B e t h l e h e m L u t h e r a n C h u r c h 1 2 7 9 H i g h S t r e e t A u b u r n , C A 9 5 6 0 3

5 3 0 - 8 8 5 - 4 5 1 5

Children and

the Bible

As parents, we know that

the Bible is important

and that we should be

teaching the Bible to our

children. But that’s a

daunting task! Where do

you start? What if you get

it wrong?

There is not one right or wrong way to go about put-

ting the Bible into the heart and soul of your chil-

dren. This booklet is designed to help. It will provide

some basic information on what is in the Bible and

give you ideas on what to do, as well as some re-

sources that are available.

It will always help to read the Bible regularly and

pray! You are not alone! If you have questions about

the material in this booklet, the Pastor and/or Direc-

tor of Children’s Ministry will do their best to help.

NEW TESTAMENT

The Trial of Jesus Matthew 26:57-27:5, 11:26; Mark

14:53-15:15; Luke 22:54-23:5, 13

-25; John 18:15-18, 2-34; 19:1-6

The Crucifixion Matthew 27:27-58; Mark 15:16-

45; Luke 23:26-52; John 19:2, 16

-30,38

Jesus Comes Back Matthew 28:1-10, 16-20; Mark

16:1-8, 10-19; Luke 24:1-51;

John 20:1-16, 18-21

The Early Christian Church Acts 1:12-2:47

The Stoning of Stephen Acts 6:8-7:1, 54-60

Saul's Conversion Acts 9:1-19

Peter's Escape from Prison Acts 12:1-17

Paul and Silas in Prison Acts 16:16-40

The Shipwreck Acts 27:1-28:10

Paul Preaches in Rome Acts 28:11-31

NEW TESTAMENT

Jesus Speaks in Parables

The Sower and the Seed Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20;

Luke 8:5-15

The Wheat and the Weeds Matthew 13:24-30

The Mustard Seed Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:30-32;

Luke 13:18-19

The Wicked Servant Matthew 18:31-35

The Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37

The Good Shepherd Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:3-7;

John 10:14-18

The Prodigal Son Luke 15:11-32

Death of John the Baptist Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29;

Luke 9:7-9

Feeding the Five Thousand Matthew 14:13-36; Mark 6:31-56;

Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-21

Jesus and Simon Luke 7:36-50

Jairus' Daughter Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-42;

Luke 8:40-56

The Transfiguration Matthew 16:13-17:20

Lazarus Raised from the Dead John 11:1-53

The Entry into Jerusalem Matthew 20:29-21:17; 22:15-22,

34-50; Mark 10:46-11:11, 15-19;

12:13-17, 28-34; Luke 18:35-

19:10, 29-48; 20:20-26; John

12:12-19

The Last Supper Matthew 26:1-5, 14-56; Mark

14:1-2, 10-50; Luke 22:1-53;

John 13

What is the Bible?

The word Bible comes from the Greek “biblia” meaning books

It is a collection of ancient writings about God

The Bible is made up of two parts—

the Old and New Testaments

(Testament means agreement, scripture means sacred writings)

The Bible was written by many authors—most Hebrews, some

unknown

It was written over about 1,000 years from 900 BC to 100 AD

The Bible was written to teach religion and patriotism and to

describe the Messiah

Old Testament

5 Books “The Law” Jewish Torah

21 Books “The Prophets” mostly history and sermons

13 Books “The Writings” history, philosophy and poetry

New Testament

4 Books Gospels good news of Jesus’ birth, teaching,

death and resurrection

1 Book Acts the story of a new religion (the

Apostles Peter and Paul)

21 Books Letters from Paul and others to churches and

people

1 Book Revelation a Vision

Old Testament

Stories about God’s agree-

ment with the Hebrew

people before Jesus’

resurrection

New Testament

Stories about God’s com-

plete vision for ALL peo-

ple based on the teach-

ings and life, death and

resurrection of Jesus.

Now that we have some basic facts about the Bible, let’s ex-

plore why we should read the Bible and if holding and reading

a print Bible is necessary in this digital age.

Why Would Anyone Want to Read the

Bible to Their Children? Charlotte Erlandson

Parts of the Bible are so full of vio-

lence...and sexual themes. Some

are as easy to read as...the mort-

gage contract on your home! Final-

ly, the self-contradictions can

cause even the sharpest minds to

spin.

1. The biggest mistake I can make

is to limit God to what I can

understand or what I like. The

whole point of God being God

is that God is greater than my

limited capacities to under-

stand.

2. While I do think the Bible contains an astronomical amount

of violence, confusing sexual and moral messages, and baf-

fling theological concepts, I also believe that God is in

there somewhere. The task of my lifetime has been and

continues to be finding God in the Bible and passing on this

unfolding revelation to my children.

But where does this leave you...as a parent? How do we deal

with all the offensive or confusing stuff? Worse yet, how do we

field the never-ending tough questions that children ask?

Judgment of Solomon 1 Kings 3:16-28; 6

The Prophet Elijah 1 Kings 17:1; 18:17-19:21; 2

Kings 2:1-15

Esther, Queen of Persia Esther 2:2-8:17

The Story of Job Job 1-42

Daniel in the Lion's Den Daniel 5-6

Jonah, the Prophet Jonah 1-4

NEW TESTAMENT

The Birth of Jesus Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-56;

2:1-20

The Flight into Egypt Matthew 2:1-23

Jesus' Childhood Matthew 2:19-23; Luke 2:40-52

John the Baptist Matthew 3; Mark 1:1-11; Luke

3:1-22; John 1:19-34

The Temptation of Jesus Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13;

Luke 4:1-13

The Apostles Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9; 10:1-4;

19:16-24; Mark 1:16-20; 2:13-14;

3:13-19; 10:17-25; Luke 5:1-11,

27-28; 6:12-16; 18:18-25

The Wedding at Cana John 2:1-11

Curing the Sick Matthew 8:1-4, 14-15; 9:1-8;

Mark 1:23-2:12

The Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5-7; Luke 6:17-49

Jesus Calms a Storm Matthew 8:23-34; Mark 4:36-

5:19; Luke 8:22-39

Jesus and the Pharisees Matthew 9:10-13; 12:1-14; Mark

2:15-17; 23-28; 3:1-6; Luke 5:29-

32; 6:1-11

David and Goliath 1 Samuel 17

OLD TESTAMENT

The Creation Genesis 1:1-23

Adam and Eve Genesis 2:7 - 3:24

Cain and Abel Genesis 4

Noah's Ark Genesis 6-9

The Tower of Babel Genesis 11:1-9

Abraham Genesis 17:1-18:15; 21:1-8; 22:1-19

Isaac and Rebecca Genesis 24

Jacob and Esau Genesis 25:19-34; 27:1-45

Jacob's Ladder Genesis 27:42-28:22

Leah and Rachel Genesis 29-31

The Coat of Many Colors Genesis 37

Pharaoh's Dreams Genesis 39-41

Joseph and his Brothers Genesis 42:1-46:30

The Burning Bush Exodus 1-4

Escape from Egypt Exodus 5-14

In the Wilderness Exodus 15:22-16:35

the Ten Commandments Exodus 19-24

The Golden Calf Exodus 32-34

The Death of Moses Numbers 20:1-12, 24-29; 27:12-

23;

The Battle of Jericho Joshua 1-6

Gideon's Trumpets Judges 6-7

Samson and the Philistines Judges 13; 15-16

Ruth and Naomi Ruth 1-2; 4

Samuel and Saul 1 Samuel 8-9; 15

David and His Harp 1 Samuel 16; Psalms 23

To answer the question, “Why should I read the Bible to my

children?” you must first ask yourself the question, “Why do I

read the Bible?” You are very likely to read the Bible because

the truth of what you believe about God is in there. You read

it because you need to be reminded of the truth in order to

live.

Once you know what you believe, you want to tell others

about it. My husband always buys Hondas...He wouldn’t buy

anything else, and he’s always telling anyone who will listen

how great they are. The Bible and beliefs about God are, in a

way, no different. If you believe in them, naturally you’ll

want to tell the world how great they are.

Wanting to share what we believe is why we read the Bible to

our children and struggle through the tough questions with

them. Knowing your beliefs and goals in reading to children

makes handling the hard questions and uncomfortable topics

much easier. You only need to ask yourself, “What response

falls in line with what I believe and want for my child?” Once

you know this, you’ll be able to get through the difficult

p a r t s w i t h c o n f i d e n c e a n d g r a c e .

There’s An App for That Henry Zonio

With the Bible at the touch of an iPhone what

does it mean for kids to be biblically literate

in the Internet age? Learning scripture is still

important. We want children to be trans-

formed by God, so it’s imperative they know

the book that tells them who God is, who Je-

sus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. We want

them to be children of “the Book.”

...Knowing God’s Word is less about information recall and more about

being engaged by and immersed in the Word of God. ...This digital age

has not only changed how we access information, but it’s altered society

and culture. How we process information has changed. These changes re-

quire us to adopt a new way of teaching the Bible to children.

First, we need to inspire children to hear and read the Bible as a whole.

… Unfortunately our society has turned reading the Bible into something

we “have” to do. As a result, we read the Bible as if it were a collection of

disconnected short stories or morality takes akin to Mother Goose fables.

Ivy Beckwith suggests that we should just tell the stories over and over

again, allowing children to play with them and reflect on those stories

while paying attention to how each individual story fits into the bigger

truth about who God is.

Fortunately, we don’t have to do this on our own. There are a number of

great resources that connect individual Bible passages to the overarching

account of God’s love for us. [The Spark Storybook Bible, The Jesus Sto-

rybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones and the What’s in the Bible video se-

ries by Phil Vischer (the creator of Veggie Tales) are available to check

out from the Director of Children’s Ministry.]

...Cool technology alone is not the solution to ...biblical illiteracy. “I don’t

think the verse says, “Thy Word have I hid in my iPad,” says Vischer.

“God’s Word transforms us when it is internalized…”

Second, we must help children see the Bible as more than instruction

booklet. Children need to grasp the Bible more as the source for under-

Suggestions for Bible storybooks for bedtime

reading— Arch Books

The Family Story Bible

The Greatest Bible Stories Ever Told

The Purple Puzzle Tree

Other

What’s In the Bible Video Series— by the creator of

Veggie Tales—available online, or for checkout from the

Director of Children’s Ministry

Scripture Talk—website with Bible information

www.enterthebible.org—created by Luther Seminary

www.vibrantfaithathome.org—info about the Bible and

so much more!

ELCA Tips for Family Bible

Study—available from the Di-

rector of Children’s Ministry

or online at:

http://www.elca.org/What-We-

Believe/The-Bible/Read-the-Bible/

Personal-and-Family-Devotions/Tips

-for-Family-Bible-Study.aspx

Resources

Bibles and Bible Stories

The SPARK Story Bible brings God's Word to life through

colorful art and rich retelling of 150 of the most popular

Bible stories —available from Augsburg Fortress— or

checkout the Story Bible from the Director of Children’s

Ministry

The Jesus Storybook Bible takes a journey from creation

to Revelation, discovering how Jesus is at the center of

God’s great story—available online or in bookstores, or for

checkout from the Director of Children’s Ministry

Adventure Bible Storybook and The Adventure

Bible— the main stories and themes from the Bible, but

all within a fun, exciting theme of discovering, imagina-

tion, and suspense—available online

The Rhyme Bible Storybook— thirty-five delightful, clas-

sic Bible stories retold in lilting verse and rollicking, read-

aloud rhyme—available online

The Picture Bible and The Action Bible— comic book for-

mats—available online

The Big God Story— a fast paced journey showing how we

are a part of the story—available online

Bible Stories for Curious Kids: 800+ Questions to Ex-

plore— favorite Scripture stories are presented in a Q&A

format— available online

standing God than the source for understanding ourselves. We have to

get beyond the question, “What does the Bible have to say to me?”

Guide kids to ask questions such as “What does what I am reading in the

Bible say about God? What does it say about the kingdom of God?”

...Children are very aware that they’re part of a global community.

When our reading and understanding of the Bible becomes less about our

own lives and more about what God is doing in the world around us, the

Word of God has the potential to transform a globally connected society.

Third, as we help children experience the Bible anew, we need to

help them connect it with life. ...It’s important to make space for kids

to reflect on the passages themselves, allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal

himself in those words. Consider encouraging children to silently medi-

ate on a passage of scripture, listen to what it says about God, and then

share their thoughts orally, in writing or artistically. Or let kids create

videos, blogs, or digital works of art to retell Bible events. As children

“play” with God’s Word, they can “taste and see that the Lord is

good” (Psalm 34:8)...

In a 21st century context, kids need to recognize that the Bible is pri-

marily about God and is global in scope. Children also need space to in-

ternalize God’s Word using a variety of physical and digital tools. When

you help kids approach the Bible in these ways, it’s no longer tied to the

medium it’s communicated in. Whether the Bible is printed or it’s an

app on the phone in my pocket, it’s alive. Knowing the Bible is still

about learning it, but it’s also much, much more. Biblical literacy be-

comes about living the Word of God. And it becomes about experiencing

the Bible in new ways.

IDEAS

Bring your child to Godly Play! The Bible stories, told again

year after year, show how each fits into the bigger truth about

who God is. As your child grows, s/he will hear and wonder

about different aspects of these amazing stories. (Talk the the

Director of Children’s Ministry about starting Godly Play if you

are not already participating.)

Tell stories by heart—not word for word, but as you know it in

your heart.

Make reading the Bible enjoyable! Reading the Bible with your

children will show them that God’s Word is important to you.

Begin young! Start by read-

ing Bible story board books

and as your child grows al-

low them to read stories

from an easy to read Bible

to you. Include Bible story

books in the bedtime rou-

tine.

Easter—celebrating Jesus’ Resurrection

Matthew 28: 1—10, 16—20;

Mark 16: 1—8, 10— 19; Luke 24: 1—51;

John 20: 1—16, 18—21

Pentecost—celebrating the Holy Spirit poured

out on the earliest believers

Acts 2

In addition, help children notice the large book from

which we read the scripture, how we stand for the

good news at the reading of the Gospel, and how one

great biblical story is recalled and told again and

again, especially in songs and at the great prayer of

Thanksgiving at the table before communion.

The Bible and Worship

Pastor Bryon

One of the primary ways children participate in the biblical

story is through worship. As we journey through the cycles

and seasons of the liturgical year, we live out the biblical sto-

ry.

Special days where the story is celebrated include:

Christmas—celebrating Jesus’ birth

Matthew 1: 18—25;

Luke 1: 26—26; 2: 1—20

Epiphany—celebrating Jesus’ appearance

to all the world

Matthew 2

The Baptism of our Lord—celebrating Jesus’ baptism

Matthew 3; Mark 1: 1—11; Luke 3: 1—22

The Transfiguration—celebrating Jesus’ glory on the

mountain

Matthew 16: 13—17:20

Holy Week—celebrating Jesus’ passion and death

See listing of Bible stories on the following pages

for The Entry Into Jerusalem, The Last Supper,

The Trial of Jesus, The Crucifixion

Act out Bible stories at bedtime using items in the bed-

room.

Choose a storybook Bible that

is fun. Look for engaging art-

work and stories from Gene-

sis and Revelation.

For elementary readers—take

turns reading Bible stories—

each of you reading a few

verses. After the story, silently meditate and then share

your thoughts aloud or through art or drama.

For pre-teens—find the lesser

known stories that will appeal—for

boys Ehud sinking his knife into

the evil king, or for girls Esther

preparing for the ultimate beauty

contest.

For pre-teens— consider purchas-

ing a Bible handbook and Bible at-

las—they can help give a clearer

understanding of the times and

places where events took place

Underline and write in your Bible—prayers, blessings and

what you are thinking about as you read. Encourage your

child to do the same.

From Tips for Selecting a Child-friendly Bible

from the ELCA

How children make sense of the Bible changes as

they grow. It is important to minimize the possibility

that biblical understandings become fixed and rigid

for children. The Bible is not a fixed, frozen, readily

exhausted read. Children will develop new images

and understandings of the Bible when earlier ones

are no longer adequate and satisfying. Repeating a

“Presentation of the Bible” at different ages with

different Bible translations can model that the Bible

has both a present and future dimension. Having

children use the Bible in Sunday school, vacation Bi-

ble school, first communion classes, confirmation,

intergenerational activities, in worship and at home

helps them create new and more complex under-

standings. A congregational practice of inviting chil-

dren, youth and adults into lifelong reading, study

and conversation will keep everyone equal before

the Bible, through which the Spirit make all things

new.

TIPS FOR STORYTELLING

Yes, you can tell a good story! Parents can tell them to kids and kids can tell them to parents. There's a list of popular Bible stories on the next pages.

Know the Story. The more familiar you are with the story, the easier it will be to tell it. Read over it to refresh your memory and to be sure you have the facts right. Paint de-tails. Describe sounds and smells, sights and tastes and how things feel to the touch. Imagine how the people in the sto-ry felt about their situation and imagine other ways it might

have been handled.

Don't Change the Facts. Be creative in painting details but it is important not to change the facts. Saying that the Last Supper consisted of Big Macs, fries and cokes may make it sound more up-to-date but it would not be good to have kids start asking the Pastor for more creative Communion on

Sundays.

Make it memorable and fun. They're your children. Don't be afraid to act a little goofy in front of them. I can assure you they already think you're goofy. Make God's voice deep and commanding. When Jonah is thrown overboard, give

him a bubbly, gurgling voice.

Make it Relevant. You don't have to beat them over the head with the point of the story, but try to find a way that they can apply it to their lives and convey that within the

story.

Ask Questions. Keep them involved and responding and you

won't lose their attention.