An Israeli defense spokesperson emphasized Al Shifa Hospital is not under siege and reminded the world that Hamas still has 239 Israeli hostages.

Meanwhile, missile sirens continue to sound every day in Israel. Over 9,500 rockets have been fired on Israel from both Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north since the war began.

Victor Kalisher of the Bible Society in Israel says Israelis are grappling with collective, generational trauma. “When someone has been through a trauma, everything that reminds you of that brings you back to the situation that you remember.

The Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington D.C., USA. (Photo courtesy of Tatiana Rodriguez/Unsplash)

“In our collective historic memory, we have the Holocaust. We have a lot of disasters. You know we celebrate Purim. It’s the story of Haman. And [then] Pharaoh. It is part of our identity. It’s not something foreign. It’s not a story about someone far. It is our story. We teach it to our children, we celebrate it every year, and we feel that it is the same thing. It happened to us again, and we are shocked.

“It’s the same demons that can chop heads off children, burn them, rape women and girls, and things that you cannot imagine…just unbelievable.”

Churches are asking the Bible Society in Israel specifically for biblical resources for traumatized kids and teens.

“We share resources for children and youth because they go through very difficult times. For children to go in this time, they have a lot of questions, they are afraid, the rockets are falling everywhere, the sirens are every day, and many of them are very scared obviously,” says Kalisher.

Messianic Hebrew resources for youth are limited. Over the last few years, the Bible Society in Israel has produced children’s books and resources in Hebrew that tell Bible stories, communicate Christian values, and engage kids at different stages.

(Image courtesy of the Bible Society in Israel)

You can support the Bible Society in Israel here as they develop more biblical resources in Hebrew for kids.

“We want to help them, to encourage them so that this time will not just be a time where they sit in front of the TV watching and scared and so on, but that they use it in a positive way and grow spiritually.”

Kalisher asks, “Pray that the Church will seek the truth biblically of what is happening and what should be the response of the Church…. We need to really seek the face of God. What is our role in this plan of salvation of yours, God? Because it affects every one of us.”

Header photo of Western Wall, Jerusalem, Israel. (Photo courtesy of Bruno Aguirre/Unsplash)

The majority of parents in the US are concerned about their children’s spirituality, particularly Christian parents.

(Photo courtesy of Ben White/Unsplash)

A study by The Barna Group shows 73% of American parents are at least somewhat concerned about their child’s faith formation, with 37% saying they are very concerned.

Self-identified Christian parents were more likely than non-Christian parents to say they were very concerned about their child’s spirituality (42% vs. 27%).

At the same time, Greg Yoder with Keys for Kids Ministries says, “We’re seeing the research too that says fewer and fewer families are reading their Bibles, fewer families are reading devotions, [and] fewer families are spending weekly time in church.”

The problem, then, is not that Christian parents don’t care about their kids’ faith.

Yoder says, “Many parents have no idea where to start, especially young parents where they probably didn’t grow up having devotions, didn’t grow up having quiet time, [or] didn’t get trained in discipleship.”

It’s never too late to intentionally pour into your child’s faith foundation with God’s Word. Keys for Kids can help!

“Keys for Kids Ministries has been around since 1982. We have so many parents and grandparents who have said, ‘I grew up listening or reading Keys for Kids…and now my grandkids are reading Keys for Kids!’ So we know, in terms of generational foundation, that Keys for Kids is providing a foundation for families to begin building that discipleship foundation.”

Here are 3 tools with Keys for Kids to help parents lay a biblical foundation with their children and teens:

1. Keys for Kids & Unlocked Devotionals

You can sign up for a free subscription to Keys for Kids Devotionals or Unlocked Devotionals (for teens)!

Each devotional comes in the mail and has engaging stories daily to engage a child or teen with biblical truth.

(Photo courtesy of Keys for Kids Ministries)

Yoder encourages, “Begin helping kids go through one of those. It’s one thing to just get one and then give it to a child. But if you’re not doing it with the child, you can’t really have that conversation to ask if they have questions [and] answer those questions.

“Frankly, you might be scared to death that you won’t know the answer to their questions. And you know what? That’s okay. It’s great to be able to look that information up together and learn together as you have this quiet time with your family.”

With the Unlocked subscription, Yoder says, “We’re talking about a lot of issues that are facing teens today, whether it be gender identity or depression or whatever the news item is or whatever the category is. We’re providing a biblical worldview of how a young person can tackle these things and how to help their friends deal with it as well.”

2. Keys for Kids Ministries Podcast

(Photo courtesy of Patricia Prudente/Unsplash)

Another option is the Keys for Kids Ministries Podcast! You can listen to Keys for Kids’ daily devotionals and start a new family tradition — maybe around the breakfast table or driving in the car with your kids.

The stories read by Keys for Kids’ character Zach get children thinking about real-life questions and what the Bible has to say about them. When you listen along, it can prompt deeper faith discussions between you and your kids!

Listen to Keys for Kids on Spotify, Apple Podcast, PodBean, or other podcast apps and sites!

Similarly, Keys for Kids Radio is available for streaming here!

3. Creature Feature Storytellers

A Creature Feature Storyteller by Keys for Kids is a solar-powered mp3 player that comes inside a stuffed animal holder. It comes with nearly 30 hours of Keys for Kids devotionals and an audio Bible.

For every Creature Feature Storyteller purchased, Keys for Kids gives another one to a child somewhere else in the world.

With each one of these tools, you can start new traditions of daily devotionals and prayer as a family.

Yoder says, “Then once you start getting that starting point, when you develop that habit, then you start with the actual discipleship where we talk about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, and you allow the Holy Spirit to get actively involved in their lives.”

Header photo courtesy of Nathan Dumlao/Unsplash.

We spoke with Heart For Lebanon’s Elio Constantine: “I would say that the biggest driving force for youth and anyone to leave Lebanon right now is the limited economic opportunities for them to make a decent living without being in debt, for them to be able to find a better future, better education for their kids, [and] better opportunities to prosper.”

(Photo courtesy of Heart For Lebanon)

Lebanon’s poverty rate has nearly doubled since 2019. Four years ago, 42% of the Lebanese population lived below the poverty line. Today, the national poverty rate is over 80%.

This also means most Lebanese families and young people can’t afford to leave the country, even if they wanted to. For those who stay, Heart For Lebanon connects with kids and teens through various educational and Gospel programs.

“Most of these children that we work with and help, their families do not have the opportunity to leave Lebanon,” says Constantine. “Most of them do not have the opportunity to take a vacation inside Lebanon. So getting a plane ticket or visa to leave the country is almost impossible for them.”

Pray for young people in Lebanon to find joy and hope in Christ that goes beyond their circumstances. Please also pray encouragement for the Church in Lebanon serving as the hands and feet of Jesus, even amidst their own struggles. Ask the Lord to be their comfort and strength.

(Photo courtesy of Heart For Lebanon)

Constantine says, “We give them a message of hope in a place where they think they have no hope at all, and if you grow up — wherever you go, if you stay in Lebanon or leave — have that message of hope stay with you forever.”

Learn more about Heart For Lebanon here.

Header photo courtesy of Heart For Lebanon.

Every Child Ministries (ECM) held a menstrual health training workshop in Uganda for moms and their teen girls through the ministry’s Family Empowerment Program. The workshop taught the importance of hygiene, menstrual pain relief, and how to make reusable sanitary pads.

Mark Luckey, Executive Director of ECM says, “When it comes to the items that the women and the girls need, they’re just not available. Or I should say, they’re not available at a price maybe that is affordable to most of them so they try to use other methods.

“But when we can help them to make the reusable pads, then they’re able to be healthier…. Parents can do this and they can provide this not only for their own girls, but other girls in the community and their churches.”

Menstrual health workshop with ECM. (Photo courtesy of Every Child Ministries)

The idea for the menstrual health workshop came from simply asking the community what their needs are and how ECM could help meet those needs.

Luckey says with their programs, they seek to do more than offer short-term handouts. “We tend to like to meet immediate needs, and then we can walk away but that’s not the long-term solution. Programs like Family Empowerment are really designed as long-term solutions.”

With Ugandan girls and their parents learning to make more affordable, reusable sanitary pads as well as tools for pain relief, these young ladies will be able to stay in school with their peers and not miss crucial weeks of learning each year.

When asked why ECM does it? The answer: Christ’s compassion. The Family Empowerment Program also provides spiritual mentorship and allows them to share the Gospel.

You can sponsor a family with ECM’s Family Empowerment Program for anywhere from $65 to $260 a month.

Also, Luckey asks, “Pray that we would have the strength to meet those needs and to partner with people to help them solve these problems, these things that cause them pain, these things that lead to despair.”

Header photo of school dormitory in Uganda. (Photo courtesy of Mick Haupt/Unsplash)

It’s in this difficult context that Guatemalan pastors are ministering Christ’s hope and trying to support families.

Greg Yoder, executive director of Keys for Kids Ministries says, “These churches are kind of oases within Guatemala City itself where the problems really exist, where there’s gang activity and the like.

“Many of them have been working for years and years, and there are no accolades at all. I mean, they are in the trenches. It’s like a battleground for them. Some of them are in [areas with] gang activities and there’s extortion going on all around them. In fact, one church is even closed because they couldn’t pay this extortion that they were asked to pay by these gang members.”

Boys share a Storyteller.
(Photo courtesy of Keys for Kids)

Keys for Kids recently partnered with World Orphans to provide critical Gospel resources for these pastors. World Orphans provides holistic support for pastors and families in Guatemala. But they need resources for parents and pastors to teach the Gospel to kids in a consistent and accessible way.

Yoder explains, “One of the things that’s a challenge for them is, what do they offer families that are maybe are limited in their education? Maybe they don’t read well or maybe they’re illiterate completely. How do you offer families material that will really help them grow in their faith or even understand who Jesus is?”

This is where Keys for Kids comes in. The ministry’s Spanish translated materials like Unlocked teen devotionals or Creature Feature Storytellers can encourage children and teenagers with Gospel hope.

When he spoke with the pastors in Guatemala, Yoder says, “They are dreaming of ways they can use it. They were telling us these stories are perfect for kids that are non-churched. They’re going to understand Jesus in a way that they have never been able to tell them before. It’s not going to be like using their Sunday School material. It’s going to be using unique material that will help them share the Good News of Jesus with these kids and families who are really struggling.”

There are still several details to work out. But one thing is certain: This partnership is an answer to many prayers.

“We had been praying for probably seven or eight years that God would find a partner with us that could use our Spanish material in a way that we couldn’t even imagine. We believe that God has opened this door. And they told us yesterday that we’re an answer to their prayer!”

(Photo courtesy of Keys For Kids)

Please continue to pray with Keys for Kids as they grow this new partnership with World Orphans to encourage children’s ministry in Guatemala.

“We’re really asking people to pray for us, that God will provide the resources needed both in terms of people (because we can’t do it with our current staff) and then also the funding that we need to really ramp up our Spanish program,” Yoder asks.

“Pray that God will protect these churches, that these oases will continue to provide hope for many in these communities.”

If you’d like to support Keys for Kids, click here!

Header photo courtesy of Perry Grone via Unsplash.

Survey

This comes from a Barna Group survey of 25,000 teens between 13 and 17. This age range falls within Generation Z. It’s the most extensive survey Barna has ever conducted.

Participants described Jesus as wise and loving and wanted to know more about Him. About half said they trusted church leadership.

But the research also showed a lack of belief in the crucifixion or resurrection as a historical event. A third of the teens described Christians around them as hypocritical.

Hannah Howe with Keys for Kids Ministries says, “From where I’m sitting, I see teens who are hungry to know more about Jesus, who want to know what’s true about Him and want to grow in their relationship with Him. It’s nice seeing that reflected in the data. We see teenagers curious about Christianity and want to make it their own.”

Teen devotional

Howe is the Editor of Unlocked, The teen devotional from Keys for Kids. The publication comes out quarterly, featuring stories, reflections, and poems about God’s love.

Howe says teens want to find trustworthy sources, ‘Who can help answer their questions. I have a couple of quotes from our survey. People say, ‘I liked the Unlocked devotional because I can relate some of my experiences in almost every story. I love them because I get to know about the writers.”

“’Sometimes it also makes me feel good knowing that I’m not the only one dealing with specific problems.’”

Howe says Unlocked wants to talk about hypocrisy in the Church. “Why would I listen to the church if I see people doing terrible things? People who are Christians might misrepresent God. And that is not okay. What do we do? We call out injustice. We find trusted Christians who we can process our experiences with. If we’re in an unsafe situation, we get out.”

Pray teens will find answers to deep questions and learn more about Jesus through Unlocked.

(Header photo courtesy of by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay)

Iranian leaders have cracked down on schools, arresting several minors and beating others. Some have disappeared altogether. Parents have been warned to keep their children out of the protests. Security forces have entered some schools, demanding security footage.

Greg Yoder with Keys for Kids Ministries says, “These kids and teens want to know the truth. They’ve seen the collapse of their culture. They’ve seen the lies they’re getting from the Ayatollah, and they’re seeing the oppression that comes with that. As they look for the spiritual truth, they’re rebelling against something they know is a lie.”

Iranian church

Iran has one of the fastest-growing Christian communities in the world. Iranian believers live isolated lives, but they still have access to Christian tv, radio, and other media.

Keys for Kids Ministries had big plans for Iran. Yoder says, “One of the next languages that we’re going to be translating Keys for Kids and Unlocked into is Farsi. We already have a relationship, we already have an understanding. The only thing that’s really preventing us from doing it is funding.”

“We know that if we provided Keys for Kids and Unlocked into Iran and into Farsi, that it would be exponentially used in Christians’ lives and kids’ lives.”

You can support the translation work here.

Keys for Kids is partnering with FMI to do the Farsi translation work. But before that, they are working on getting the Unlocked and Keys for Kids devotionals translated into Urdu for readers in Pakistan and Pashto for readers in Afghanistan.

Ask the Holy Spirit to move in young people across Iran, giving them hope, strength, and love.

And pray the violence against Iranian children would end.

The header photo shows scenes from a protest in Iran. (Photo courtesy of Darafsh, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

Ed Weaver with Spoken Worldwide says, “I’ll give you an example. A friend of mine does ministry with Youth for Christ in Lebanon. He said highly educated teens just would not respond when he would say, ‘Please read this passage of Scripture, and let’s discuss it.’ They would never do the assignment. So he started listening to audio scripture.”

He asked the teens to do the same thing, and they learned much more using this method.

Technology

Even in the West, Weaver says this is a trend in technology. “When you think about Siri, Google Voice, and other voice activation on computers or cell phones, you’re not having to type as much.”

“As those become more prevalent, I think you’ll start seeing, via technology, a greater access to information as a whole.”

Spoken Worldwide provides orality-based ways for people to hear the story of Jesus. Their mission continues to benefit from new technology. Weaver says, “The orality ministries have a greater reach because of the greater possibilities for distribution. I think it’s an exciting time to be involved in orality ministry.”

Donate or learn more about Spoken Worldwide here.

And pray ministry leaders worldwide will understand the need for orality learning. Weaver says, “Look beyond your own boundaries and see what God can do.”

Header photo courtesy of Spoken Worldwide. 

The 4-14 Window is why Child Evangelism Fellowship helps churches and Christian leaders minister to kids in this critical age range all over the world!

Lydia Kaiser, Corporate Communications Specialist with CEF says, “Many churches and missions programs put something like 85% of resources into reaching adults, when more like 85% of the harvest field is children…. It’s unique that CEF recognizes that’s an important mission field and we give all of our attention to it.

(Image courtesy of CEF)

“Our flagship program is the Good News Club, which meets mostly on public school properties after school. In our last ministry year before COVID, we had 5,000 clubs meeting on school property and then another 1,000 or so off school property.”

CEF’s other outreaches include their summer Bible program called 5-Day Club, and Christian Youth in Action which is their teen evangelism training. The ministry operates in most countries and they replicate every program for Gospel outreach.

Kaiser says, “We give [children] the Gospel, then we disciple them in God’s Word, and then we, thirdly, try to get them established in local Bible-believing churches.”

Last year, CEF reached over 15.6 million kids with the Gospel. That number is higher when you include their Christian booklets and digital resources — including CEF’s booklet, Do You Wonder Why, which they recently distributed in Uvalde, Texas to help kids process grief and trauma.

One way you can get involved is by asking your church to partner with CEF!

(Photo courtesy of Yannis H via Unsplash)

“A lot of kids are not being taken to church,” Kaiser says. “So if someone is affiliated with their church and they want to reach more children, they should contact us. We can come into a church and give them teacher training so they can reach the kids who are already coming…. They can have more people who are competent and confident in reaching those kids because, in a lot of churches, just a handful of people are wearing themselves out doing all of the children’s work.”

After training, Kaiser says, “We can help you reach out into a public school and start holding a Good News Club. We have a lot of experience in getting that open for you, training you, showing you how to do it, providing the curriculum, and helping that to be a successful ministry outreach.

“Then when those kids get excited about Jesus, they start asking their parents to take them to church. And where do you think they’re going to go? They want to go where their Good News Club teacher goes.”

(Image courtesy of CEF)

Even if your church can’t partner with CEF at this time, Kaiser recommends, “Just find your nearest CEF local chapter and volunteer in a club!”

Click here to learn more about getting involved with CEF and their Gospel resources.

Meanwhile, please pray for kids — in your community, your country, and in every corner of the globe. Society is persistent with its own worldly messages and agendas for children. These kids desperately need to know there is hope, joy, and love in their Heavenly Father. Ask God to also encourage CEF leaders and partners as they reach kids with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Header photo courtesy of CEF.

Hundreds of kids, teens, and adults attended. The 2-day celebration featured games, hymns, a nativity play, and even face-painting. Yousef Qumsieh says, “The whole reason for this is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the whole reason we celebrate. It’s not just the season, just because it’s that time of the year. There is a purpose for it. We also want to raise more awareness across the local community, that we exist as Bethlehem Bible college.”

“We’re here to spread the word of Jesus, and we want to do what we can to bring people back to Christ.”

The celebration continues through the Eastern Orthodox celebration of Christmas, which began on January 7. You can watch a video detailing all of the festivities here.

Christians leaving Bethlehem

Many Christians once lived in Bethlehem and throughout Palestine. But over the past few decades, many have left for better economic opportunities elsewhere. Qumsieh says, “Christians used to consist (just in the Holy Land) of about 33 percent of the population. And now it’s less than one percent.”

He asks readers to pray that Christians still living in Bethlehem and the rest of Palestine would remain. “Because they’ve been leaving at an alarming rate. And if it continues this way, we were afraid there will be no Christians left in the next 10 or 20 years.”

Qumsieh’s family left Palestine to live in the U.S. when he was young. But after graduating college, he decided to move back. He says, “Nobody does that. It’s always the opposite. Please pray for better living conditions in Palestine. Pray for better opportunities, and more importantly for people to keep their faith in what they’re doing.”

Pray the Church will always have a presence in the city where Jesus was born.

Header photo courtesy of Bethlehem Bible College.