Children's Ministry

Help children get grounded in their Christian faith.

Our resources for ministry to children were developed to help kids clearly understand the gospel, so that they can genuinely embrace it, in order that they will not forsake it.

We all want to share our faith effectively…but how do we do it?

The Story of Hope - Kids

64 Pages - Plastic Coil Binding

The Story of Hope - Kids

This kids’ edition of The Story of Hope with plastic coil binding is a full color adaptation of the adult-level book. It is visually designed and language level adapted for kids, ages 8-12.

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The Story of Hope Kids - Leaders Guide DOWNLOAD

A free Leader's Guide (104 pages) for use with The Story of Hope--Kids.

The Story of Hope - Kids workbook is a chronological Bible study for kids, approximately ages 8-12. It is designed to help kids understand the BIG story of redemption, from Genesis through Revelation—a perspective that very few other ministry resources provide for children. The workbook contains one page for each of 40 Bible-event lessons, including an image from the Good Soil Redemptive Art Series and questions that get kids digging into the Bible texts for themselves. Also, the Chronological Bridge to Life is presented in an eight-page sequence. There's a Personal Faith Response page too.

Questions and map activities engage kids to read and think, rather than just rotely memorize. This workbook is bright and colorful and beautifully illustrated.

64 pages, Plastic Coil Bound

Download FREE Leader's Guide

I love the concept of Good Soil. God has been teaching me about the importance of His whole Word in sharing the gospel for years. One of my missionary friends mentioned she was using your material and I looked at what it is. Now I am just taking The Story of Hope and introducing a picture/story a week in my girls Sunday School class. Thank you for the framework! I love the way this ties together all of the Word of God. Thanks!

Loreena in IL

One lady who went to Sunday school as a child, but never truly trusted Jesus as her Savior, was being led through an evangelistic Bible study based on the adult version of The Story of Hope. She commented:

Why didn't they teach the Bible like this to me when I was in Sunday school? If they had done so, I might have understood it and become a true believer.

Adventures in The Story of Hope

FREE Bible Curriculum

Aventuras en La historia de la esperanza (Adventures in The Story of Hope - Spanish)

Spanish Edition of Adventures in the Story of Hope - A high quality, thorough 48-lesson curriculum for teaching children God’s redemptive story from beginning to end. Available as a free download to missionaries and children’s teachers around the world.

Adventures in the Story of Hope

Our desire has always been to make a high quality, thorough curriculum for teaching children God’s redemptive story from beginning to end available for free to missionaries and children’s teachers around the world. Now the “Adventures in the Story of Hope” curriculum is available as a free download right here! 2018 Colorized Edition.

Approximately 400 pages of lesson plans for teaching 48 Bible lessons—40 Bible-event lessons and eight Chronological Bridge to Life lessons. The lessons unfold the BIG Story of the Bible, chronologically from beginning to end, focusing on God's redemptive story. As students learn about major Bible events, they also learn how all of them are connected around the one BIG Story.

Lessons include many creative activities to engage kids in active learning: questions, games, songs, crafts, drama, “My Story of Hope” activities, memory verses, and other Bible learning activities. Also, a complete set of coloring sheets, one per each of the 40 Bible event lessons.

Great resource for your ministry with children.

Download FREE 400+ Page Curriculum

Thank you for offering the Adventures in The Story of Hope teaching guide for free. It gives me much more confidence that I can do this and make it fun for the kids!

Elisabeth, Bristolville, OH

Kids Sing The Story of Hope

Kids Sing the Story of Hope CDs

Kids Sing the Story of Hope is a 2-CD set support resource for The Adventures in the Story of Hope curriculum. The 12 songs are kid-tested kid-approved fun ways to retell the story time after time as they sing the catchy tunes.

Kids Worship The God of the Big Story

Kids Worship The God of the Big Story CD

Fun Worship Music for a Variety of Ages

We have been doing very well with Adventures in The Story of Hope. One of the best things for us is that our children's ministry is essentially a one room school house, reaching the kids regardless of the age span. Our kids range from 3 through 9 and they all get something out of the lessons. And they are excited about it too. What an answer to prayer!

Brian, pastor in New York

The Way to Joy - Kids

64 Pages - Plastic Coil Bound

The Way to Joy - Kids

The Way to Joy Kids is a study in basic discipleship for kids, ages 8-12. It’s a visual-design and language-level adapted version of The Way to Joy for adults.

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The Way to Joy - Kids Leader's Guide

FREE downloadable leader's guide for The Way to Joy - Kids Edition. Forty-plus professionally designed pages. Answers to questions in the ten lessons of The Way to Joy - Kids basic discipleship book and tips for leading kids through the study.

The Way to Joy - Kids is a basic discipleship Bible study workbook for kids, approximately ages 8-12. If your students have made professions of faith in Jesus Christ, the next step is obviously discipleship. If you have not done so already, we recommend that you take them through The Story of Hope - Kids. But the next step beyond that would be The Way to Joy - Kids.

The Way to Joy - Kids includes ten lessons on basic truths that every young believer needs to know and some key spiritual disciplines that every Christian needs to practice. It is bright, it is colorful, it is beautifully illustrated with images that kids relate to. And, it includes a Bible reading and prayer journal to accompany the weeks of the discipleship study.

64 pages, Plastic Coil Bound.

Download FREE Leader's Guide

The Bible's Big Story PowerPoint CD

Three PowerPoint presentations used with teaching the Bible's redemptive story in 20, 40, and 100 event images.

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The Bible's BIG Story PowerPoint CD

The Bible's BIG Story PowerPoint CD contains three PowerPoint presentations of the Bible's story of redemption, from Genesis through Revelation:

20 Events - to use with short presentations and The Story of Hope Condensed.
40 Events - to use with medium-length presentations and The Story of Hope.
100 Events - to use with more extended presentations of the Bible's BIG Story.

Each Bible event is beautifully illustrated with an image from the Good Soil Redemptive Art Series. Also, included in each presentation are slides of Bible maps and the Chronological Bridge to Life.

Sample Old Testament Images

Eve and serpent in Eden

Abraham & Isaac

Sacrifice of lamb at altar in front of tabernacle

Sample New Testament Images

John the Baptist

Resurrection of Jesus

Believers in heaven - around Jesus - the rapture scene

We used the PowerPoint in our AWANA council time! It has been wonderful to use such good quality and well-planned lessons.

Susan, Lakeport, CA

The Bible's Big Story Teaching Visuals

The Bible's BIG Story Teaching Visuals - Set of 105

Set of 105 laminated, double-sided teaching visuals for teaching the Bible's redemptive story, from Genesis through Revelation.

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13.5" x 10.75" laminated printed teaching visuals. Key Bible event content on the back, event image on the front. 105 teaching visuals, 50 Old Testament, and 50 New Testament, plus five that work especially for ministry with Muslims. Great for teaching kids (and, adults too!) the BIG Story of the Bible that begins in Genesis and culminates in Revelation. Same images and key content as the Chronological Bible Cards—essentially big versions of those pocket-size cards. See below.

Chronological Bible Cards: Genesis — Revelation

ChronoBible Cards: Genesis-Revelation

A complete set of 135 pocket-size cards (4.5" x 3.375") for learning and reviewing the content and chronology of the Bible's Big Story.

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Pocket-size cards for learning and reviewing 100 key Bible events as they appear chronologically from Genesis through Revelation. Each Bible event card contains an image from the Good Soil Redemptive Story art collection on the front and key content information on the back. 25 major Bible era cards and 10 Chronological Bridge to Life cards included.

I wanted to pass on to your team how helpful the Bible Teaching Visuals have been. I have used them many times for children's programs. I taught Sunday School today. The program the international church uses does not have any visuals for the children. Each week they just listen to the story. Today, I picked out cards that mostly reflected certain parts of the story I wanted to tell. It was AMAZING how attentive the children were when I would hold up the cards. They were in awe at the beauty and colors, but more importantly it visually reinforced what I was sharing from the Bible. One little girl said of one of the Heaven cards, “It is just so beautiful!” We know our human minds cannot yet grasp the beauty of Heaven, but how special to know that the artist was gifted in such a way to help a group of 6-8 year old children grasp the gift of eternal life.

Kari, missionary in a Muslim-majority restricted access country in Africa

Hooks for Hanging the Bible’s Storyline

Teach Children—in just a few hours—to be able to think their way through the Bible, from Genesis through Revelation. Every movie or novel has a central storyline, a plot. Elementary students can learn the BIG storyline of the Bible, using 25 “Hooks”—major eras of the Bible.

OT & NT Hooks for Hanging the Bible's Storyline Visuals

A complete set of 25 Bible era teaching visuals with corresponding events listed on the back of each era visual.

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Hooks for Hanging the Bible's Storyline Visuals

A complete set of 25 Bible era teaching visuals with corresponding events listed on the back of each era visual.

The activities for teaching Hooks are FUN for students of all ages, even the teachers.
And there are FREE instructional helps.

Hooks for Hanging the Old Testament Storyline Worksheet

A student worksheet designed to help teach participants to grasp an overview of the Old Testament.

Hooks for Hanging the New Testament Storyline Worksheet

A student worksheet designed to help you teach participants to grasp an overview of the New Testament.

The 12 "Hooks" for Hanging the Old Testament Storyline

The 1 + 12 "Hooks" for Hanging the New Testament Storyline

Learn More About "Hooks" - and How to Teach Them

My latest Hooks for Hanging the Bible’s Storyline workshop was last Saturday in a Bible study in the home of the owner of Sam Ash Music Stores in Bayonne, NJ. Several very diverse cultures were represented in the group (Filipino, Russian, German, American, African, Hispanic, Arab, and Jewish). They were amazed and enjoyed it - and everyone understood. Some said, “I finally got it!” “I’ll read my Bible again.”

Ariel, Filipino visiting in New Jersey

Chronological Bridge to Life

Teach kids the BIG Story of the Bible, based upon eight key concepts that emerge chronologically from Genesis through Revelation:

God
Man
Sin
Death
Christ
Cross
Faith
Life

ChronoBridge — A walk through the Chronological Bridge to Life

At our Bible camp we teach the Chronological Bridge to Life to our cabin leaders and counselors. They use it as a framework to lead children to Christ.

Mary Lou, New Port Richey, FL

Instructional
Video DVD

How to Use the ChronoBridge to Life DVD & Card Set

This ten minute video presentation illustrates how to use the Chronological Bridge (ChronoBridge) to Life in presenting God’s story of hope.

Pocket Size
ChronoBridge Cards

The Chronological Bridge to Life Cards

These playing-size cards are designed to be used in presenting the "ChronoBridge to Life" in personal witnessing.

We used the Chronological Bridge to Life as a 5 day Vacation Bible School. We focused on two parts of the bridge each day and used ”God’s Big Story” and ”the Chrono Bridge Song” as our theme songs for the week. The PowerPoint pictures made great posters for the church and we used the “Kids Sing Story of Hope” CD for music. Later, Jessica used the same colorful posters and song to teach the ChronoBridge in elementary chapel.

Matt and Jessica, pre-field missionaries to Chile

Learn More About the ChronoBridge to Life

The Greatest Bridge Adventure Leader's Kit

The kit for teaching The Greatest Bridge Adventure 5-day curriculum based on the Good Soil Chronological Bridge to Life.

A five-day curriculum for teaching kids the BIG Story of the Bible based on the Good Soil Chronological Bridge to Life: God - Man - Sin - Death - Christ - Cross - Faith - Life.

Designed to be used in Five-Day Clubs, Bible Camps, Children's Church, Released Time Classes, or even Vacation Bible Schools and various other children's ministries.

The Leader's Kit includes:

The Greatest Bridge Adventure Teacher's Guide
One set of Chronological Bridge to Life Teaching Visuals
One set of pocket-sized Chronological Bridge to Life Cards
The Greatest Bridge Adventure Music Video Flash Drive
Kids Sing the Story of Hope CD
One flip-chart book of missionary stories entitled Kubanka Kids
A copy of The Story of Hope Kids and The Way to Joy Kids which can be used in additional discipleship follow up
Online access to the Instructor's Resource Center which includes 3 music videos, daily skits, crafts, and more!

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The ChronoBridge (Chronological Bridge to Life) - Video Song — ChronoBridge Song (Chronological Bridge to Life) - Video Song (Preview)

Summarizes the BIG story of the Bible in eight words: God-Man-Sin-Death-Christ-Cross-Faith-Life (Full video = 1:36)

Testimonial from a couple that recently used this curriculum:

Last June, my husband and I started an outreach to kids in a small town near us that had no ministry to kids. Our desire was to teach chronologically thru the Bible, as most of them did not have much previous knowledge of the Bible. We bounced around between several different curriculum, trying to find something that would fit our needs.

In February, ABWE missionaries, Dave and Glorianne Levy, came to our church for our Missions Emphasis weekend and did the Good Soil Seminar. Their materials were just what we had been looking for!!! We were so excited about using The Story of Hope Kids. The COVID shutdown halted our plans for the rest of the spring, but we continued making plans for when everything would open back up again. In July, we were able to host a Vacation Bible School in the park using The Greatest Bridge Adventure. It was a great adventure for sure! We had a good turnout of kids, and they were all very interested and engaged in the lessons and activities. We felt like we were able to lay a solid foundation with the brief overview of God's Big Story by teaching the truths of the Chronobridge.

We are now looking forward to continue building on that foundation by teaching thru the Adventures in the Story of Hope as we continue to meet once a week with them in the park. We love the vibrant, realistic illustrations and the very obvious redemptive thread that weaves thru the whole story.

Thank you for providing such great tools for sharing the gospel!!

Jason & Jennie Busenitz

Reflections from God’s Story of Hope

Reflections From God's Story of Hope

A coffee table book unfolding the storyline of the Bible through 50 Old Testament and 50 New Testament Events. $20 each for 8 or more!

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Reflections unfolds the storyline of the Bible through 50 Old Testament and 50 New Testament events—from Genesis through Revelation.

100 key Bible events organized by 25 major Bible eras.
100 full-page Bible event images.
More than 200 pages, 9" x 12".
A Bible storybook for all—adults, children, Christians, or non-Christians.

$20 in Quantities of Eight or More - $40 for One Book, $30 each for Two. An excellent gift to give your clients!

Reflections - The Audio Experience

Professional recordings of all 100 narratives from the book, Reflections From God's Story of Hope.

MP3 files on a flash drive

Sample Audio Montage

Watch a (2:36) video to see how the Reflections - The Audio Experience audio stories are correlated with the printed and visually illustrated stories in the Reflections from God's Story of Hope coffee table storybook, as well as The Bible's BIG Story Teaching Visuals.

Watch the Video

Sample Audio Montage

Watch the Video

I love the audio Bible stories with sound effects. Can't wait to get the thumb drive with the files!

Mary Lou, New Port Richey, FL

Mobile Apps - for Android & Apple

For you to use in your ministry and to encourage those to whom you are ministering to load on their own mobile devices. Great way to teach and review the events of the Bible's BIG Story and the eight chronological Bible concepts.

The Roots of Faith Bible Courses

Chronological Bible curriculum, unfolding the BIG Story of the Bible in 100 events and packed with FUN learning activities.

The Roots of Faith Bible courses were created for high school and adult students. But, these courses have been used effectively with upper elementary students too. The workbooks and most of the teaching-learning activities can be used with elementary students, for sure.

Even if you do not use the workbooks in teaching The Roots of Faith to kids, if you attend The Roots of Faith courses, you will find it relatively easy to take what you learn back to your children's ministry. A complete Instructor's Guide and access to the online Instructor's Resource Center is available for both courses.

Upper elementary kids can learn…

Much of the key content in the Old and New Testaments.
The chronology of 25 major Bible eras and 100 key Bible events.
The geographic locations of many places here Bible events occurred.
The BIG Story of the Bible and how it progresses from Genesis through Revelation.

Great opportunity for YOU to study the Bible in a way that will equip you to be a better Bible teacher.

The Roots of Faith - Old and New Testaments

How can you be certified to teach The Roots of Faith Courses?

Option One: Participate in The Roots of Faith Courses

Image of a TROF OT Class at ABWE - FUN Learning

Image of a TROF NT Class at ABWE - Interactive & Engaging Learning

More Information

Or, Option Two: Purchase The Roots of Faith Instructor’s Kits

Provisional Certification

More Information

The Roots of Faith Old Testament Instructor Kit

A kit providing the resources needed to teach the Old Testament portion of the Bible's Big Story chronologically.

More Information

The Roots of Faith New Testament Instructor Kit

A kit providing the resources needed to teach the New Testament portion of the Bible's Big Story chronologically.

Three days in May and October

In order to use Good Soil E&D resources most effectively, we recommend our Good Soil training programs.

Good Soil Evangelism and Discipleship Basic Seminar

Two Days in May and October

Learn to share the gospel, God’s story of hope, in a way that people will clearly understand it, sincerely embrace it, and hold fast to it.

Good Soil Evangelism & Discipleship Seminar Workbook

Available to those that have received Good Soil Trainer Certification. Workbook used in training Worldview-Relevant Evangelism & Discipleship.

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The top ten takeaways from Good Soil Evangelism and Discipleship training:

Learn how to initiate conversations that open up to unobtrusive opportunities to share the gospel.
Learn how to determine where a person is on his/her level of understanding of the gospel and receptivity to knowing more about salvation through Jesus Christ.
Learn how to present the truth of the gospel in a way that it isn't misunderstood by the person with whom you are sharing, regardless of his/her religious worldview.
Learn how to share God's story of redemption, from Genesis through Revelation, so that the recipient will understand the Biblical context for the good news of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.
Learn how to present the gospel, using the Chronological Bridge to Life.
Learn how to share the gospel, using your own faith story.
Learn a variety of ways to use The Story of Hope, in evangelism, with confidence.
Learn how to use The Way to Joy, in discipling believers who are still weak in their faith.
Learn about a wide variety of evangelism and discipleship resources that you may find to be helpful in your ministry.
Learn to teach others what you have learned about evangelism and discipleship, and train them to do what you have learned to do through the training you have received.

Good Soil Basic Seminar

Two Days in May or October

More Information

Good Soil Trainer Certification

A Third Day in May or October

More Information

Always, engaging, interactive, and FUN learning.

Moving Beyond Lecture Workshop

Two Days in October

As a teacher, regardless of what or where or whom you teach, you will love and appreciate this workshop! You will learn to become a more creative facilitator of interactive teaching and training.

It will enhance your ability to teach children, beyond what you can probably imagine. You will…

Learn a seven-step process for developing lessons for teaching and training.
Enlarge your teaching toolbox with lots of creative techniques and tips for teaching.
Become more sensitive to classroom factors that can enhance your teaching-learning environment.
Engage your students more actively and make learning FUN for them.
Become much more confident in your teaching.

For More Information and to Register

BibleStorying Workshop

Two Days in May

One of the keys to effective Bible teaching with children is telling Bible stories so that historical Bible events “come alive” in the minds of the kids who hear them!

This BibleStorying (Bible story telling) workshop will enhance your skills as a Bible story teller and teacher. You will learn lots of tips and techniques for improving your ability to tell Bible stories that will gain and hold student interest. And, you will learn about—and practice using—several Good Soil Bible teaching resources.

Day One: How to Learn Bible Stories
Day Two: How to Tell Bible Stories

For More Information and to Register

Gaining Ground with Good Soil

Want to understand more about Good Soil Evangelism and Discipleship? This is the place to start! NEW Visually Enhanced 2016 Edition - An evangelism and discipleship training narrative that is a scaled-down version of the Good Soil E&D seminar in a narrative format. Full color throughout.

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FREE Book for Leaders of Ministries to Children

Gaining Ground with Good Soil is an evangelism and discipleship training narrative—a scaled-down version of the Good Soil Evangelism and Discipleship seminar in a narrative format. The principles gained from this book are applicable for anyone wishing to serve God through Biblical evangelism and discipleship, but is especially instructive and helpful for ministry leaders, including leaders of ministries to children.

The realistic, but fictional narrative, around which the book is developed, tells the story of a couple of missionaries who were frustrated and discouraged—to the point of almost giving up—because of their lack of success in evangelism and discipleship on their field. But, the "Good Soil" principles they learned from Bible study revolutionized their ministries. It will help you think through a theology of evangelism and discipleship and help you to present the gospel so that people will clearly understand it, sincerely embrace it, and firmly hold on to it.

Free instructional resources for individual and group study are also available for download. www.GoodSoil.com/FREE

If you are an official leader of ministry with children, with a USA shipping address, and will commit to reading this book , we will send you a FREE (and postage-free) copy of Gaining Ground with Good Soil.

More Good Soil Resources for Evangelism and Discipleship

Good Soil provides an entire toolbox of resources for ministry with children.

Good Soil Training and Resource Catalog

This downloadable PDF catalog is a quick reference to the many resources offered here at Good Soil Evangelism & Discipleship.

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For a complete overview of our Good Soil resources:

Download the Catalog Go to the Resources Page

More Good Soil E&D Stories from Children’s Ministries

Hey guys, wanted to let you guys know that in my backyard bible study we began The Story of Hope. It has to be condensed because of the length of summer, but God blessed us with nine kids today. I'm really excited that there's a Bible study resource that can be used for kids as well as adults that tells the whole story. Pray for me, tomorrow I start a Bible study with a new couple and have a chance to share with a guy in the hospital tomorrow named Lance. He got electrocuted last Thursday and almost died, but because he received CPR on the jobsite he lived.

Lindsey, pre-field missionary to Italy

Using this for another Kid's Bible study!!

Katie, Lebanon, PA

I want to have a Bible Study with neighborhood children

Martha, Deshler, OH

I heard of your resources through ABWE missionary prayer letters. I ordered The Story of Hope, the big teaching visuals, the small visual-cards, and several copies of Reflections from God's Story of Hope coffee table book last year and have been using The Story of Hope as our Beginner Church curriculum this year. It is my plan to repeat this each year for the Beginner Church kids so that they leave and go into the children's program already having a chronological understanding of the Story. We are also working to get the Reflections coffee table book into each home of our children and young people. This allows the parents to follow along with what their children are learning, as well as allowing them to fill in with some of the stories that aren't covered in The Story of Hope.

David, Hull Baptist Church, Hull, GA

We are looking for teaching pictures for children's ministry and found these.

Vicki, Gruver, TX

I have enjoyed using your Good Soil products, and now as a houseparent at the nearby Milton Hershey School, we look forward to using this curriculum to teach underprivileged students. -Bob, former missionary

Bob in Pennsylvania

We checked over your Adventures in The Story of Hope and love it! Our children have never had Biblical teaching, so we want to lay a firm foundation in their lives and this curriculum is perfect for it. We started using it last Sunday and are looking forward to seeing what God does with it.

Paulichens - Missionaries to Uruguay