Our world has its values mixed up. Sports figures, musicians, dancers, or political figures are often on the list of children’s role models. While I think a few of them may be worthy, most do not measure up to the Biblical standards I have for my family. So, when we were introduced to the book series Christian Heroes Then and Now, things changed. We now had positive role models of faith and obedience for my family. These were real people who had great faith in our almighty God. They model what it is like to live for Christ and tell others about Him. Geoff and Janet Benge chronicled 50 books of men and women of faith which we have used in our home. Particular role models include Amy Carmichael, Mary Slessor, Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Hudson Taylor, George Mueller, and more.
What are they?
From YWAM Publishing:
“We are thrilled to present a collection of inspiring true stories that delve into the lives of ordinary men and women whose unwavering trust in God has led them to achieve extraordinary feats for His kingdom and glory. This compelling series is crafted specifically to challenge and motivate readers by showcasing the powerful narratives of missionaries who have made a profound impact on history. In a time where positive role models are essential, these books provide a unique opportunity to witness how God works through the lives of those who dedicate themselves to His service.
The captivating life stories of these remarkable individuals will inspire readers as they navigate the trials of faith and character under the most challenging circumstances. Each narrative is designed to engage and resonate with readers of all ages, offering fast-paced adventures that transport them to the heart of different nations and eras, all while illustrating the essence of living a life committed to serving God and those He loves.”
Who should read these biographies?
Adults, teens, and children are all the target audience for this book series. Even though they often have longer chapters, the lives of these missionaries are fascinating to people of all ages. I know many homeschool families who enjoy using these stories. Some use them as part of a reading curriculum, Bible time, or personal reading time. These biographies get the whole family together to learn of a great man or woman of our Christian faith.
Why do we use them in our home?
1. Shows your family who God is
One of the best things about the Christian Heroes Then and Now series is the focus on God. Throughout each book your family will hear about who God is and what He is doing. From miraculous donations to large numbers of people getting saved, these stories will show your family who God is — His generous heart, His lovingkindness, His mercy, His peace, His protection, His wisdom, His discipline, and more! What a blessing to teach your family about your great God! They will inspire and challenge you to trust God more fully with your whole life and future.
2. Displays God’s heart for the nations
These books also show God’s heart for all people to come to know Him. Through this series you will see missionaries go around the world to tell about Jesus — and some, like Brother Andrew will even sneak the Bible into countries where it was illegal! They encounter hard times and difficult living conditions, but each were sent by their Heavenly Father. He wants ALL to come to repentance and faith in Him. He doesn’t want ANY to perish — even ones in remote places! God desires for all to come to know Him as their Lord and Savior. He will go through great lengths for that to happen, which is evident in this series.
3. Gives your children great role models
In a world that idolizes movie stars, performers, and professional athletes, who better to be a role model to your kids than Christians who had great faith and obeyed God? While their situations were different, they all heard God’s call, had faith to believe it, and obeyed God to go! It wasn’t easy. For example, Gladys Aylward had a daring journey just to get to China and then battled to get foot binding banned and worked to reform prisons in China. She has an incredible story of faith which would have made many quit over and over again. These role models are the people we want our children to be — ones who take God at His Word and obey without questions. These names should be who you talk about around the dinner table and call your children to be like.
4. Reveals what genuine faith looks like
It is relatively easy for us to have faith in God when things are good. But when you move from your home with all of its comforts and things start to unravel, that is when your faith is tested. That is when you see if your faith is genuine. When Jim Elliot decided to make contact with the Aucas to tell them about the Gospel, he knew that this might mean that he and the other men would be martyred. That would leave his wife without her husband and his daughter without her father. He was willing to do that for the love that he had for His Savior. This is what we see in the lives of the missionaries of this series. Even though they go through trials, these men and women demonstrate true courage and genuine faith.
5. Teaches your children geography and cultures from around the world
As we have read these books, it has been interesting to follow the path that the missionary took to get to their country and discover where the country was located. Learning about the various cultures around the world and the religions they represented were an interesting part of reading each of these biographies. We have learned such a wealth of information about God’s amazing world!
6. Illustrates Biblical character qualities
I want our children to display the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians as well as other virtues like courage and integrity. While I hope they see examples of those from my husband and me, I also want to give them illustrations of what good character is like. Do you want to teach them about courage? Read Brother Andrew or Nate Saint. Do you want them to have an example of diligence? Read William Carey or Adoniram Judson. Are you looking for a role model for obedience? Read Mary Slessor or Eric Liddell or Corrie ten Boom. Each book is filled with multiple examples of character qualities that I desire for my children.
I have taken this a step further. By creating a character qualities curriculum for families, you can learn more about each virtue while looking for those qualities in each biography. Giving your children real life examples of people of faith, they will aim to display these qualities as well with the help of the Holy Spirit. Learn more about this curriculum HERE.
Where should we start?
In our opinion you should start with Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, George Mueller, or Amy Carmichael. These are some of our favorites. They will get your whole family excited to read more and more of this series. You can start by reading or listening to a chapter or two per day. While some of the chapters can be quite long, others are more manageable and can be read more quickly.
Can you give us some insider tips?
1. Listen to them on audiobooks. We have had great success finding them on Amazon Music and through our library on Hoopla. This way you can listen to them in the car or while your kids are painting or building with magnatiles, etc.
2. Find a Torchlighters video to correspond with the book you are reading. Several of the Christian Heros Then and Now have these animated videos to go along with them. We have found several of them on Youtube and other platforms, like RightNow Media. These were very helpful for our younger children to know what happened in the story and for our older ones as a review.
3. Try adding a geography lesson with a printable of the country the missionary served in or a coloring page about the missionary or country. This will help the information that you have read about stick more. Many homeschool families will use these books as a springboard for learning in other subject areas.
4. Print out THIS SIMPLE WORKSHEET to use with each of the missionaries that you study. This will help you to keep track of the missionaries you read about. If you keep these in a binder, you can review the ones you have studied.
If you enjoyed this article and found it helpful, please comment below and read these other interesting messages for Biblically Minded Families!
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