Growing Up: God’s Good Story

Letter to church leaders

Series overview document

Series overview visual

Lesson 1 – I am who God says I am

Lesson 1 parent take-home sheet

Lesson 2 – I am male or female

Lesson 2 parent take-home sheet

Lesson 3 – I have a valuable body

Lesson 3 parent take-home sheet

Lesson 4 – I know God’s plan for marriage

Lesson 4 parent take-home sheet

Lesson 5 – I have big feelings

Lesson 5 parent take-home sheet

Lesson 6 – We live what we believe

Lesson 6 parent take-home sheet

Overview of Sessions

Growing Up: God’s Good Story looks at identity issues such as bodies, being made male or female, handling our feelings and God’s good design for relationships. These are important topics for us all to get to grips with so we have written a component for 11-14s, using the same session titles and Bible passages, to help the whole church family explore them together. There is also a plan to help with running a parent information session before you start. We can all find these topics challenging – we want to start conversations and support parents to continue them. Let’s help each other so our young people can trust God’s good story for growing up. We would love to hear your feedback about this resource as this is our first adventure into the 11-14s space.

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

Session 5

Session 6

Running a Session for Parents

I am who God says I am

Where have you been this summer? To one of the 73 countries where people listen to Faith in Kids 4 Kids podcast? How do you get there? What’s the hardest country to sneak into? And which country has a flick book passport? And who doesn’t need one at all? We’re all about who we are and who says so in this episode called ‘I am who God says I am’. Who are we listening to? What are they saying? And how does Psalm 112:1 help us get it all straight?

I am male or female

Remember your creator in the days of your youth. Young bodies get older and strange things start happening. In times of change, we can trust what God says about us. Plus Fun facts about the less than obvious differences between men and woman – and cats and dogs! God Makes Messy Things Beautiful from Slugs and Bugs: Under Where?

I have a valuable body

What’s your favourite colour and favourite smell? Also, your feet are amazing – and do you know how many people could stand on your thigh without it breaking? Ed and Jam get excited about our incredible bodies, diggers and the very first train. We meet Don’t-care Dan, Please-like-me Lucy or Deeply-loved Luke? Join us! We’re in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. And there’s a sketch and song from Awesome Cutlery that you WILL want to dance to.

I know God’s plan for marriage

All kinds of precious metals and jewels feature in the fun facts celebrating some mighty marriages – in age, size and distance! Jam and Ed talk about marriage and what God has to say about it in Genesis 2 and Matthew 19. And stand by for a firm fan favourite who’s been hiding out in the woods returns: Action Tim! Plus music from Awesome Cutlery.

I have big feelings

We’re very excited to be back! And very excited – by football, sausages and landrovers. We are so excited we could jump up and down (unlike elephants which can’t). Jam has the sweetest fun fact of all time. And how can you tell a Koala bear has stolen Ed’s mum’s pudding? More importantly, how can we listen to God and take control? We look at 1 Corinthians 6:12.

#1 God’s Good Story

We’ve got a Professor on the Pod! We kick off the new Growing Up series with Glynn Harrison. He helps us to have the hard and awkward conversations with our children. He teaches us to shine the Gospel on smart phones, bodies and the mental health crisis in teenagers. And hear what Glynn’s Gran said when he asked her what pregnancy is! Professor Glynn Harrison was formerly Professor of Psychiatry and Head of Department at Bristol University, where he was also a practising consultant psychiatrist. He now speaks widely on issues of faith, identity and mental health, including the psychological benefits of gratitude and christian optimism. His books include ‘The Big Ego Trip’ and ‘A Better Story’. As our children shoot up, the challenges grow too, who will they listen to as they work these things out? Our brand new “Growing Up” Resources are launching on 2 May for parents and churches to use together as we help our children grow up in today’s world, with God’s word as their guide. Head to faithinkids.org for all the details on this excellent series. They’re growing up fast so come on, let’s share God’s good story.

#2 I am who God says I am

Who am I? How do I work it out and who do I listen to? As our children grow up they’re working this all out. This episode helps parents navigate the confusion, thoughts, feelings and others opinions, and ask is listening to who God says we are good? Andrew Bunt helps us think through it all, with excellent advice – inspiring quotes that could be sticker art and Amy’s enthusiasm. We’d love you to join us and explore this topic on this next episode in our “Growing Up” series. Andrew Bunt – is part of King’s Church Hastings and Bexhill. He is Emerging Generations Director at Living Out and a training and resources consultant for New Ground Churches. Andrew is the author of several books including:

#3 I am male or female

Talking through some monsters: Boys, girls, gender, confusion, puberty, worry and frustration. We’re in safe hands! Dr John Greenall, a paediatric doctor, with a world of experience takes us carefully through the issues, one by one. Even the little people running around Amy’s head calm down. Listen in for beautiful clarity, simple advice and plenty of stories so we all leave feeling ready for the next conversation. We talk through the unchanging nature of our gender and the extraordinary changes that puberty brings to our children’s bodies. We often feel like we’d rather the doctor did the talking to our children but Dr John is clear – parents are perfectly placed to speak words of truth, care and encouragement into the confusion. Dr John Greenall is a Paediatrician in Bedfordshire, a dad to four children and is passionate about the role dads play in children’s lives. He enjoys ‘rough-en-up tumbles’ with his kids, walking in the woods (the more mud the better) and cheering his kids on to be all God has made them to be. You can check out his mini-podcast series called ‘The Intentional Father’ HERE.

#4 I have a valuable body

Ian Henderson helps us to navigate the internet, explaining that it is like a city; full of places to take our children, so much to see and do, but there are murky places where we would never leave our children to explore alone. A recent report said that 10% of kids have seen inappropriate online images before the age of 9, rising to 27% by 13. Various studies say the average age for seeing those images for the 1st time is about 11 years old. As parents we want to help them respond wisely when – not if – this situation arises. Ian gives us the 3 T’s and helps us think through the bigger picture, giving practical steps to follow. Ian Henderson established the Naked Truth Project in 2013 in Manchester, UK an initiative of Visible . He set out to open eyes & free lives from the damaging impact of pornography through awareness, education and recovery programmes.

#5 I know God’s plan for marriage

As our children grow up, we’d love them to be clear on the truth God gives and compassionate about the brokenness we can often experience. This episode helps us talk about marriage. Lizzie Cross shares her story with honesty, beauty and clarity sharing how she experienced the heart ache of marriage break down and yet clung to the faithfulness of God with her children. You can expect moments of laughter, tears in your eyes and encouragement that we have a good story to share with our children as they are growing up. Lizzie Cross is an active mum and registered childminder who lives in Chorley with her husband Andy. Together, they form a blended family with four children.

#6 I have bog emotions

There is an angel in every child! You heard it here first, from an expert. David McKie is a Director of Europe’s largest Mental Health Trust. He says he has the best job in the world because he gets to listen to teens for 45 minutes at a time. He is a wildly experienced Child Psychologist and he knows stuff about how our children’s minds and hearts work (and what is happening when it seems like they’re not). And yet, this is a comforting listen. He sees a better way forward with groundbreaking wisdom such as, ‘if you have two ears then listen to your child’ and ‘however badly your relationship with your child is going, there will be 15 minutes each day when they are listening.’ Boom! Join us as we talk big emotions, strong feelings and listening well. David McKee is is a Director of Europe’s largest Mental Health Hospital.