Good Soil E&D is for Released Time Bible Classes
as well as many other kinds of ministries.
Released Time Bible Instruction – A Supreme Court Protected Ministry to Public School Students
Scriptures have been and can be legally taught on a devotional basis at a time set aside during the school day when public school students, with parental permission, leave the school premises to attend religious education classes led by religious or community groups. These classes, known as Released Time programs, are held off school premises, usually in a nearby religious facility.
Since its inception in 1914, millions of students from kindergarten through high school have participated. Currently it is estimated over 250,000 students participate. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld Released Time as protected by the Constitution of the United States
SOURCE: ReleasedTime.org
Based on a 2002 study of Released Time conducted by The National Council on Crime and Delinquency, the following conclusions were reached.
- Released Time reinforces positive character behavior in students.
- Released Time improves academic performance!
- Released Time fosters the involvement of communities and parents in the schools.
Bible Teaching Resources for Elementary Students
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.
Questions and map activities engage kids to read and think, rather than just rotely memorize. This workbook is bright and colorful and beautifully illustrated.
Generous Quantity Pricing. 64 pages, Plastic Coil Bound
Thought you might enjoy seeing photos of Filipino elementary public school teachers in a Bible study using The Story of Hope. I bought 25 or so The Story of Hope workbooks and gave them to our missionary friends (Laura and Ruth, SEND International) when they returned to the Philippines in September. Laura and Ruth are two of a team which developed VOICE, a program of values oriented lessons (based on the Bible) designed explicitly for the public schools in the Philippines. For each public school which uses the VOICE program, a local Bible-believing church is connected to the school for follow-up and more direct evangelism.
—Karen, missionary in ministry with children
We use The Story of Hope curriculum in a ministry we have to our public school 4th graders. We pick them up from school in the middle of the day and bring them to our church for an hour.
—Brian, Calvary Baptist Church, Plainfield, IN
Adventures in The Story of Hope
FREE Bible Curriculum
Approximately 500 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. So, 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. Supplemental for-purchase teaching resources also available.
Best used with ages 6-10.
Sample Pages
Kids Sing
The Story of Hope
Twelve songs to accompany the study of The Story of Hope - Kids. Created to help kids understand and remember the Bible events in the workbook, as well as the eight chronological gospel concepts.
Two-CD set; one CD with voices; other, soundtrack only.
Kids Worship
The God of the Big Story
Twelve songs, including "The God of the Big Story," "Come Let Us Sing," "Shout for Joy," "Transcendent God," "We Believe," "Tell the World of Jesus," "Doxology 21," and others.
Single CD - sung by ensemble of kids.
Resources for Elementary AND Secondary Students
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.
13.5” x 10.75” laminated printed teaching visuals. Key Bible event content on the back, event image on the front. 100+ teaching visuals, 50 Old Testament and 50 New Testament, plus five others that are of special interest with Muslims. Great for teaching young people (and, adults too!) the BIG Story of the Bible that begins in Genesis and culminates in Revelation.
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.
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.
Chronological Bridge to Life
Teach students the BIG Story of the Bible, based upon eight key concepts that emerge chronologically from Genesis to Revelation:
- God
- Man
- Sin
- Death
- Christ
- Cross
- Faith
- Life
A walk through the Chronological Bridge to Life
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. Great way to present the Bible’s story of creation, fall, salvation, and total restoration to students. Highly recommended for your released time Bible class ministry.
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
The Story of Hope App
Mobile app. Forty beautifully visualized Bible events (20 Old Testament and 20 New Testament) that summarize the Bible's Big Story of redemption, from Genesis through Revelation.
The Story of Hope Mobile App
Carry The Story of Hope on your mobile phone or iPad. All 40 Bible event-images found in The Story of Hope, plus the Chronological Bridge to Life in a mobile app. Available for Apple and Android devices. Also, a FREE 20 events version available: The Story of Hope—Condensed.
The Story of Hope - Condensed (Packet of 5)
This is a pocket-sized 20 event version of The Story of Hope. Use this version to either share God's story of redemption with someone "high on the GSED Scale", or to create an interest for a complete study of The Story of Hope. Comes in Packet of 5.
The Story of Hope Condensed
Pocket-size version of The Story of Hope, with 20 events from the Bible’s redemptive story—10 Old Testament and 10 New Testament.
Great to give students for their review and for them to use in sharing The Story of Hope with their friends and family.
Hooks for Hanging the Bible’s Storyline
Teach students to be able to think their way through the Bible, from Genesis through Revelation—in just a few hours.
Every movie or novel has a central storyline, a plot. Even children from age six and up can learn the BIG storyline of the Bible, using 25 “Hooks”—major eras of the Bible. And the activities are FUN for students of all ages, even the teachers.
The 12 "Hooks" for Hanging the Old Testament Storyline
The 1 + 12 "Hooks" for Hanging the New Testament Storyline
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
Resources for Middle School, Junior High, and Senior High Students
The Story of Hope Bible Class
No boring sessions in this study!
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Students are constantly engaged in active learning, as they study the Bible from Genesis through Revelation in 31 class sessions (or more or less).
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Underlying the teaching of the Bible’s BIG Story in this study, students are also being equipped to use The Story of Hope to lead others through the study.
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The 120-page professionally designed Class Facilitator’s Guide is available as a FREE download.
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A professionally designed PowerPoint with 400+ slides is also available for class facilitators.
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FREE access to an online Instructor’s Resource Center for teaching The Story of Hope Class.
LifeStories
FREE Evangelism Resource
100+ Professionally Illustrated Pages
This leader’s guide covers 20 events from the Bible’s redemptive story and engages participants following this pattern:
Do the You
Me, Too
Tell the Story
Ask Questions (Easy)
Facts of the Story
“Measure Up” Questions
Others Tell the Story
Painting a Picture of God
The lesson plans are designed with millennial students in mind — allowing them to tell their own stories that are related to some of the major redemptive events in the Bible’s BIG Story.
We all want to share our faith effectively…but how do we do it?
For YOU, the Released Time Bible Teacher to equip you to teach the Bible more effectively.
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.
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.
Always, engaging, interactive, and FUN learning.
Moving Beyond Lecture Workshop
Two Days in October
As a Bible teacher with elementary and secondary students, you will love and appreciate this workshop!
It will enhance your ability to teach the Bible creatively, with increased interest and participation, 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.
BibleStorying Workshop
Two Days in May
One of the keys to effective Bible teaching with any age is telling Bible stories so that historical Bible events “come alive” in the minds of those 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
Gaining Ground with Good Soil
You will enjoy the missionary story around which this book was created, as well as the very attractive colorfully and beautifully illustrated contents. You will learn some important principles about teaching the Bible in a way that people will understand and embrace it. And, buy some for other members of your Bible teaching team.
The Roots of Faith - Old Testament
Did not have the opportunity of attending a Bible college, but sort of wish you did? Or, even if you are a Bible college or seminary graduate, you will learn a lot from The Roots of Faith, because of the unique way it was created. A chronological Bible study, built on 100 key events in the Bible’s BIG Story—50 Old Testament and 50 New Testament.
Courses offered in the latter weeks of June each year at the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, near Harrisburg, PA. One week per course, but you can attend the Old Testament this year and the New Testament course the next year.
Guaranteed to give you more confidence in teaching the Bible. Junior highers and senior highers (even well-behaved older elementary kids) can attend with you.
More Good Soil Resources for Evangelism and Discipleship
Good Soil provides an entire toolbox of resources for your ministry with kids.
For a complete overview of our Good Soil resources:
Good Soil Stories from Released Time Bible Classes
Stories
Gifted Students in Togo Receive the Greatest Gift
The Lycée Scientifique, a special government school in Togo, is home to the top 120 high school students in science and math. These students represent different tribal groups and religions from all over the country. Togo missionary Jane Schmitz had a yearning to reach them with the gospel. After much prayer, she approached the principal of the school and offered a class on The Story of Hope in French. Jane has always had a heart for evangelism and discipleship, and she was a part of the original group that helped launch Good Soil. The principal responded very favorably to the idea, since the materials being used were a study of the Bible, not a religion.
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Stories
The Story of Hope in School Assemblies
ENGLAND—Doug and Linda minister at Quedgeley Baptist, a church plant in their community. They often have the opportunity to participate in public school assemblies. Recently, they were teaching a series of lessons at their church on The Story of Hope and decided to create a Story of Hope school assembly presentation for kids.
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