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.
AUTHOR
Jack Klumpenhower, the son of a missionary pastor, is a television news writer by trade but a Bible teacher by passion. Jack explains, "I spent fifteen years of my life writing television news. I guess it taught me how to write. But it also taught me about news and the people whose stories make news. I saw that no matter how thrilling and successful their stories, Jesus is an even more exciting newsmaker. And no matter how tragic their stories, his Good News gives hope. Now I write about him. I write about the best news ever." Married with two children, Jack is a freelance writer living in beautiful Durango, Colorado.
"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
Apply coupon code MIXNSAVE to your shopping cart
*Some exceptions apply
Drew Hill
Patric Knaak
Kristen Hatton
I am only to chapter 3 but am very excited about the rest of it. An easy read about centering every lesson on what Jesus did for us rather than what we can do for him (obedience based behavior). Looking forward to implementing it in our children's ministry!
Inspiring book. I'm 24 and have no real interest in publicly teaching but this proves that no matter who you are - as a christian we are called to teach, in actions, language, and thought. Our Almighty God works through anyone. Read it and apply it
When we think of Sunday school lessons we think of David and how he believed God and was able to be brave when faced with great opposition. Lessons like this one are important and Sunday school or Church Camp is the only time some of these kids get to hear about the importance of being obedient to God. But as author Jack Klumpenhower points out in his book "Show Them Jesus" most of the teachings our kids are hearing are meant to instruct them on what they should be doing and how they should be living, when what these kids really need is the good news of what God has done for them in Jesus. It's not that we aren't teaching the Gospel to the children but we often resort to a single day dedicated to presenting it rather than mixing it in every lesson. Let me give my own example from the story above. Davids obedience to God's word led him to conquer Israel's enemy. Where is the Gospel in this story? In Israel there was none who fully trusted God except one who God raised up to be king. This man was faithful to God and rescued his people from the Philistines. Sound familiar? The teacher could also point out that though David was clearly not perfect and made many mistakes, God would later raise up another King who was perfect and saved His people from their greatest enemy, sin and death. It's not that teaching obedience to God is wrong. Paul lists a whole group of things we are to do in Romans 12 but if you notice in verse 1 he says "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to..." The "mercies of God" is a reference back to earlier in Romans where Paul talks about our salvation in Jesus. Our lessons on obedience need to be an outflow of our teaching the Gospel and though we usually have this in mind, if we're not regularly showing what God has done for us, our teaching beginnings to produce a sort of Christian moralism. Kids either become puffed up with pride because of the good job they have done or overwhelmed by guilt because they can't live up to God's standard. The Gospel is the cure for both of these problems. Klumpenhower does a great job arguing all these points through out his book and at the end of each chapter he includes answers to all the objections I'm sure many of you have. The book is laid out into two sections. The first section is about what the Gospel is, it's importance, and why it needs to be foremost in our teaching children. The second section is on how to implement this "good news teaching" into the classroom and at times like lessons at camp or the devotion time at home. This book is aimed at everyone who ministers to kids and teenagers and not just the teachers but anyone with kids in their life. The chapters end with questions one might have towards the teaching and a well presented answer addressing each concern. I found the examples to be very helpful because we often learn from watching others and Jack is not shy about his mistakes, presenting his failures to the reader allows discussion on how things could have went better. This book's aim is that of the apostle Paul "to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified". That doesn't mean we don't teach the rest of the Bible but that we present it in the glorious light of the cross. Our teaching should reflect our confidence in the sovereign power of God through the preaching of the Gospel both to save the lost and sanctify us into the image of His son. I I highly recommend this book to anyone involved in the ministering of children. Jack Klumpenhower is a thorough teacher and a real delight to read. Grab a copy of "Show Them Jesus" and begin to be to show Jesus to your kids and become partners in the gospel today.