FAMILY RESOURCES
Your family is the primary medium for God's grace. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, or guardian, your role in raising the next generation matters. What happens at home matters just as much, if not more, than what happens at church. At Brenneman, we believe part of our job is to equip you as parents to disciple the next generation. We have curated these resources to help you navigate faith with your kids at each phase of their lives, from birth through high school graduation.
Start Here
Download this Faith Conversation Guide from Orange with cues for every phase.
We give out Legacy Marbles at baby dedications. Take out one a week to mark how many weeks you have left before your child turns 18.
Recommended Bibles
Preschool: We recommend the Jesus Storybook Bible as a first Bible.
Elementary: We recommend the New International Reader's Version (NIrV).
Recommended Apps
Download The Parent Cue App for weekly content that lines up with what kids and students are hearing at Brenneman.
Recommended Music
We use Amber Sky Records for kids birth through 5th grade. You can find them on Spotify or iTunes.
Recommended Devotionals for Kids
Love Does For Kids by Bob Goff (for elementary and preteen)
Treasured by Courtney DeFeo (for preteen girls and their moms)
Recommended Books
*Phase Guides are available through the church for a discounted price. We especially recommend them for their excellent guidance on instilling faith in kids and teens across the phases.
Don't Miss It by Reggie Joiner and Kristen Ivy
Growing With by Kara Powell and Steven Argue
Intentional Parenting by Doug and Cindy Fields
Modern Parents, Vintage Values by Melissa Trevathan and Sissy Goff
The Pandemic Population by Tim Elmore
Parenting Beyond Your Capacity by Reggie Joiner and Carey Nieuwhof
Phase Guides by Kristen Ivy and Reggie Joiner*
Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas
Sticky Faith by Kara Powell and Chap Clark
Recommended Websites
The Parent Cue (all ages)
The Phase Project (all ages)
Protect Young Eyes (all ages)
Sticky Faith (all ages)
MILESTONES
One way to maximize the opportunities to instill faith in the next generation is by leveraging the milestone moments. A milestone only comes around once, and just like a phase, we can't afford to miss them. At Brenneman, we want to partner with parents to make the most of them, from baby dedications to entering adulthood ceremonies.
BABY DEDICATION
As a child, Jesus was brought by Mary and Joseph to the house of the Lord. This was an act of dedication and recognition that He really belonged to God. Throughout His ministry, people brought children to Jesus and He placed His hands on each of them and blessed them.
As Christians we recognize that everything we have belongs to God, including the children born in our home. Dedication is not the salvation of the child, but is a public expression of the fact that they belong to Him.
In dedicating your child, you as parents are:
- Affirming your personal faith in Christ and your desire to share this faith with your child as you model your walk with Christ in your home.
- Acknowledging your commitment to be involved in the community of believers at Brenneman Church so that your child has opportunities for others to model and instill faith in your child.
- Recognizing that your children belong to God and have been born to experience His love and to serve Him.
If you are interested in having your child dedicated, please fill out this form and we will follow up with you to set a date. Please attach a picture of your child that will be displayed when he/she is dedicated.
SALVATION
It is natural for kids in this phase to begin asking questions about Jesus and what it means to follow him. We believe it is important for kids to hear answers not only from their leaders at church, but also from parents. Click below to download the Start Here Discussion Guide developed by Orange to lead your child to an understanding of the first step: accepting Jesus as their Savior.
BAPTISM
At Brenneman, we believe that baptism is a natural next step for a person to take after receiving Christ. Parents play a huge role in talking to their kids about the significance of baptism. Check out our baptism page for more details, what we believe about baptism, and FAQs.