So, What Makes The Way Different?
Solid Biblical Instruction
From the opening page to the final chapter, God’s Word shows and tells us that our God is a BIG God. As you use The Way on Sunday mornings, kids will discover that there is nothing God cannot do and no promise He will not keep. From the day Adam and Eve sinned, God’s redemptive plan was set in motion. On the day Christ died, God’s redemptive plan was fulfilled. And one day, when all creation is made new, His plan will be fully realized. Week after week, The Way will help children marvel at just how great and loving God is, and how His saving power will keep them for all eternity. From the stories of the Old Testament—to accounts about the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus—to the early church and instruction in how to live the Christian life, children of all ages will come to understand and apply the truth of God’s Word.
Strong Relational Emphasis
Teaching children God’s Word is only part of our task. How we teach God’s Word and the environment in which we teach it is every bit as important as what we teach. Throughout Scripture we’re told that raising up the next generation to love and serve God is to be done relationally. And if we need any confirmation that relational discipleship is important just look at Jesus’ example. He spent three years building deep relationships with His disciples while teaching them Kingdom truths. Discipling children relationally—the way Jesus discipled—is what The Way is all about.
So, how does The Way incorporate relational discipleship?
- Interactive Learning—The Way is much more about adults coming alongside children to help them discover what God’s Word says, than just passing along what they need to know. Through engaging activities, open-ended questions and hands-on involvement, The Way encourages kids to actively participate in the learning process. Teachers and leaders act as guides, helping children realize for themselves what Scripture has to say.
- Collaborative Environment—children are given plenty of opportunities to compete in other areas of their lives. Instead, The Way is designed so that kids and adults are encouraged to work together toward a common purpose. Building child-to-child and child-to-adult relationships is a key emphasis of The Way and collaboration is a key component.
- Minimal Media—there’s no getting around the fact that watching something on a screen is not very conducive to building relationships. Discipleship is best done face-to-face and life-on-life, and utilizing too much media takes away from your ability to do that. Besides, children live in a media-saturated world and church is the perfect place to provide a respite from their world of screens. For these and other reasons, The Way makes minimal but strategic use of media and technology to be sure there’s enough time for relational connection.
Steadfast Discipleship Commitment
Combining biblical instruction with relational connection is a recipe for developing life-long disciples. According to recent Barna Group research, when strong relational connections are developed between adults and children at church, it is more likely that children will continue to fully follow Christ as young adults. That’s why The Way is committed to combining these two elements. Our hope and goal are that children who come to know who God is in a relationally rich environment will develop a faith that will last them a lifetime.