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Last month I was in Fresno, CA where I did a DL academy. The church asked me to speak in the morning services on “Satan’s Seductions” and follow-up with the parents Sunday afternoon and Monday evening. We had a great response from the parents who were very interested in understanding the culture their kids are living in today. One point I made was the fact that many of today’s church kids have never personalized their God. He is still the God of their parents and their church. We discussed the mass exodus we are experiencing from the church by our pre-teens and teens and how Satan has seduced them into a world that opposes everything we believe as committed Christians.

Within 24 hours of our meetings I received email messages from three families. One mom said that when she went home Monday night her young teen daughter informed her that she no longer believed in God. She was very grateful that she had attended the meetings and had something to say to her daughter. The other families confirmed the things I had presented and told me the sad stories of their own battles with evil in their homes.

Under the noses of parents and pastors is another world that has one objective . . . seducing our kids and destroying Christian families. Last week I read a stat from the Association of Family and Marriage Ministry that in 2006 there were 42,000,000 porn pages available to our kids on the internet and 25% of all search engine requests are for porn. The largest group of viewers of internet porn are children between 12 and 17 years old. As Christian parents and leaders in the church we have a giant to slay who is taunting us at every turn. We can’t give up, we must keep fighting for the hearts, minds and souls of our kids.

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Kids are on the Internet. Whether we like it or not, the Internet today is not something kids are fascinated with, it is simply a part of their life. It’s not “new” to them, it is just their world. Being online is normal for them. In fact, if you aren’t online, they may almost wonder what’s wrong with you. While we can decry the dangers of the Internet (as we should!) and provide advice on use and filters (and we should!) one of the best ways to address the problem is not to only fight it, but redeem it.

The Internet provides incredible opportunity to connect with kids during the week and in the home. And DiscipleLand has jumped on this opportunity and added a FREE service for DiscipleLand teachers to connect with their students and for parents to invest computer time into more spiritual beneficial activities.

It’s called DISCIPLEZONE.com

It’s a place for kids to continue learning after church, for parents to connect with their child’s teacher and for teacher’s to have a way to greet their kids during the week an extend the learning process.

And it’s all free!

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY IT?

Go to DiscipleZone.com (link opens in a separate window) and click on the KIDS button. Next you will see a fun control panel. This is where kids enter the key code found on the student take-home paper (highlighted by their teacher). It’s a simple code–the first dial is the curriculum level, 1-6. (enter 2 for example) Next is the quarter letter, A = Fall; B = Winter; C = Spring; D = Summer. (go ahead, enter B) The last dial is the lesson number. (for an example, choose any number.)

You will then be asked if you have a Class Code. Here is a trial code you can use: Enter TRTRT

You’ll be greeted by a screen with a Bible passage or story and a collection of buttons the kids can choose from.

Here is an overview of the elements offered to kids in DiscipleZone.

Every element of DiscipleZone contributes to the discipleship process:

The printed Disciple Guides offer 24 “how-to” skills for victorious Christian living . To see an overview of the DiscipleSkill development plan, click here

Children memorize Bible verses that capture the heart of each lesson. Find the KeyVerse on the printed Disciple Guides for each lesson.

For each Bible lesson, kids and parents enjoy additional pictures, background information discussion questions, and family activities. Encourage parents to read the text together, discuss the questions, and commit to doing the suggested activities as a family.

Children meet a new people group each quarter, expanding their focus to regions around the globe! WorldWatch also offers missionary biographies and missions education segments to be taught by teachers or parents. To see an overview of WorldWatch missions education, click here.

DiscipleLand’s Bible Reading Plan. Kids and parents read through a specific part of the Bible each week, based on their grade level. To see the complete reading plan, click here.

Children encounter classic hymns that have inspired Christians for centuries. For a complete list of hymns studied, click here.

These engaging stories, starring Dee, Cy, Paul, and Chip, reinforce each Bible lesson and will help your kids apply God’s Word to their lives. To learn more about Dee, Cy, and Paul, click here.

LEAVE A NOTE FOR YOUR STUDENTS!

One of the cool features is the ability to leave a note for the kids. Be sure to click on the Yellow Note for a note from ME to YOU! (You’ll never know the message until you check!)

There are so many creative applications to this note feature beyond just a nice greeting to the kids. Use it to:

• Ask a review question that if they bring the answer on a slip of paper, you’ll have a treat for them!
• Provide a “code word” of the week that if they know it, they get to volunteer in class for games etc.
• Let them know about class events and activities.
• Announce who has a birthday this week!
• Tell them to wear a certain color shirt to church on Sunday!
• Ask them to bring props that will go with your lesson.
• BE CREATIVE!

There is enough content for each week for parents and kids to spend 10-15 minutes exploring the topic they learned about in church a little further, as well as learning about missions and some historical hymns, complete with music playing.

DiscipleZone.com equips parents and teachers to use the Internet to build upon the learning that took place at church.

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New on DiscipleLand.com - PARENT RESOURCES!

God has given parents the primary responsibility of training their children. Help them learn discipleship techniques for their kids at home using the resources in this new area on DiscipleLand.com. The resources in this Parent Resources area provide ideas and tools to help parents learn discipleship techniques for their children at home.

Check out the helpful articles and tools available for parents!

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