A Parent’s Guide to Raising Spiritually Strong Youth
As parents, many of us wonder how to help our children grow up with strong values, lasting faith, and a sense of who they are in the eyes of God.
We take them to Sunday School. We teach them to pray. We do our best to answer the hard questions. And yet, something still seems to fade over time. Why do so many children drift away from the faith that once seemed so real to them?
That same question weighed heavily on author Jack Patrick. However, instead of stopping at “why,” he listened for what came next.
What came was a calling, and a book series designed to meet kids exactly where they are: spiritually awake, deeply curious, and full of wonder. The result is Living with God… A Child’s Perspective: a three-part workbook series that turns spiritual development into something children and parents can do together.
A Spiritual Roadmap Built for the Long Run
This trilogy is not just another Bible storybook. It’s a hands-on, heart-first journey through three powerful themes:
- Series 1: God – Understanding who God is and why we matter so much to Him.
- Series 2: God’s Love – Exploring the depth of God’s love, from creation to the cross.
- Series 3: Christ – Learning how faith in Christ gives us strength, purpose, and victory.
Each series is filled with scripture-based activities, small fun projects, and even suggestions for faith-based movies for families to watch together.
The real heart of the series is its purpose: to nurture what Patrick calls the “innate spiritual awareness” of children, to help them see that they are more than just kids learning about God. They are spiritual beings living with God.
Building God’s Olympians
Patrick uses a beautiful analogy throughout the workbooks: spiritual training is a lot like preparing for the Olympics. Just like athletes build strength through daily habits and encouragement, our children need guidance, practice, and support to grow spiritually strong. And like any great coach, a parent’s role isn’t to run the race for their child, but to run with them.
This is not a sprint. It’s a spiritual triathlon. Each lesson builds on the last. It’s a faith journey that deepens over time.
What Makes This Series Different?
- It’s graphically rich – visually engaging for young minds.
- It’s deeply relatable – filled with real-life, age-appropriate ways to apply spiritual truths.
- It’s made for conversation – encouraging parents and children to connect on a heart level.
- It’s flexible – perfect for one-on-one time, group study, or church education settings.
- It’s spiritually bold – unafraid to tackle big topics like love, worth, belief, and faith in simple, meaningful ways.
Above all, this series invites kids to see God not as a distant figure, but as someone who knows them, loves them, and walks with them every day.
A Message for Parents and Leaders
Whether you’re a parent, a church educator, a small group leader, or a school librarian seeking something more than just another devotional, this trilogy is a resource designed to spark genuine growth. It’s about forming a relationship with God, not just learning about Him.
And if you’re wondering where to begin, Patrick recommends starting with the Parent/Leader/User Guide at the back of each book. It lays the foundation for walking through the material with intention, openness, and a listening spirit.
And that’s where the journey begins.
Prepare your child to become a Spiritual Olympian.
Faith starts here, and it lasts a lifetime.
