These are not easy days to be a parent of young children. Having kids home for summer holidays can be difficult enough to plan for, but the COVID-19 school closures were too sudden to allow for planning and there are no camps to send them to or programs to enrol them in. Educators are doing what they can to provide online learning options and, as a church, we’re working to launch an online children’s ministry for our families. But still, many parents see this time as an opportunity to invest in their children’s faith and discipleship and are looking for tools and resources to help. The best place to start is the Bible itself. There’s nothing that can replace reading the Bible to your children and helping them to read it for themselves. You want to make sure that your children’s Bibles are well worn. But as you do that, you may want to supplement the Bible reading. Let me share what I feel are some of the best free materials available right now to encourage your child’s spiritual growth.

LifeWay Preschool/Kids at Home: One of the places to check out is Lifeway’s digital pass. There are two sections labelled, Kids at Home and Kids at Home Preschool. There’s a new Bible teaching video each week along with an activity sheet and colouring page for preschoolers and a different video and double-sided activity sheet for elementary-age children. The videos are less than ten minutes and the activity sheets are simple, but they may engage younger children.

The Bible App for Kids: The Bible App for Kids is an app as well as a website that you can access from your computer. There are close to two dozen videos combining animation and live actors teaching simple Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments. There are colouring sheets, activity pages and parent guides with everything geared toward the preschool to lower-elementary age group.

Church at Home from the Bible Project: For upper-elementary and teens all the way to adult, it’s hard to beat Church at Home from The Bible Project (https://bibleproject.com/church-at-home/). If you sign up, they’re currently offering a free 8-week series that gets mailed to you each week. It contains a high-quality animated video with Scripture readings and discussion questions. The content is theologically rich, and the animation is creative and engaging. Tim Mackie, the main writer and narrator, has a PhD in Semitic Languages and Biblical Studies so you can always count on fascinating insights into the Scriptures.

Read Slow: If you have older teens and wanted an option that didn’t involve screen time, Westminster Bookstore has released an interesting bundle that we’ve just started reading as a family called, “Read Slow.” It’s a collection of readings from 15 different books aimed at bringing peace in anxious times. Authors like David Powlison, John Murray, Alistair Begg, Paul David Tripp and Tim Keller are all compiled in a free PDF download for you to absorb and enjoy.

On-Demand Stories and Videos: Once you’ve found a good Bible teaching plan to supplement your own Bible reading as a family, you may want to look at some of the streaming services that are available. Focus on the Family’s Adventures in Odyssey Club is offering a free 28-day trial right now with high-quality stories about Christian themes and values. Fans of the Mrs G. radio program will be pleased to know that her stories are all online now at Bible Stories Alive. Redeem TV is a free, web-based streaming service that offers documentaries of people like Corrie ten Boom, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and C. S. Lewis as well as animated children’s series and Bible recreations. Finally, Right Now Media, which has been dubbed the Christian version of Netflix because of its extensive library, is offering free access to a limited library of its content.

While mentioning all of these different resources, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that your goal, obviously, isn’t just to keep your child occupied and entertained. Discipleship that goes in should also come out, so look for opportunities for your children to serve. Serving your family through chores and calling, writing and praying for others who are vulnerable or serving on the front lines of the pandemic builds character and helps your children apply the lessons they are learning.

Next time, we’ll consider how to talk to your children about the pandemic. In the meantime, may God give you extra grace as you lead your children and nurture their faith.

In awe of Him,

Paul