Recently I went to children’s camp with my 9-year-old grandson, at his request. The week began with his backpack landing on the street. As a result, a smashed juice container soaked his Bible inside the bag. I let him borrow my Bible the rest of the week while his sticky Bible, that smelled like apple juice, dried.
A couple of days later, I saw my grandson standing outside waiting for whatever came next on the schedule. He was holding my Bible, reading from Genesis 1. Matter-of-factly, he stated that his Bible study leader encouraged him to read his Bible, and he was going to read it cover-to-cover that week.
My grandson’s desire to read the entire Bible like he would read juvenile fiction reminded me of when his dad, at about the same age, wanted to read his Bible from cover to cover. We made it to the first two or three chapters of Leviticus before he gave up.
Kids want to read the Bible and aren’t intimidated, at least when they start reading, by the number of thin pages or by the big words and difficult-to-pronounce proper names.
When we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, God gives us a desire to know Jesus better by reading God’s Word. Then the reality of big words and pictureless pages sets in. And we get discouraged.
Nonetheless, research tells us that the biggest predictor of whether a child becomes a faithful believer as a young adult is whether or not they regularly read the Bible growing up. So, what can we as pastors and church leaders do to ensure kids read the Bible regularly?
5 Ways Families Can Encourage Bible Reading
First, we can encourage families to do these five things.
1. Model Bible reading
When young children see their parents reading the Bible, they may start imitating the routine, even if they don’t know how to read.
2. Make the Bible accessible
Keep a physical Bible within reach at home, and use a mobile version for answering biblical questions “on the go.” Also, provide children with Bibles they can call their own. The Bible doesn’t have to be new nor expensive for kids to want to read it.
3. Establish a routine
Set aside a regular day, time, and place. Reading the Bible regularly doesn’t necessarily mean children read it every day. Whatever routine parents choose should be protected, similar to how parents protect the time set aside to brush teeth.
But offer kids grace by not being legalistic about the routine. Sometimes tired children need to go to bed and read their Bible the next day.
4. Make it enjoyable
If parents want their children to develop a lifelong desire to read the Bible, the experience needs to be enjoyable. Kids enjoy bite-sized readings while being allowed to move their bodies without feeling rushed.
5. Ask questions
Parents can gauge their children’s understanding of what they’re reading in the Bible by asking simple questions.
5 Ways the Church Can Encourage Bible Reading
Bible reading is not reserved solely for the home. Here are some ways pastors and leaders can engage kids in Bible reading at church.
1. Involve kids in church-wide Bible reading emphases
Children are the church now, not tomorrow. As the authors of Flip the Script state, “If we want our ministries to produce kids and students who become spiritually mature adults, we must teach them to open, read, and study their Bibles.”
2. Teach kids Bible skills
If children participate in congregational worship, provide page numbers for the pew Bibles. Consider printing Scripture passages in the worship guide or children’s bulletin.
3. Provide Bibles
Present Bibles to early readers as an important milestone event. In addition, ensure every preschool and elementary classroom has enough Bibles for each child to engage with while at church. Finally, give kids economically priced Bibles if they don’t have a Bible of their own at home.
4. Supply supplementary materials
Send home devotionals and other resources to encourage personal and family Bible study. My friend Donna Peavey reminds us, “Bible study is setting aside time to study God’s Word for the purpose of understanding. The best way for children to study the Bible and learn biblical truths is to read the Bible and talk about it with adults they trust.”
5. Preach from a kids Bible, occasionally
By doing so, the pastor is modeling the accessibility of the Bible and removing the idea that his big, black Bible is some mysterious book reserved for serious preachers.
The Value of Bible Reading
One of the best examples of the value of Bible reading is found in the Book of Acts. After God miraculously freed Paul and Silas from prison in Philippi, the two missionaries made their way to Thessalonica.
When the situation there became dicey, God conducted another night-time rescue mission. Paul and Silas next found themselves in Berea with a more welcoming group of people.
Luke writes, “The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Consequently, many of them believed …” (Acts 17:11–12a, CSB).
The folks in Berea read the Scriptures themselves and discovered the truth of the gospel. That’s why kids need to establish lasting Bible-reading habits. God uses His Word to change lives for eternity.
— Landry Holmes is manager of Lifeway Kids Ongoing Bible Studies, is author of several books, and is general editor of the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids. He is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. This article originally appeared at research.lifeway.com.