Answers For New Christians

Review of Answers For New Christians

By Mrs. Robert Gould

Answers For New Christians written by Mrs. Robin Khoury is “What Kids Need to Know About Sin, Salvation, Baptism, and More”. It is a textbook, coloring book, and workbook all in one. Mrs. Khoury covers everything a new Christian needs to understand. All from a mainstream evangelical perspective that includes drawings of Jesus and events from the Bible. Baptism is taught that it follows salvation. Mrs. Khoury developed this curriculum to fill a need in an area she found lacking while a Sunday school teacher.

Seeing how we have six children, when approached to write this review I factored in the need to make the children a part of the review process. Their ages are almost ten years down to nine and a half months. My intention was to cover the material slowly over the course of about a week. Well, that quickly changed on the first day when I got so far and the children are begging, “Read more, Mommy! Read more!” We completed it in two days! They continued to pick up the book even upon its completion desiring to have it read again.

Mrs. Khoury has written Answers For New Christians in a very easy to understand language, including some definitions for more difficult terms. So even the very young are able to follow along. We have a three year old and a four year old and their attention was held during our reading sessions. The coloring pages are very helpful in the fact that they aid in allowing the children to see, do and hear all at once. The fill-in-the blanks were enjoyed by the older ones, as were the questions at the end. This little book would be perfect for Sunday schools, home schools or family devotions. While some of the topics were new to our younger children, it was a review to our older children. So whether you have been a Christian teacher or parent for a long time or short time, this book would suit either need.

At the end of the book, there are special pages to record special events in the walk of a baby Christians. Such things as: salvation memories, prayers for Christian growth, pastor, Sunday school teacher, church, baptism record and first communion. Just like a keepsake book. The coloring pages are real to life and the workbook pages have a fun maze, puzzle and questions for older children. One thing to mention is that you do have to have multiple books for a class with more than one child, so they can all have fun coloring and doing the extra activities. The good thing is that Mrs. Khoury is thinking about making the book reproducible for classrooms and it is available at a discount when ordering 10 or more books.

As with any resource used with children, there is freedom in answering questions that the children come up with outside of the material covered, and a freedom to go at a speed that is best for both the teacher and student(s). This is a wonderful little resource to use in introducing new concepts about Christianity or just as a review. Answers For New Christians is available to purchase at www.answersfornewchristians.com

Answers For New Christians
I have found a new resource for parents, grandparents, pastors, children’s workers, aunts and uncles that you are just going to love. It’s called Answers for New Christians written by Robin Khoury and illustrated by Stuart Corley and I am excited to be introducing it to you!

This is a book families of young children will enjoy making a part of their homeschool and or devotional lives. I plan on using it as a unit study on Salvation and the ordinances of our Christian faith. I also plan to use it in my children’s program at church because we have an entire generation of youngsters who know nothing about what it means to be “born again” or “baptized.” This generation of youngsters doesn’t even know Who Jesus is!

This is a book for such a time as this. In Judges, after Joshua died, “And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10. The same has happened in America today. Our children do not know the basic tenets of our faith because no one has taught them.

Perhaps parents, teachers and even pastors don’t know how to teach them, or don’t even know where to start. This book will help them. It is a blessing to the body of Christ!

When I was a little girl, I “went forward” during Vacation Bible School. I wanted to be baptized. I grew up in a Baptist church, and we got baptized almost immediately after we accepted Jesus. But I think a book like this would have helped me understand what I was doing a lot more than the few minutes of counseling the pastor gave me. I was nine years old, and at that time, I really just wanted to be saved because my friends at church were.

This book would help a child decide whether or not they are ready to become a Christian like their parents, or their teacher, or even their friends. But they wouldn’t decide just because everyone else is doing it. They would be able to make an informed decision because this is written in a way that kids can understand!

The charming pictures to color, puzzles to solve, and easy to read text are succinct and to the point. There isn’t more there than a child needs to know. Children and even adults of all ages would benefit from this book if they need to know more about what it means to become a Christian.

Here is the table of contents:

1. In the Beginning
2. The Big Boo-Boo
3. Our Problem
4. Special People
5. Jesus is Born
6. Jesus’ Life
7. Zaccheus Repents
8. You Must Be Born Again
9. Jesus Died For Your Sins
10. Surprise!
11. Jesus Goes Home
12. Becoming a Christian
13. Repent and Believe
14. God’s Big Family
15. Once is Enough
16. Sin Causes Sadness
17. Growing Up
18. God’s Word
19. Jesus’ Baptism
20. Pictures of Jesus and You
21. Quiet Time
22. The Church
23. The Lord’s Supper
24. Who Is a Christian?
25. Bic Grows Up
26. Mr. Owl’s Puzzle
27. Study Questions
28. Keepsake Pages

One of my favorite parts of the book are the Keepsake pages. I believe it’s very important to memorialize a child’s big decision to follow Jesus and these pages allow spaces for pictures, baptism certificate, and more.

This would be an excellent resource for pastors to use before or after baptizing youngsters. It will remain a permanent part of my library as I minister to youngsters everyday and on Church days!

I wish I would have had something like this for my children when they were at the age of making a decision for Christ. I do plan on using it with my grandchildren! I am looking forward to snuggle times with them and teaching all about what it means to be a Christian. What precious memories we will make. And what an even greater legacy I will be able to give them!

Thank-you, Robin Khoury, for such a special book. I hope every Christian family will make it a part of their child’s library. Besides the Bible, it’s one of the most important books they could ever introduce to their child.

Review by: Kathy Davis for Homeschoolbuzz.com

Answers for New Christians is a tool parents or individuals serving in children’s ministries can use to effectively disciple young children in Christ. This 70-page glossy cover combination textbook, coloring book, and workbook uses attractive illustrations and simple language to present the fundamentals of the Christian faith to kids.

The book concisely covers everything from Adam and Eve and the origin of sin, right through to the basics of how to grow in one’s faith. Though the teaching techniques used in Answers for New Christians (“Mr. Owl” mascot, coloring pages, child-friendly words, and large, bold print) seem better suited for a younger age group (ages 4-8), older kids can still glean from the material, and will especially enjoy the keepsake section in the back. The last 8 pages offers a place for recording spiritual milestones such as first communion, baptism, and provides a place for the child’s pastor, Sunday school teacher, and family members to offer written words of encouragement. What a nice keepsake! The message here is clear, and biblically sound, and if prayerfully tailored to a child’s level of understanding, this resource will help lead that child towards building a solid Christian foundation.

Note: The author and illustrator are both homeschoolers!

More detailed information about the book is available at their website. http://www.answersfornewchristians.com/

Review by Ana Quesada

Robin Khoury has written a wonderful, engaging, and easy to follow workbook for young new Christians. Each lesson in the book takes the new Christian into a deeper understanding of the gift of salvation. The lessons are short and concise. Each of the lessons also contain a picture to color with a small verse at the bottom, that pertains to the lesson. The verse is also a fill-in-the-blank sentence with Bible verse reference at the end. The whole lesson gives clear direction of its topic. It’s format is very appealing to the young child, since there is variety within each lesson. There is very little teacher/parent preparation needed. At the end of the book there is an index for specific topics covered in the book, and study questions to make sure there is a clear understanding of each topic. Other pages at the end makes this book also a memory keepsake. With pages titled: My Salvation Memories, Prayers for my Christian Growth and others, this all-encompassing book makes it a treasure in every Christian home. This is a textbook, coloring book, workbook, and memory/keepsake book all in one. The book is suitable for ages 4-12.

In His service,

Ana Quesada