CE&P Communication

Book Reviews

(Click on book to read)

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every story whispers his name

by Sally Lloyd-Jones

Ten Girls/ Ten Boys Series

by Irene Howat

The Family Pilgrim’s Progress

by Jean Watson, Adapted from John Bunyan’s classic

A must-have for your children's ministry...

Kids Under Construction

Ministry Resource Notebook

Order

CE&P is now accepting online donations!

August 2007

September - Time for Something New

Although August/September is not the beginning of our calendar year, the school calendar in America has always made it seem like the proper time to begin new programs at church and begin new schedules with our children at home. Children have come to expect new beginnings in the fall - a new Sunday school teacher, new school books, sometimes even new clothes. What a great time for a new commitment to train our children in the Truth!

Whether you are a Sunday school teacher or a parent, we have some great resources for you at Christian Education and Publications to get you started on “something new” that will advance the next generation of disciples in Jesus’ Church. The late Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones in his sermon series on Ephesians summed up instruction to children like this: “what we have to do is to make Christianity attractive. We should give our children the impression that the most wonderful thing in the world is Christianity, and that there is nothing in life comparable to being a Christian. We should create within them the desire to be like us. They see us and they see the joy that we have in it, the way we marvel and wonder at it all. They should be saying to themselves, I am longing to be as old as they are, so that I can enjoy it as they obviously do.”

Are we as a church doing a good job sharing the joy of the Lord with our children?

How successful are parents in the home at intentionally sharing their faith everyday?

Here are some ideas for a “new start” in the fall:

Plan activities beyond your classroom time.
- Service projects (Order our Kids Under Construction handbook for some age-appropriate ideas)
- Book clubs - Christian biographies to read and talk about (Click on book reviews)
- Daily devotions during the week to report back on Sunday (The new upper-elementary curriculum from Great Commission Publications www.gcp.org has daily devotions included for each student)
Have regular teacher training meetings to encourage and equip. An occasional Sunday lunch is a great time to meet and build enthusiasm for discipling children. Visit www.pcacep.org/training to see how CE&P can help.
Have an open-house for parents to come and hear about all that their children will be learning.
- Take a moment to promote catechism and memory work support from home.
Have a book table focused on family devotions materials. (Check out the book reviews.)
Start a small group for parents who want to begin family devotions and help keep one another accountable. Read through The Lost Art of Family Devotions together.

Whether your children’s ministry is in the home or in the church, start something new this fall that will increase your joy and effectiveness in making disciples of the next generation.

Coming in time for Fall 2007.
CE&P’s new discipleship curriculum for girls will help the church to speak biblically and boldly to the issue of womanhood. This new curriculum from author Susan Hunt (Spiritual Mothering, True Woman) is available for both teen and pre-teen girls.

Click to see sample chapters and order copies for yourself or your church.

-Note-

For those of you who already own the Kids Under Construction resource manual, this would be a great resource to print and add to the Resource section. For those who do not own the manual, check out the left sidebar of this newsletter for info on the indispensable resource for your children's ministry.

Presbyterian Church in America
Christian Education and Publications
1700 North Brown Road, Suite 102, Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8122
Phone: 678.825.1100 Fax: 678.825.1101 Email: cep@pcanet.org