The Epistles for Kids Project is ambitious. In my opinion it is also the most significant children’s ministry development in the past 40 years. I have been privileged to be in ministry to children since the 1980s. I vividly remember a comment that the late children’s evangelist Owen Shelley told a group who were ministering to children in parishes: “I pass the baton on to you. In my day I was an itinerant evangelist, but your task will be to teach others how to disciple children week in, week out. It won’t be easy! But stick at it.” With these words ringing in our ears, we set about helping children grow in their faith. But we consistently ran into a stumbling block: we couldn’t find a translation of the Bible that would enable large numbers of children to begin a journey towards independent Bible reading. We wanted the words of Psalm 119:103 to be true for the children in our care.
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
The Epistles for Kids: Philippians
Matt Dodd
Whether you are young or old – come on a journey to the ancient city of Philippi, as Epaphroditus arrives with a letter from Paul who is imprisoned in Rome. Watch as the church there opens the scroll to hear all about Paul’s incredible courage and dedication to the mission of the good news of Christ. Follow Christ as he walks the path of humility to the cross, and calls us to follow in his ways for the unity of the church. Be refreshed by Paul’s single-minded joy in Christ his treasure and righteousness, and be inspired to run with him towards the heavenly finish line. Listen in on his advice to the quarrelling co-workers in chapter 4, and his thankfulness for the generosity of his dear friends.
The Epistles for Kids Project is the breakthrough we prayed for. Volumes 1-3 covers deep yet short epistles including Philippians, Colossians, and 1 Peter.
Epistles Packaged for Understanding
What makes this project so unique? Firstly, the words make this book unique. It is not a paraphrase. It is not a summary of ideas. It is not a holding pattern until children are old enough to read an adult bible. The Epistles for Kids contains the words of scripture. The New Testament Epistles now come to us in a translation that is both faithful to the text and understandable to younger readers. Faithfulness and understandability is essential! Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the word of God is living and active. This makes the Bible unique compared to any other text. Publications about the bible or those that allude to it are not living and active. I am a huge fan of publications such as The Big Picture Bible and The Jesus Storybook Bible which paraphrase scripture. They have played and will continue to play an important role in the ministry to children. They explain big ideas very well. But they are not the word of God. But The Epistles for Kids Project contains the words of scripture!
Supportive Illustrations
Secondly, the illustrations are unique. The high quality of the illustrations is not the most outstanding feature of these pictures, nor is their sheer volume notable. The way the illustrations help readers to understand the flow of ideas is their most outstanding feature. Sometimes the illustrations communicate subtly, but they are always clear. Illustrations are vital for keeping younger readers consistently engaged with the text. We don’t want children to tap out because they ‘don’t get it’. We want them to stay with the flow of ideas. As adults that have wrestled with the epistles, we know how important it is to stay with the flow of thought.
For example, in the project’s Philippians volume, we find a brilliant translation of this uplifting letter. We see Paul’s heart for those in Philippi and the wonder of Jesus’ character. We hear Paul urging them to follow his example. In chapter 4, he addresses a specific situation in the Philippian church. Young readers can be lost in this section. They wonder what a Syntyche is. Not this time. The words “I want to say something to Euodia and Syntyche: I beg you both to stop fighting”, is accompanied by this illustration:
Stern faces are followed with the words: “Show how gentle you can be with each other.”
Then we turn the page and read the following:
Think about what is true,
think about what is respectful,
think about what is right to do,
think about what is good to do,
think about what will help people feel loved,
think about what people would appreciate,
think about what would be wonderful to do,
things that people would praise God for.
…and we’re confronted with this wonderful picture and the concluding words, “If you do all this, the God of peace will be with you.” It all comes together to communicate what Paul is saying so clearly.
The combination of word and illustrations will help so many children to discover the truth of Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
High Engagement
School chaplains, scripture teachers, Sunday school teachers, and anyone working closely with children will find that this translation is the one they have been waiting for. This resource will engage children with the Bible and stay engaged. They will be helped to understand what they are reading in such a way that questions like “What is God saying to me?” or “What might God want me to do?” become possible. Children will ultimately relate to God through his word.
One of the camp programs I led for many years involved discovering treasure. The centrepiece to the whole camp was a treasure chest that the children worked hard to open, and inside was a Bible for each child with a message from their leaders. They loved receiving them, but I always felt a touch of disappointment, because I was gifting them with a Bible that I knew they would struggle to read. With this translation the joy they experience would stand a better chance of being a lasting joy, that they might grow to say with the Psalmist,‘Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart’ (Psalm 119:111).
