The main disciple-maker of a child are their parents. While local church leaders are supposed to help support, equip, and edify, it is not their responsibility to disciple your kids. It’s a partnership between the Church and home—and it’s worth it! Below are some parent discipleship tips to help you, as parents, journey with your children in their faith.

Five Parent Discipleship Tips

  • Read the Bible together.
  • Ask questions regularly. You can use the suggested discussion questions to help reiterate what your kid(s) learned at church that week.
  • Memorize a monthly verse with your kid(s).
  • Spend 10 minutes praying for your kid(s) each day.
  • Help your kid(s) think of a friend they could invite with them to church.

I. READ THE BIBLE

Five Tips for Choosing a Bible for My Child

Choosing a Bible for your child can seem daunting at times. What translation is best for a child? How do I know if I can trust the study notes? Wonder if it is different from the version I use? Use these five “S” words to help you in making this decision.

Solid: Pick a translation that is accurate and easy for them to understand. If they don’t understand it, they will not want to read it. Ask your pastor or children’s pastor for suggestions. (The CSB, ESV, and NIV all have great kids’ Bibles)

Supplemental Helps: You might want to pick up a Bible for kids that includes supplemental resources such as Bible reading plans, book introductions, and age-appropriate study notes.

See: Pick a Bible with an engaging cover. As simple as this sounds, kids like things that look cool. Don’t sacrifice the accuracy of the translation for this, but it never hurts for their Bible to be “kid-friendly” on the outside.

Size: Pick a Bible that is easy to carry around. The last thing you want them to do is not want to pick up their Bible because “it is too heavy.”

Study: Pick a Bible with enough room for kids to underline, draw, and circle words. These are great Bible study habits for kids to begin developing.

II. ASK QUESTIONS

Discussion Questions for Parents

The following are questions you could ask your kids during the week to help understand what they are learning at church and to reiterate a Bible story.

  • What did you learn about Jesus today?
  • What did you learn about people today?
  • What are some of God’s promises for you in this story?
  • How can you live out what you learned from this story?
  • Based off what I learned today, what do I need to repent of in my life?

III. MEMORIZE VERSES

Monthly Memory Verses

Pick one verse a month and memorize it as a family. One suggestion would be to choose a verse from the curriculum the kids ministry is currently using.

Sample Plan:

  • January: Matthew 11:28
  • February: Colossians 2:6
  • March: John 14:6
  • April: Ruth 1:16
  • May: Mark 16:15
  • June: Isaiah 41:10
  • July: John 3:16
  • August: Philippians 2:3
  • September: Jeremiah 1:5
  • October: Exodus 14:14
  • November: Psalm 100:5
  • December: Luke 2:10-11