Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.
When my husband and I began homeschooling, we chose a literature-rich history-laden curriculum because we strongly agree with Burke.
But what of Christian Church history? Is the history of our faith really important to study? And do our kids really need the structure of a Christian Church history timeline? Does it help to understand Church history in chronological order, and in relationship to history in general?
Christian History is Important
Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965), a medical missionary to French Equitorial Africa in the early 1900s, said of history:
One truth stands firm. All that happens in world history rests on something spiritual. If the spiritual is strong, it creates world history. If it is weak, it suffers world history.
We don’t always know why the Lord allows events in history to occur, but the Bible is clear that He is the Lord of History. God is sovereign over all events, kings, and nations. Studying history, and Christian history in particular, is important for our kids.
It’s the perfect companion to God’s Timeline!
Studying Christian history helps our children:
- Understand their family history–the history of the Church
- Grow in character as they learn of the way others followed Christ throughout history
- Grasp pernicious heresies that occur over and over throughout the timeline of history
- See the hand of God in the lives of individuals and in the Church
- Knit together secular and Christian history, because truly all history ‘rests on something spiritual’
- Our children will be inspired by those who loved Jesus and lived fully for Him
A Christian Church History Timeline for Kids
Studying the individual stories of Christian figures–missionaries, theologians, and even sports heroes–is a valuable way to add depth and weight to our children’s readings in literature, history, science, and music classes. It’s important, too, that we take a step back and help our kids really understand the overarching history timeline.
Finally, there is a resource (and it’s beautiful!) for kids that does this well.
I want to thank Christian Focus Publications for sending me two copies of God’s Timeline. This review is my own and is not sponsored.
A Christian Church history timeline helps our kids:
- Place important Church history events, people, and movements into the grand scheme of world history
- Understand how many important figures interacted and influenced each other
- See God’s protection of His bride, the Church
- Gain perspective on the ideas and movements that attempt to threaten the Church
- Recognize past errors the Church made so that they may be avoided going forward
God’s Timeline: The Big Book of Church History (Christian Focus Publications, 2018) is just the reference book you need for your elementary and middle school students. Part read-aloud and part visual reference, this book will be one worth keeping on your shelves for the grandkids.
Wonderful Resources by Linda Finlayson from Christian Focus Publications
I love all of these books–they are a fabulous addition to every home library!
God’s Bible Timeline: The Big Book of Biblical History
God’s Timeline: The Big Book of Church HistoryGuarding the Treasure: How God’s People Preserve God’s WordWielding the Sword: Preachers and Teachers of God’s Word
God’s Timeline is divided into five sections of Church history timeline:
- The Early Church
- The Medieval Church
- The Reforming Church
- The Missionary Church
- The Modern Church
Each section of Christian history has three to four double-paged spreads of a Christian Church history timeline for that period.
The Christian history articles cover topics including:
- Paul, the first missionary
- Martyrdom
- Heresy in the Early Church
- How the Bible came to be
- The Bishop of Rome and the Papacy
- The Early Middle Ages
- The High Middle Ages
- Islam
- The Crusades
- The Late Middle Ages
- The Reforming Church
- Translating the Bible
- The Five Solas
- Protestant Denominations
- The Eastern Church
- And more…
More Great Christian History Resources
Who was Martin Luther? (Who What Why)What was the Gutenberg Bible? (Who What Why)Why did the Reformation Happen? (Who What Why)Who Were the Abolitionists? (Who, What, Why)What Was the Underground Railroad? (Who, What, Why)Why Did Slavery End? (Who, What, Why)When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin LutherHistory Lives Box Set: Chronicles of the ChurchTrailblazer Evangelists & Pioneers Box Set 1 (Trail Blazers)Trailblazer Missionaries & Medics Box Set 2 (Trail Blazers)Trailblazer Preachers & Teachers Box Set 3 (Trail Blazers)Trailblazer Reformers & Activists Box Set 4 (Trail Blazers)Trailblazer Heroes & Heroines Box Set 5 (Trail Blazers)Trailblazer Arts & Science Box Set 6 (Trail Blazers)Little Lights Box Set 1Little Lights Box Set 2Little Lights Box Set 3
In studying Christian history, I’ve found that the context of world events is incredibly important to consider. Nothing happens in a vaccuum, and we cannot fully understand the actions and reactions of the Christian Church without first understanding the times the Church has walked through.
Purchase God’s Timeline: The Big Book of Church History
God’s Timeline: The Big Book of Church History
Bible Resources for Your Kids
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Christian Biographies for Kids | Christian History for Kids | Theology for Kids
Christian History Matters for Our Kids.
History matters. Now, more than ever, we see how important it is for our children to know and understand history and the Bible.
Here’s why:
- God is the sovereign ruler of all things. It’s important for our kids to see his hand in the history of nations and in the lives of both peasants and kings.
- Christian history is the story of our family history. Our kids get to see how people who love Jesus follow him.
- Understanding history can help our kids learn historic and biblical theology. They learn what the Bible says and what that means for us. They also see when the study of Scripture has taken important turns that have changed the Church.
- Reading Christian biographies and history can be a wonderful way for kids to think outside their own time and culture. God’s Church spans centuries and includes people from every nation.
- Christian biographies help kids consider their own faith, walk with Jesus, and the impact their witness may one day have on others–and on history.
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I’ve always liked the idea of timelines. This one would be awesome to go over with the kids!
I like the idea that it is in order and has the images & text. My kids love these kinds of books and love to just look through them for fun!
Just love it! Such a beautiful resource!
This is looks like such an interesting book!
Thanks for sharing!!
I love this. Such a great visual tool for learning about church history!
This looks like a wonderful resource!!sta
This book looks lovely and would make a wonderful addition to our history studies this year (Renaissance to Reformation).
What an amazing rescource!
Very bright and visually appealing!
I like the fact that the book has things mapped on a time line that are Christian events/people. Gives us a broader perspective and a greater understanding.
This is fantastic.
It seems my inbox has been increasingly flooded with homeschool content for the past few years. As I have been going through and unsubscribing to better manage the influx and reduce the time it takes to cull through all the messages, I must thank you for providing content of such substance that I have found myself taking time to open and read your messages. I am grateful for your heart for Jesus and your desire to have our future generations know Him and His Word. Thank you.
Hi, I hope I win the Timeline book. It will make a wonderful addition to my homeschool history curriculum!
I loooove the idea of this timeline and can’t wait to use it with my kiddos!
I love timelines, especially if they are already completed!! I’m always looking for a good timeline with Biblical history.
Being able to explain to my children how church history lines up with world history is what excites me most about the book.
I love to visually see history laid out in an order for me and my children!
Being in a small house, I love timelines in books! I’ve been looking for a good Bible timeline and this looks amazing! Thank you.
This looks like such a great book to have.
This is a great educational tool.
Marion
Church history is something no one ever taught me anything about when I was growing up. Only Bible college students seemed to get that opportunity. The fact that there’s a resource available to teach my kids this information is so exciting to me!
I love timelines, but we do not have one specific to this topic. This one looks great.
I’m looking into homeschooling and these look great! I have 4 “babies” 5,4,2,0 to teach. 🙂
I’m always looking for a good new Bible resource
This would be a great resource to add to our history curriculum.
What not to love? Obviously this would help us remember history in sequential order!
What a great visual to help learn church history and make it real. Would love to have this.
This looks like an amazing resource!
Looks like a useful resource. Thanks.
Thank you, Danika, for your kind review of my book. I hope it helps many to better understand our history and God’s sovereign care of his people.
Thank you for the opportunity of this giveaway. We greatly enjoy timelines, and this one looks wonderful!
kids would learn so much
I love how everything is in one orderly, beautiful place! I’m not hunting around (though research is good) and the beauty makes it attractive to all ages!
I love this! I’m just beginning my homeschool journey but I had thought of making one of these myself, and I love that this exists so I can spend my time elsewhere. Thank you
What an excellent resource to use in our homeschooling! I love how rich both the text and illustrations are.
Need to add this book to my wishlist!
I grew up in the church, but I did not learn much about church history outside the Bible. This sounds like a wonderful way to teach my girls about the church and learn more myself too.
This would be a great addition to our history curriculum!
This looks like a beautiful book with a lot of great information! We will be studying the early church this coming year, and this would be a great addition to that study! Thank you so much! Love this site!
This looks like a great resource to add to our Bible lessons!
This looks like a wonderful resource to our curriculum that all of our children could enjoy.
The church history is so interesting! I love all the colors in the materials.
Looks like a great book!
This would be a great resource to use with our History curriculum!
I love that this gives you a condensed view of church history, that it is colorful and looks easy to use. This would work so well with my history curriculum for next year too!
This timeline looks awesome.
What a fantastic resource!!
Love the colorful, concise way to learn church history.
This looks like an interesting resource for kids! The curriculum I use covers Church History early in highschool, but this looks great for younger kids, too!
This resource looks amazing! Thank you for your review.
Awesome
This looks like a perfect learning tool for my history loving kids! Thanks for sharing this!!!
A great resource to show God’s sovereign control over this world, past, present, and future!
We are loving history right now! Timelines included! I love the idea of God’s Timeline….what a helpful resource!
I personally don’t have a good understanding of church history and would like to learn more and I think it is important to teach my children. This looks like a fantastic resource for my family now and for years to come.
This looks great for a wide range of ages!
Excellent resource!!
Would love it
This is very cool. I have not seen this before!
This looks wonderful! I would love tonhave this for my kiddos!
I could learn as much from this as my kids. What a great resource.
This looks amazing!! Every time I read your reviews another book gets added to my wishlist!!