Faith-building resources

Audio series, magazines, books & more!

As Christian parents, we want to instill in our children a deep root of faith so that they will be able to stand firm during the storms of life.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.” Ephesians 6:4 also tells us to bring up our children in the training and instruction of the Lord.

So how does a parent raise up children with a bold faith? They immerse them in Scripture.

In addition to reading the Bible as a family and attending church and youth groups, other resources help promote and cement a solid foundation. Here are some I used in raising my children. I wanted to share them with you because I was surprised to learn some families were unaware of these fantastic and fun resources.

Adventures in Odyssey & other FOF resources

Focus on the Family (www.focusonthefamily.com) provides encouraging and helpful broadcasts for parents, but they also create awesome stories in their Adventures in Odyssey series.  We purchased CDs through www.christianbook.com throughout the years for birthdays and Christmas. While the stories target kids 8-12, my older teens still love to listen, as do my husband and I. Each episode is about 25 minutes long. They are great for car rides, working around the house, or just plain listening to on the couch. We’ve laughed, cried, and gone through other emotions while listening. Kids learn about faith and life while being entertained. You can join a club and learn more about these at www.adventuresinodyssey.com or www.oaclub.org, and of course, you can listen on the radio or on your favorite streaming device.

Focus on the Family offers books and magazines, as well. My children grew up reading Clubhouse, Jr., Clubhouse, and Brio magazines. Subscription information can be found here:  https://store.focusonthefamily.com/magazines/. They offer affordable renewal prices at Christmas-time if you want multiple subscriptions.

If you want to investigate reviews on music, TV, video games, YouTube channels, and movies, check out Plugged In at www.pluggedin.com.

Jonathan Park Adventures & other AiG resources

Another great place for resources is Answers in Genesis (www.answersingenesis.org/kids). They also offer great homeschool curricula, which can be purchased at www.christianbook.com as well. Their focus is on science and the Bible, so you will find a wealth of information including videos about dinosaurs, animals, insects, rocks, and other scientific topics. My family and I took a recent trip to visit the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Kentucky near Cincinnati, Ohio, so that’s another amazing adventure you can take.

Answers in Genesis produces an audio series also called Jonathan Park Adventures. My kids learned a lot about the creation and evolution debate through these and were able to remember points in discussions that were reinforced in their homeschool lessons.

Young people seem able to soak up and remember large amounts of information when presented in entertaining ways.

Entertainment that hides God’s Word in our hearts

In a culture with overwhelming entertainment and educational options that don’t reinforce our faith, it’s wonderful to tap into some Biblical content for our children and teens.

Along with good, clean fiction, our children will have God’s Word hidden in their hearts and know that Jesus walks with them through whatever life brings.

What other resources have helped you in raising your children to stand firm in the faith?

Photos are from my family’s visit to the Ark Encounter.