holiday, Diwali. This is a great book to discuss some differences between Hindus and Christians regarding religious beliefs.

Boxes for Katje: A Dutch girl receives a package in the mail from an American girl that sparks the beginning of a friendship and impacts an entire community.

The Pet Dragon: A Story about Adventure, Friendship, and Chinese Characters: Lin looks for her missing pet dragon. This book overflows with creativity and adventure!

The Floating Field: How a Group of Thai Boys Built Their Own Soccer Field: Desiring to have a place to play soccer, some Thai boys figure out a way to build a soccer field—one that floats! My eight-year-old really enjoyed this book and read it three times!

The Yeti & the Jolly Lama: An old Tibetan tale told in a modern way. With a touch more religious themes, some debriefing may be necessary, but these are good conversations to have with our kids!

King for a Day: Experience a kite flying contest with Malik as he protects another from a bully in this picture book.

For You Are a Kenyan Child: Experience a day in a Kenyan countryside village with a boy caring for his family's cows, but gets distracted with other things. A fun read with beautiful artwork.

Cora Cooks Pancit: A delightful picture book that weaves the excitement a child has stepping into a big kid job with Filipino culture. 

Finding My Dance: Tells the story of a Native American professional dancer, Ria Thundercloud. Ria started dancing at powwows and as her love for dance grew, she explored other types of dancing. While it was challenging to be one of the only Indigenous dancers around, she never gave up. I think slightly older kids would glean more from this book. The storyline deals with bigger issues than preschoolers and early elementary students can fully track with (but they can certainly read it and benefit from it!) I would suggest ages 7-11.

Chapter Books (ages 6–10)

In Fear of the Spear: This Imagination Station book gives kids a glimpse into a South American tribe touched by the gospel. This book touches on the deaths of missionaries to this tribe, but doesn't dwell on it. Debriefing how the tribal people are referred to at different points may be helpful to cultivate respect for those who are different from us.

Sunlight on the Snow Leopard: Jack and Annie visit Nepal on a mission to find a ghost (part of the Magic Treehouse series).

The Belgium Book Mystery: Two sisters travel with their parents to Belgium to solve a mystery. This book is a quick read, but gives a glimpse into life in Belgium.

Captain Coconut & the Case of the Missing Bananas: The perfect dose of silly while still folding in mystery, math, singing, and culture for young readers.

The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case (Precious Ramotswe Mysteries for Young Readers): From the author of the African-based No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series with Detective Precious Ramotswe, young readers can join Precious when she was a girl on her first case tracking down a cake thief.

Meet Yasmin: Pakistani-American Yasmin uses her imagination to solve everyday problems.

Middle Grade Books (8–12)

The Bridge Home: Four homeless children navigate life in India together. This beautifully written book allows readers to experience what life is like for kids who end up on the streets in age-appropriate ways. The storyline is engaging and based upon the stories of real street kids. I recommend reading together and discussing how the author defined Christian beliefs versus what the Bible teaches.

Soul Lanterns: A Japanese girl explores the lasting impacts of the bombing of Hiroshima in her community. This book was translated from Japanese into English and allows readers to better understand how drastically the lives of Japanese people were forever changed in an instant. I would recommend reading this together so you can guide discussions as needed.

Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream: Pakistani-American Zayd dreams of becoming a basketball player even though his family wants him to play the violin instead.

Amal Unbound: Amal mistakenly insults the village landlord after his car hits her. Amal ends up as a servant in the landlord's household as punishment. With engaging characters and an intriguing plot, this book is a page turner!

I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition): Pakistani girl, Malala, stands up for what she believes and made a difference in the world. This makes a great audiobook for a road trip!

The Boy at the Back of the Class: Introduces readers to a 9-year-old determined to befriend the new kid and who teaches us all the beauty in seeking to understand and care for our friends no matter the obstacles.

A Long Walk to Water: Follows the stories of two Sudanese kids about 20 years apart. Salva is a Sudanese boy who is displaced by the war and walks across entire countries to refugee camps. Nya is a Sudanese girl who walks miles to collect unsafe drinking water and doesn't have time to attend school because of the long journey.

Inside Out & Back Again: Journey with Hà from Saigon to Alabama when war reaches her homeland and her family must start over in the U.S. The family isn't well-received by some in their community and this topic can be a starting point to discuss the importance of reaching out to those who aren't like us. 

This book is written in verse. 

At two points, the topic of Christianity comes up. The first one is when the mom lies on their refugee application about being Christian to increase their odds of getting selected. The second one is when Hà's entire family is baptized even though they aren't Christians by a church. I think these provide reasonable talking points with our kids about genuine faith and helping others without strings attached.

May your reading transport your family around the globe this summer!

5 Activities to Connect With Your Child

My kindergartener’s blue eyes sparkled as we gathered the ingredients to make bars for our church’s neighborhood outreach. Since preschool this boy has loved creating his own baking surprises—essentially experimental baking without any recipes. Much to my surprise, sometimes his creations turned out more than just edible—even tasty.

As a way to support his creativity and curiosity with baking, I fought against my urge to suggest that he follow a recipe and let my then preschool-aged kid combine whatever ingredients he deemed necessary for his baking endeavor that day. My son was the baker; I was merely an assistant.

When our church asked for people to volunteer to bring baked goods for a neighborhood outreach, I saw an opportunity to combine doing something meaningful together and that he would delight to do.

For the first time, we decided to follow a recipe because my five-year-old wanted to make chocolate cookie bars. With his budding reading skills, he was starting to connect the dots that the recipes contained the secrets to baking some of his favorite goodies.

“We need flour and sugar,” I told him as I peered at the recipe. He marched toward the pantry to grab the ingredients off the shelf.

“What’s next?” my son asked.

“Butter and eggs,” I said.

“Um, where are the chocolate chips?” he asked in a silly tone of voice. A huge grin filled his face as he looked at me.

“Ops! Pantry!” I playfully called.

My son skipped back to the pantry to locate the most essential ingredient of all.

As I read the recipe out loud, we fell into step with our established baking roles—him leading, me assisting. When it was time to bake the bars, my son helped set the timer while I placed them inside the oven.

“What now?” my son asked.

“Should we play a game or read?”

“Let’s read first, then play a game!” my kindergarten proclaimed as he bounced into our living room to pick out a library book. Then we snuggled up on our couch to read.

I smiled to myself. I loved these moments to bake together.

After losing more rounds of Candy Land than should be possible, the chocolate chip cookie bar timer sounded. Once the bars had time to cool, we hopped in our car to drop them off at our church. As we drove, we talked about how these bars would be used to show our love for those in our church’s neighborhood and would include a note inviting them to our church.

When we arrived at church, my kindergartener clutched the chocolate chip cookie bars in his hand and shyly passed them to our pastor who was coordinating the outreach.

My heart was bursting with joy. The chance for my son and I to bond while doing an outreach activity so well suited to his interests was priceless. As I gazed at my kindergartener in the rearview mirror, pride was etched on his round face.

CONNECTING WITH OUR KIDS

I've found over the years, baking is a great point of connection with my boys! Recently, my nine-year-old wanted to bake apple pies together. While I wasn't quite as eager to tackle a bigger baking project, it was a great connecting point with him—and totally worth the effort!

How have you found baking helpful in bonding with your kids? What recipes have been the most fun? What are new ways you can keep connecting with your children? How can you combine interests with serving together?

As you mull over these questions to find your own ideas, here are five ideas for connecting with our kids.

1) Volunteering at an animal shelter can provide a way to serve while interacting with furry critters!

2) Start bike riding together. Explore your neighborhood or start hitting biking trails!

3) Start out with local hikes and build up to bigger ones!

4) Read How This Book Was Made, then write a story together!

5) Using The Big Book of Science Experiments, jump into 100 science experiments to do together!

Line-up to the Rest Time Rescue

Having a preschooler who refuses to nap but clearly needs rest can be a challenge. But one technique I discovered that worked to provide downtime was what I dubbed “the line-up.”

I would line-up various independent, quiet activities in the hallway for my preschooler to do during rest time. Since the attention span of a preschooler isn’t great, a lot of low prep, but engaging activities are necessary. Line-up the activities in the order you want your child to do them, but ensure each one doesn’t take too long or isn’t duplicated.

With trial and error, I discovered activities my child enjoyed while also establishing a quiet period each afternoon. I would have a bag of stuff in the closet to pull out and would alternate as needed. Additionally, expect interruptions as your child adapts to the line-up and grows in independence.

Here is an example of various activities I would place in the line-up on a given day:

1) Felt board

2) Lite-Brite

3) Paper maze

4) Stickers with paper

5) A low prep game like a Duplo Hunt (Hide a certain number of pieces in various colors in a room, then create a paper with each color for the found pieces to be gathered on. Once all pieces have been discovered, the child makes his own creation.)

6) Hidden pictures page

7) Preschool workbook page

8) Cutting and pasting activity

9) Stamps and paper

10) “Read” picture book to stuffed animal

11) Lacing card

12) Puzzle

13) Station to practice writing name

14) Less messy sensory bin (such as kidney beans with scoopers)

15) Paint-by-sticker book

16) Bowling set

At the end of quiet time, review the activities your child completed together. This is a great way to connect and allow him to show off all his work!

More Than the Winter Blues: Faith to Get Help

The gray Midwest winter day matched the gloom wrapping itself around my heart. Sadness loomed above me like Eeyore’s rain cloud. While saying goodbye to Christmas was always sad, the prospect of nothing ahead but the lingering cold and cloudy days stirred disappointment.

Nothing seemed to lift my spirits. My inner critic soared. I struggled to get out of bed in the morning. My energy levels dropped. I couldn’t shake this melancholy.

Why do I feel like this every winter? I wondered as I drove to pick up my kids from school.

Then it dawned on me. Growing up, my mother struggled with seasonal affective disorder. I didn’t think I ever would, but when we relocated to the Midwest years ago, my winters were marked by tears and weariness. Pushing through until spring felt more daunting with each passing year.

Perhaps it was time to admit I had seasonal affective disorder and do more than wait it out. But wasn’t my faith enough to beat this?

Read the full article on Christian Parenting.

5 Simple Ways to Fold a Biblical Worldview Into Your Family This Year

Years ago I stood in my kitchen as I stirred a pot of spaghetti. Guilt consumed my thoughts as I pondered how I was teaching my little ones about God's greatness and our joyful responsibility to share His greatness with the world. I struggled to find kid-friendly ways to live this out and resources to guide focused time. How could I showcase how amazing God was and our role in seeing the gospel reach the ends of the earth?

That was the beginning of my journey to help families access resources to disciple our children with a global and biblical worldview without it feeling overwhelming.

We can teach our children about God’s greatness with daily—or even weekly—habits that can take less than 10 minutes! This new year can be the year your family begins their worldview adventure and takes simple steps toward cultivating a perspective grounded in Scripture, but also incorporates God's global plan for all nations to know and worship Him—without even leaving your couch.

FOLDING IN A GLOBAL AND BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW

Here are five ways you can fold a global biblical worldview into your family today:

1) Determine a consistent time you could pray for the nations for a couple minutes together. 

Perhaps this is during a mealtime prayer, in the car on the way to school, or before bedtime. Select a time that fits with your family’s rhythms and then make a plan to pray. If you need help guiding your prayer time, consider using a resource like Window on the World, Wycliffe Kids Around the World with Kate & Mack, or even one of the free global prayer guides I wrote in my free resource library.

2) Read international kid lit together.

Each night before bed or during Saturday morning breakfast, read a chapter together! There are great international kid lit books for all ages—from picture books to chapter books to middle grade! I regularly share international kid lit book reviews on my blog and make recommendations on my World Religions Family Prayer Guides. But consider grabbing a copy of Cora Cooks Pancit, Sayd Saleem: Chasing the Dream, or The Bridge Home to get rolling today!

3) Read missionary biographies together.

Each night before bed or during Sunday morning breakfast, read a chapter together! YWAM has ample missionary biographies to kickstart your reading. And if you prefer to listen as your family does chores or eats, they also have audiobooks.

4) Incorporate discussion about world religions into your family’s life. Using my World Religions Family Prayer Guides, walk through what other world religions believe and how your family can pray for them. These free guides include a short video, activities, book recommendations, and prayer prompts. This can easily be used for homeschool purposes or for families who need a quick, reliable resource to direct their time.

5) Sign up to get a missionary’s newsletter from your church. 

Tracking with a missionary from your church will give your family a real-life connection between understanding God’s greatness, the need for the gospel to be shared around the world, and how someone from your church is doing exactly that! When your missionary comes back to visit during break, invite her over to hear more stories and let your kids ask questions about the culture and ministry. Plus you’ll encourage the missionary along the way.

I invite you to join me as we disciple our children with a global mindset. One that makes much of Jesus and shows how our prayers (and maybe even going!) is important in God's global plan for all nations to know and worship Him. 

Join my quarterly newsletter so we can link arms together! Let me save you lots of time by providing the tools and resources to keep things simple and meaningful as you disciple your kids in this essential area: God's worldwide greatness.

Reeling in Bonding Time

A couple years ago, I was struggling to find something new my seven-year-old and I could enjoy together. What had worked in the past just wasn’t landing the same anymore. My son was changing and I wanted to pivot as he grew.

After reading Adventuring Together: How to Create Connections and Make Lasting Memories with Your Kids, an idea began brewing in my mind. I wanted to find an activity we could learn together—something that neither one of us knew well, but that we could potentially enjoy doing together. And that’s when I recalled my own childhood of fishing for rainbow trout at the lake with my dad and brother. But the catch: I didn’t actually know much of anything about fishing. I had never even stuck a worm on my hook, much less understood which bait to use for various fishes.

When I pitched the idea to my seven-year-old his blue eyes glistened.

“We could check out a book from the library so we can learn some fishing basics first,” I suggested.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” my son quickly responded.

I found a fishing book for kids and after my youngest son was in bed each evening, my seven-year-old and I would read a chapter. We practiced tying fishing knots and gained a baseline for what we needed to attempt fishing together. My eldest was eager for this focused time together, and so was I. It felt like a stepping stone across the creek to connecting with him.

When spring finally came, we decided it was time to put our knowledge to the test. I was nervous so we opted to go fishing with my dad for our inaugural trial fishing trip—sort of like riding a bike with training wheels. That proved to be the confidence boost we both needed. After an hour, my dad left us to manage on our own.

And that’s when the fun really began. The fish were biting and we were just slow on the timing to reel the line in. When we ran out of worms neither one of us wanted to stop so we dug with sticks in the wet earth to find another worm.

“I found one!” my son called to me. His nose crinkled as the worm wriggled on his stick. Just like me, he wasn’t a fan of dealing with worms.

I took a deep breath. I really didn’t like hooking worms, but I knew it was par for the fishing course. My face contorted as I got the worm onto the hook. Then I exhaled, stepped a good six feet away, and nodded for my son to cast the line.

We didn’t catch a single fish that day, but we lost track of time trying to catch elusive fish and digging for one more worm. And that bonding time was worth every single squirming worm I had to hook.

CONNECTING WITH OUR KIDS
Years later, I'm still working to keep connecting with my boys in new ways together. And enjoying the journey together! I find doing something new for both of us is the most fun because we're beginners together. But really, anything that feels a bit like an adventure will work! We may do several things or find one thing that sticks for a long time! Remember the goal is bonding!

How can you find a new way to connect with your child? What childhood memories spring to mind that could serve as a point of connection? Or what's something new you both are interested in learning?

As you mull over these questions to find your own ideas, here are five ideas to connect with our kids.

1) Learn how to navigate by reading through How to Go Anywhere (And Not Get Lost). This interactive book will channel the inner explorer in you and your child through various ways to navigate outdoors and develop skills like: using trees to locate north and south, making a compass, knowing what time it is using stars, using the sun to figure out where you are, and other useful skills!

2) Grab some binoculars and a local bird-watching book, then head outside to discover birds in your neighborhood.

3) Dive into the world of baking! You can subscribe to a kid baking kit service (like Baketivity which sends a recipe with most of the ingredients to your doorstep) or try out recipes that sound fun or fit the season!

4) Swing by a craft shop and learn how to sew! Whether it's using a kids sewing machine or picking out a weaving loom! Learning together will be an adventure!

5) Gleaning from Adventures in Cartooning, create a comic series together!

Whatever you do together, may it be an adventure that deepens your bond!

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

 FAMILY PRAYER GUIDE

The first Sunday in November is international day of prayer for the persecuted church. A day set aside to intentionally pray as the Church for our brothers and sisters worldwide who are suffering for their faith. 

Across the globe, Christians suffer at a high cost for their devotion to Jesus. One in seven experiences intense persecution. For those of us who reside in the West, it can be challenging to comprehend such realities, let alone teach our kids about them. But we can teach our kids to pray for the persecuted church.

Below is a prayer guide to help your family participate in this special day of prayer.

Family Devotion: Remembering to Pray

“Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." (Hebrews 13:3 ICB).

Can you think of a time when someone said something mean to you? It can hurt our feelings. We may feel sad or lonely. It can be hard to forget the words said. We may wonder if others still like us.

Sometimes following Jesus means those who aren't Christians may treat Christians unkindly—this is called persecution. Some countries say it's against the law to become a Christian. Some places won't let a Christian keep a job. Or some governments toss Christians in jail for teaching the Bible. Sometimes others make fun of Christians.

But we shouldn't be surprised when this happens. Jesus tells us in the Bible to expect that some people won't like believers because of their faith in God (John 15:18).

Even if Christians may be persecuted for their faith in Jesus, they aren't alone. They don't have to be sad. Jesus says He is always with us (Matt. 28:20). He promises to give us—and all believers—strength to keep trusting God.

Even if we aren't treated unkindly for our faith, we can understand how it may feel. And today's Bible verse tells us to remember Christians who are treated meanly by others. One big way we can remember them is by praying!

We can pray for persecuted Christians to trust God when others hurt them. We can pray they look forward to the day all sadness will end because they will be with Jesus forever in heaven! And no unkind word will be spoken again! 

Persecution Video

As a family, watch this short video (about 2 minutes!) produced by Open Doors for kids to understand how following Jesus isn't allowed everywhere.

Prayer Prompts

Using the prayer prompts, pray for persecuted Christians around the world:

1) Pray for persecuted Christians to not be afraid and to know God is with them.
2) Pray for believers in countries where being a Christian isn't allowed to keep meeting together to grow in their faith.
3) Ask for persecuted Christians to keep sharing their faith with others in wise ways.

  

Activities

Below are some activities to learn more about what it's like in places where it's dangerous to be a Christian. 

1) Swing by the Weave website to participate in two family activities to better understand what it means to be persecuted for following Jesus, discuss the Bible verses together on the topic, and pray for the strength of persecuted Christians.

2) Print off a prayer passport for kids. Children can pray for the persecuted church by getting a prayer stamp for 50 countries inside a prayer passport. Like getting a passport stamped, children can mark off their prayer participation for that country. Use this passport to guide family prayer for the persecuted church in kid-friendly ways over 50 days.

3) Print off eight Secret Church coloring pages that include a Bible verse and a kid-friendly aspect about the persecuted church in a different part of the world from Open Doors. These pages can meet little ones where they are developmentally but also provide a springboard for conversation about persecution as a family. 

Additional Resources

To keep digging deeper, here are resources to grow our children's understanding of persecution. As we increase our understanding, we can better pray for our brothers and sisters around the globe.

1) Courageous book series (Preschool–2nd)
This Voice of the Martyrs picture book series captures the importance of boldly sharing our faith, even when it’s hard. The set includes six books about well-known men of faith and how they remained faithful to Christ despite persecution.

2) Persecution: What can I do?: A 45-minute lesson that shares stories of persecution and our responsibility to pray for them (elementary kids).

3) Challenge on the Hill of Fire (ages 7–12)
This Imagination Station series book draws kids into the life of Bishop Patrick (the man behind Saint Patrick’s Day) as he stands up for his faith in God—even if it may cost his life. This book provides a unique lens for kids to understand the cost of following Christ in a story format.

As we teach our families about the persecuted church, may we model our responsibility and joy to pray for our suffering brothers and sisters across the earth.

Yes, Kids Can Learn from Revelation

During a difficult season when I grappled with how it seemed darkness was prevailing against the church, I studied the book of Revelation. Revelation may not be the most obvious place to look for comfort in a dark world, but it proved the right book to speak to my pain and confusion.

Revelation teaches us to view suffering through a heavenly lens. It tells us to identify with our Savior through trials and hardships (Rev. 2:10; Phil. 3:10). Four truths that sprouted from my Bible study buoyed my confidence that God’s light would overcome the darkness.

And as I studied, I was stirred with a desire to disciple my children so they have confidence when they face hardship. Here are four age-appropriate truths from Revelation that will help your kids withstand this world’s darkness.

1. We persevere by fixing our eyes on Jesus.

When we talk with kids about the Scriptures, we must highlight all aspects of Jesus’s character. We can show younger children Christ’s control over sickness, death, nature, and evil spirits in the Gospels or by using an oral Bible storying method. With older kids, we can walk through John’s vision of Jesus in Revelation 1. It’s there that John lets the church behold a vision of Jesus in all his glory (vv. 12–20). The same Jesus who deeply loves us (v. 5) is also the One who strikes John with holy reverence and fear (v. 17).

In the seven letters to the churches (Rev. 2–3), Jesus offers a reward for endurance. If believers fix their eyes on Christ, they’ll receive this promised reward. Here John shows us that understanding Jesus’s full character helps us to persevere. And staying focused on Jesus isn’t just for struggling parents. Our kids need to learn this too. They need to see that our faithful Christ will walk with them through every season—well beyond their years at home.

2. Suffering is normal.

Revelation was written to suffering churches. Believers at the time John penned the book faced false teaching (2:2, 14), and were banished from society (1:9), jailed (2:10), persecuted by the government for refusing to worship the emperor (13:15), and even killed (2:13) for their faith. Christians who remained faithful to Jesus suffered the consequences socially, economically, and physically.

Even today, persecution is par for the course for Christians, though what we experience in America doesn’t reflect what’s transpiring across the globe. The more we share stories with our kids of faithful Christians suffering, the more its normalcy will permeate their worldview (and ours). One way to instill this reality in our children is to read through the letters to the churches in Revelation 2–3. You can also subscribe to newsletters from closed-country missionaries and discuss real-life stories of believers who are faithfully following Christ despite difficulties. Talk about when persecution happens, why, and how God uses it.

Swing by TGC to read the rest of my article.

Bible Translation: Expanding Our View

3 Ways to Celebrate World Bible Translation Day With Our Kids

Eight Bibles grace my bookshelves, including six different English translations. I own five children’s Bibles. And this isn’t even counting the partial portions of the Bible I possess—such as a Greek New Testament, Psalter, or children’s biblical storybooks. But I’m not the only one with more than one Bible.

According to the Center for Bible Engagement, most American Christians have four Bibles in their home and have access to numerous English Bible translations. But possessing copious quantities of Bibles isn’t common. Many Christians around the world don’t even have their own copy of the Bible—much less several translations. Some believers must share a single Bible, while others read God’s Word in a second language because the Bible has yet to be translated into their heart language—the language one thinks, prays, dreams, and speaks in.

According to Wycliffe Bible Translators, 1.5 billion people don’t have a Bible translated into their heart language. While we can celebrate reading God’s Word in English—the heart language of many Americans—people around the world still lack access to the Bible in their heart language.

Given the excess of English Bibles and scarcity of access to the Bible for many Christians worldwide, this highlights the urgent need for Bible translation. But when we consider the need for Scripture in languages around the globe, we must not rely on our highly literate leanings to determine the best medium to translate the Bible into new languages.

FACTORING IN ORALITY

According to the International Orality Network, oral learners comprise 80% of the world’s population and navigate life best when information is delivered verbally. By contrast, Americans are vastly literate which means we navigate life better when we can read information.

In the days of Jesus, the culture was also oral learners. Jesus often spoke in parables to the crowds, the letters written by the apostles in the New Testament were intended to be read aloud, and even the book of Revelation was penned with the expectation to read “aloud the words” (Rev. 1:3).

While many literate endeavors have been made to reach oral cultures, ministry leaders have recognized the value of taking a verbal approach to sharing and teaching the Bible. With approximately two billion people without access to the Old Testament (some may have a New Testament), Oral Bible Storying (OBS) meets the needs of cultures who are oral learners—whose worldviews and principles are shaped by singing, chanting, or speaking—in ways written text cannot. The Word of God can be carried to the most remote locations or busiest street corners because the speaker knows it by heart and prefers to communicate in an easy-to-pass-along verbal form by cultural tradition.

Around the world, Christian ministries have implemented OBS to craft Bible story sets for specific cultures. Each Scripture story set in a people group’s native language will cover spiritual needs of that culture, what it means to follow Jesus, and the big picture of the Bible all told in sequential order. Around 70 stories are carefully selected to share the gospel in a meaningful way. Often these projects can take around three years to ensure faithfulness to Scripture. OBS is a powerful way to get the Bible into the heart languages of oral learners.

EXPANDING OUR VIEW

Since 1966, World Bible Translation Day has been held on September 30 to celebrate the translation work of St. Jerome, the man responsible for translating the Bible into Latin. The English Bibles we read today were first translated into English by John Wycliffe in the 14th century. Each year believers can rejoice in seeing the gospel advance around the globe as more Bibles are translated into new languages.

As we desire to see the gospel reach to the ends of the earth, we must realize what works for highly literate Americans, will not necessary be best for highly oral learners in other cultures. Translating the Bible into a written book for languages without it is immensely valuable. But translating the Bible into oral Bible storying sets is equally valuable.

As we pause to consider the Bible’s availability to people worldwide, we should expand our view of Bible translation beyond a written copy to also include OBS. Both mediums get Scripture into the hands of those who didn’t have access. But depending on the culture, one medium will benefit a larger segment of the population.

CELEBRATING WORLD BIBLE TRANSLATION DAY

World Bible Translation Day is a great opportunity to link arms for the sake of the gospel reaching the ends of the earth. We can participate in the work of translating the Bible into new languages across the world and bring our kids alongside us as we do so. Here are three ways to celebrate World Bible Translation Day as a family.

1) You can start praying for Bible translation work using Wycliffe’s Bible Translators children’s book, Around the World With Kate and Mack: A Look at Languages From A to Z. This book helps kids see the impact Bible translation has on communities around the world, and it fosters a heart to pray for the Bible to keep being translated into more languages.

2) Gather your family together and tell a Bible story verbally. For tips on how to easily do this, check out my article, “Use Your Words: How Oral Bible Storying Can Serve Your Family.” When you finish, have your family pray for more OBS sets to be crafted for oral people groups around the world.

3) Send your kids on a Bible scavenger hunt. Have kids find all the Bibles in your home. Then calculate how many Bibles, different Bible translations, and children’s Bibles your family owns. Share what you learned from this article with your kids. Take time to pray for both written and oral translations to reach people around the world without access to Scripture.

Both traditional Bible translation and OBS are vital to improving access to the Bible across the earth. And as we celebrate World Bible Translation Day, we can incorporate prayer for both avenues of faithfully translating Scripture in Bible deserts around the globe.