In the midst of attending a children’s dance camp this summer, Sarah Beth (age 7) returned home to pronounce, “That’s so good, it’s like you’re one of the saints.”  Nearly the same day, she asked, “Why do people draw Mary with things coming out of her head?”  These comments awakened me to my responsibility to give my young daughters a biblical understanding of church history.  I began searching around and these are a few of the more helpful resources that I found:

Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World, by Paul L. Maier

This beautifully-illustrated book helps children understand the difference between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism – specifically why Luther and other Reformers felt biblically constrained to break from Rome.  Recommended to read aloud to ages 5 and up.

History Lives Series, 5 volumes, by Mindy and Brandon Withrow (5 titles)

This series divides up church history into short stories based around significant historical figures.  The books can be read aloud to children as young as five years old.  (On the back, the books say they are written for children ages 9-14.)  My seven-year old loves to act out stories, so after reading the story of (Saint) Patrick, we acted out the story ourselves.  She played the role of Patrick.  As her slave owner, I questioned her, “Who is this God you serve?  Tell me more about him!”  “Home theater” of this sort is a great way to get your child to verbalize the gospel while coming to value the heroes and heroines of the faith. Continue Reading…