In this transformative resource for youth workers, children's ministry teachers, parents, and VBS volunteers, Jack Klumpenhower teaches how to discover the gospel connections in every Bible story. Show Them Jesus is an instruction manual for teachers of kids and teens written by a lay Bible teacher with thirty years of experience.
With a simple framework and real-life examples, Jack helps teachers identify and communicate the heart of the gospel to each child in each lesson.
Show Them Jesus challenges the culture of low-stakes, low-expectations teaching and invites teachers to do nothing less than teach and treasure the good news of Jesus in every lesson.
Instead of leaving kids with lessons about changing their behavior, Show Them Jesus offers a new way by sweetly, masterfully, and powerfully showing kids how the gospel really applies to their lives and changes them for eternity.
In sharing example after example from his years of experience, Jack provides readers with a more enriched view of Jesus and how to teach this gospel perspective in a classroom setting. This life-changing tool will complement and enrich existing lessons or teaching materials, and it's appropriate for teachers of children and teens in any setting.
Millions of church kids are growing up and deciding to leave the church. If we are not primarily teaching our kids about God's love for us in Christ, we may miss our opportunity to capture their hearts. Don't miss your opportunity to show them Jesus.
"Sunday school curriculum is relentlessly moralistic. That is, it tells you what to do, but not how to do it. Jack Klumpenhower shows us how by taking us back to the person and work of Christ. Every Sunday school teacher should read this book."
Paul Miller, Director of seeJesus; author of A Praying Life and A Loving Life
"The most common way of teaching a Bible story to children involves holding up the main human character and encouraging (or discouraging) children to be like him or her. Show Them Jesus: Teaching the Gospel to Kids provides welcome relief. The book is packed full of biblical reasons, practical guidance, and bountiful examples for teachers and parents who want to show children Jesus when they teach the Bible."
Starr Meade, Author of Training Hearts, Teaching Minds: Family Devotions based on the Shorter Catechism and Mighty Acts of God: A Family Bible Story Book
"Klumpenhower states the problem well: 'Today, a frightening number of kids are growing up in churches and Christian homes without ever being captured by the gospel of Jesus.' We want them to know about Jesus, but we leave them with lessons about behavior and they leave the church as soon as possible. Here's a book that sweetly, masterfully, and powerfully tells us what the gospel really is and how it can really change a child's life and eternity."
Bryan Chapell, Author of Christ-Centered Preaching; pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, IL
"Show Them Jesus is a must-read for every youth worker, children's ministry teacher, parent, and VBS volunteer. Jack Klumpenhower does a masterful job helping us learn how to discover the gospel connections in every Bible story. In sharing example after example from his years of experience, Jack gives the reader a front-row seat in his classroom to learn how to give children a 'rock-their-world' vision of Jesus. This is the perfect training tool for pastors and children's ministry leaders to use to train their teachers. I'll be buying a copy for all my children's ministry leaders."
Marty Machowski, Family Life Pastor, Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA; author of the Gospel Story for Kids curriculum
"Jack's book has done a very rare thing he has taken the message of grace and applied it simply and directly to both teachers' hearts and the children they shepherd. He doesn't settle for mere external obedience in his students but bravely and compassionately goes much deeper, seeking out their hearts. This is a great application of Serge's values to a central part of every church its children."
Bob Osborne, Executive Director, Serge
"Show Them Jesus deals with the tough questions that keep children's ministry leaders up at night. How do I encourage kids to repent and obey without becoming a legalist? Should I tone down Old Testament violence when I'm teaching fourth graders? Klumpenhower answers these questions and more with his eyes on Jesus from first to last. But he doesn't just speak to the head. He engages heart and hands as well, giving teachers an inspiring and practical framework for preparing Bible lessons, classroom environments, and family ministry where Jesus is the focus. I plan to purchase a copy for every volunteer in our children's ministry."
Jared Kennedy, Family Pastor, Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY
"In Show Them Jesus, Jack Klumpenhower tells how to make Spirit-fed renewal, which springs from a foundation of love for Jesus, the overarching theme of our teaching. He impresses on us the importance of being 'good-news' teachers who 'exit' every Bible story through the cross of Christ. Make your aim in teaching to build in your kids a love for Jesus, because that's where the Christian life begins. Read this book for your kids; and reread it for yourself."
Nancy Winter, Curriculum writer and editor; long-time Sunday school teacher
"This book is a must-read for every Christian and challenges us to ask the question: How are we handling the good news about Jesus? Do we really believe that Jesus is the goal of God's great story of redemption 'the way, the truth, and the life'? Jack reminds us that our teaching and application of the Scripture is to be unflinchingly centered on Jesus. Why? So we can all fall more in love with him and worship him wholeheartedly!"
Rosemarie Green, Director of Children's Ministry, New Life Church, Glenside, PA
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Show Them Jesus is a great book for parents, aunts or uncles, those in childrens ministry, and honestly anyone who has opportunities to talk to kids about Jesus. The Bible is a whole story which constantly points its readers to the need for Jesus and then the good news of Jesus coming to earth, living a perfect life, and then taking the punishment for our sins’ by dying on the cross and defeating evil by coming back to life three days later. Show the Jesus is a book that gives tools on how to work that into every lesson or intentional teaching time with children and teens. I found it had really great and easy to apply tools and it was thought provoking as I reflected on my own parenting and how I present the Gospel. I would highly recommend this quick read!
Really good book for anyone who teaches kids, teens, or adults. Very important reminder to always point your students to Christ not just teach them to be good. I think some things could have been stated a little differently but overall very helpful. Highly recommend.
If you are teaching children, teens, even other adults in a Christian setting- Sunday school, homeschool classes, etc- this is a wonderful resource and encouragement for your own soul!
Recommended to me by a friend, this book gave me many biblical examples about how I could improve my leading (that I should have seen in retrospect!). I've already put into practise 3 of his suggestions from across the book.
Such a great book for those teaching the gospel. I plan to read this again and again through the years to help me remember what is at the heart of teaching the gospel, Jesus.
This book essentially takes the Christ centered theology taught by guys like Walter Marshall (Gospel Mystery of Sanctification), Horatius Bonar (The Everlasting Righteousness & God's Way of Holiness) and John Colquhoun (A Treatise on the Law and the Gospel), and it packages it in a way that is easy for anybody to understand and apply in the classroom. I have not come across another book that does this particularly for teaching children. I highly recommend this book for those who are involved in children's ministry (even adult ministry for that matter). It will particularly help those in your youth ministries understand the law/gospel distinction and gospel motivation. Once the teacher understand this, it will begin to permeate his/her lessons.
This is my third time reading this book. The first time I read it was a complete paradigm shifter. This book challenges the reader in all the best ways to make their teaching focused on Christ. Every time I read it I am surprised to find that my Bible reading, parenting, and teaching migrate toward moralism. If you work with kids in any capacity, teach any age (including adults) or sometimes struggle to see how the OT connects with Jesus, I would encourage you to read this book!
Anybody in children/youth/parent ministry needs to read this book. I never realized how often we mess up how we teach kids! We focus on the wrong things, and don't focus on the Gospel HALF as much as we should. This book was so insightful, and was such a convicting and challenging read, but as if I was talking with a fellow ministry worker who still struggles with it, too. Cuz you are while you read this book. The challenges come from a place of love for Jesus, for people to know Jesus, and from someone who acknowledges that he isn't perfect in his teaching either. Felt like I was talking with a mentor the whole time. Highly recommend to anyone in children's/youth ministry, in absolutely ANY capacity, or to any parent!
This is a great book, that is helpful for any disciple-maker (not just for children's ministry workers). Some simple and helpful tools for seeing Jesus in any passage of Scripture. Consistently points out the dangerous, yet all too familiar slippery slope of teaching moralism from Scripture - instead of the Gospel. Every chapter gives multiple practical tools and/or ideas for implement the concepts right away - whether you are a ministry volunteer or a parent. Dozens of examples of how he has pointed to Jesus from multiple passages of Scripture. A chapter, plus multiple stories throughout the book, on leading one another to see and repent from root/heart-level sin beneath our surface sins. A good chapter on considering how rewards systems might diminish, or adorn, the glory of Jesus in the gospel we are called to proclaim. Excellent book. I bought a copy for all of our small group leaders, as this fits right in with the concepts that we have been trying to learn about and implement as we try to make disciples of Christ who love God, love one another, and live to impact the world.
This is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. If you are a parent or leader, please pick this book up! It has changed the way I think, and it is not a 3 step plan; rather, a biblical look at our calling as parents and leaders. Well done!