{"id":8872,"date":"2022-03-28T08:00:22","date_gmt":"2022-03-28T13:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/?p=8872"},"modified":"2022-03-28T10:59:02","modified_gmt":"2022-03-28T15:59:02","slug":"one-simple-way-helping-your-kids-connect-with-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2022\/03\/28\/one-simple-way-helping-your-kids-connect-with-god\/","title":{"rendered":"One Simple Way: Helping your Kids Connect with God"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t
\n

\"Daddy, what\u2019<\/span>s embalming?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

As I stumbled over my words with the grace of a one-legged unicyclist, I couldn\u2019<\/span>t help but smile. We had just finished our daily Bible reading when my curious 9-year-old asked me about Genesis 50:26 (NKJV): \u201c<\/span>So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That question led to a longer conversation about the resurrection of believers and our hope for a glorified body.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\n
\n\t
\n
It was amazing!<\/em><\/h6>\n
\n

\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\n
\n\t
\n

Conversations like those are a regular occurrence around our house lately. God is making Himself known to our kids in their curiosity. He is helping them build a foundation of faith in one of the simplest ways: regular Bible reading.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That\u2019<\/span>s it. There\u2019<\/span>s no gimmick. I don\u2019<\/span>t have a special discount for the next 100 callers. All I have is a simple encouragement to gather as a family and regularly read the Bible aloud.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

When we gather around the Bible and read its words, we\u2019<\/span>re joining with those earliest believers who sat in hushed anticipation as Scripture was read for all to hear. When we read the Bible together aloud, we connect with God and each other in a sacred way. Something unifying and, dare I say, electrifying happens when we hear the Sacred Writ in community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

This spiritual practice is one of the ways we\u2019<\/span>ve built a family altar. It's our attempt at creating a culture where the Bible is part of our everyday lives. We wade into the beautiful encouragement found in the promises of God. We also wrestle with the difficult passages and embrace the questions that are part of growing deep spiritual roots.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Can we answer every question? No. And that\u2019<\/span>s okay. If answering every question was the starting point, we wouldn\u2019<\/span>t be able to engage in any disciplines like science, literature, history, or any other area where unanswered questions live. While we can\u2019<\/span>t answer every question, we can give our children opportunities to experience God outside the Sunday morning environment. We want them to see that the Bible is not the official textbook of Sunday church, but it\u2019<\/span>s also a vital part of our family dynamic.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

As you seek to make Jesus a regular fixture in\u00a0your\u00a0<\/i>family dynamic, carve out time to read the Bible together. Build a family altar around the regular practice of listening to God's Word. It doesn't have to be complicated. For example, you can find a devotional plan in the YouVersion Bible App, use a Bible-in-a-year plan, or camp out in the Gospel of John for a few weeks. Don't overcomplicate this. Just set aside time to read the Bible with your kids. Make room for questions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\n
\n\t
\n
Oh, and don't have all the answers. God is more than capable of meeting our kids in their questions.<\/em><\/h6>\n
\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\n
\n\t
\n

Reading God\u2019s Word with your family takes extra work; we have to make changes in the daily rhythm of our lives. We may even have an awkward \u201c<\/span>Daddy, what\u2019<\/span>s embalming?\u201d moment. Even so, it\u2019<\/span>s worth it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

So be intentional, circle the wagons, and read the Bible aloud. It\u2019<\/span>s one small step, but as we learned from Neil Armstrong many years ago, one small step is also one giant leap in the right direction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\n
\n\t
\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\n
\n\t
Brian Burgess is the Lead Pastor of Forward Church in Portsmouth, VA<\/i><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":8878,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","slim_seo":{"title":"One Simple Way: Helping your Kids Connect with God - IPHC Discipleship Ministries","description":"\"Daddy, what \u2019 s embalming?\u201d   As I stumbled over my words with the grace of a one-legged unicyclist, I couldn \u2019 t help but smile. We had just finished our"},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[25,20,4,1,27],"tags":[1458,1404,1464,16,1031,1465,1463,1457],"class_list":["post-8872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boys-ministries","category-childrens-ministries","category-discipleship-ministries","category-general","category-girls-ministries-childrens-ministries","tag-1458","tag-article","tag-brian-burgess","tag-discipleship","tag-discipleship-ministries","tag-kids","tag-kids-ministry","tag-q1","entry"],"title_es":"","content_es":"","author_name":"Brian Burgess","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4T9u2-2j6","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9516,"url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2022\/12\/07\/the-cause-for-kids-looking-forward-to-2023\/","url_meta":{"origin":8872,"position":0},"title":"The Cause for Kids: Looking Forward to 2023","author":"ebell","date":"December 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I can\u2019t stop talking about IPHC Kids\u2019 Ministry.\u00a0 I am beside myself that my love for kids\u2019 ministry and the local church merge on this coming journey.\u00a0 My heart for IPHC Kids\u2019 Ministry is simple: to disciple kids.\u00a0 That\u2019s the vision.\u00a0 I want them to be lifelong followers of Jesus.\u00a0\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Children's Ministries"","block_context":{"text":"Children's Ministries","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/category\/childrens-ministries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/kM-2022-Q4-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/kM-2022-Q4-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/kM-2022-Q4-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/kM-2022-Q4-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/kM-2022-Q4-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2337,"url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2016\/04\/18\/discipleship-ministries-promotes-kids-fire-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":8872,"position":1},"title":"Discipleship Ministries Promotes Kids Fire Bible","author":"Kaleigh","date":"April 18, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Discipleship Ministries recommends every family consider using the Fire Bible for Kids during their family devotions. Your children and grandchildren will enjoy the fun graphics and the animation will bring the stories to life! The Kids Fire Bible is geared for ages 8-12. However, we know several families who read\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General News"","block_context":{"text":"General News","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/04\/fire-bible-banner.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/04\/fire-bible-banner.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/04\/fire-bible-banner.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/04\/fire-bible-banner.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8927,"url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2022\/03\/14\/discipleship-ministries-hires-new-kids-team-member\/","url_meta":{"origin":8872,"position":2},"title":"Discipleship Ministries Hires New Kids’ Team Member","author":"Kaleigh","date":"March 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Bishop Tommy McGhee is honored to announce Tiffany Trainor has joined the Discipleship Ministries team as the new Kids' Ministries Content Specialist. \"Tiffany brings years of ministry experience, a passion for excellence, and a deep commitment to the IPHC\", says Kristi Cain, IPHC Kids' Ministries Director. \"In addition, she's just\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Discipleship Ministries"","block_context":{"text":"Discipleship Ministries","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/category\/discipleship-ministries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/03\/Welcome-Message-to-the-Team-for-Brands-Instagram-Story1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/03\/Welcome-Message-to-the-Team-for-Brands-Instagram-Story1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/03\/Welcome-Message-to-the-Team-for-Brands-Instagram-Story1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/03\/Welcome-Message-to-the-Team-for-Brands-Instagram-Story1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/03\/Welcome-Message-to-the-Team-for-Brands-Instagram-Story1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/03\/Welcome-Message-to-the-Team-for-Brands-Instagram-Story1.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":982,"url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2014\/11\/26\/teaching-kids-to-be-sheep\/","url_meta":{"origin":8872,"position":3},"title":"Teaching Kids to Be Sheep","author":"Kaleigh","date":"November 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 I realize I may have some bias, but I truly can\u2019t think of a more valuable place to serve, with the greatest potential for impact, than working with kids. The opportunity to partner with parents in teaching and training their children is a high calling and incredible privilege. So\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Boys Ministries"","block_context":{"text":"Boys Ministries","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/category\/boys-ministries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/11\/teaching-kids1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/11\/teaching-kids1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/11\/teaching-kids1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/11\/teaching-kids1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":322,"url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2014\/08\/19\/the-importance-of-childrens-ministry\/","url_meta":{"origin":8872,"position":4},"title":"The Importance of Children’s Ministry","author":"Kaleigh","date":"August 19, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 KIDS!! Just the mention of the word \u201ckids\u201d can conjure up feelings of joy, dread, excitement, exhaustion, hope, or sheer fear! If you\u2019re a parent, grandparent, teacher, or children\u2019s church volunteer you know what I\u2019m talking about. Despite our feelings on any given day, there\u2019s an underlying truth that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Children's Ministries"","block_context":{"text":"Children's Ministries","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/category\/childrens-ministries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"kids","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/08\/kids-1024x339.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/08\/kids-1024x339.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/08\/kids-1024x339.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/08\/kids-1024x339.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2022,"url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2015\/11\/23\/thanks-giving\/","url_meta":{"origin":8872,"position":5},"title":"Thanks & Giving","author":"Lindsey","date":"November 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday. I love the weather, the food, the gathering of family and friends around the table, even the football. Most of all, I love the intentionality of us as a nation (theoretically, at least) pausing to say, \u201cThank You\u201d to each other and to God.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Boys Ministries"","block_context":{"text":"Boys Ministries","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/category\/boys-ministries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/11\/Thanks-Giving-ARTICLE-PIC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/11\/Thanks-Giving-ARTICLE-PIC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/11\/Thanks-Giving-ARTICLE-PIC.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/11\/Thanks-Giving-ARTICLE-PIC.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/02\/KM-2022-Q1-Article-Graphic.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8872"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8872\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}