In the past year, INCM (International Network of Children’s Ministry) has initiated a new tool to help you in our ministry. 
It’s called Dispatch. Dispatch is thoughtfully curated selections of the latest ideas and products that are delivered quarterly through a subscription service. I received the latest Dispatch box last week and it was packed full of resources!
With the paper wrapping they use inside of the box to help package the contents, they had a surprise. As I got to the “bottom” of the box, where the paper is generally laid in the bottom of the box, I lifted the paper to find MORE resources! So many resources that I cannot share about all of them in this one post, so I am going to focus on one item.
As a former children pastor, and current children’s ministry leader, I am often asked by parents which Bible they should get for their child. Selecting a Bible for your child can be a daunting task with so many options available today. I am glad to be able to suggest various options for them. I do have several children’s Bibles that I can show parents and recommend to them, but I do not have all that are available.
I was glad to see a copy of a Children’s Bible in this quarter’s Dispatch box. It was an International Children’s Bible (ICB) which is the first Bible translation created specifically for children. It is not a paraphrase, nor is it a story Bible, but the full text of the Holy Bible translated at a child’s level of understanding.
When I was a child, the main translation that was used was the King James Version. Some other translations were also used but they were all difficult to read as a child. None were really geared to a child’s reading level. When I reached my teenage years some paraphrased versions were introduced, but by that point, I was not as engaged with the Bible as one would hope. If the ICB was available when I was beginning to read, then I might have had a greater interest in reading the Bible more frequently. While story Bibles have their place, imagine sitting in a church service looking up Scripture, being able to help your child find it and read it on their own at their level. That is what will help initiate family conversations and help a child grow to love the Scripture.
Thanks to INCM and their Dispatch box, I now have another great resource that I can share with families as they seek to disciple their children and teach them the things of God.
You can purchase a copy on Amazon
Click here to learn more about and Subscribe to Dispatch
Learn more about the International Children’s Bible
