Adapting Curriculum for the Family

As a busy homeschooling mom of six, finding materials that both align with our Christian beliefs and meet our educational needs can be challenging. My favorite resources are adaptable across a wide range of ages so I can teach multiple children at once—and Ambassador Publication’s Sunday School curriculum is at the top of my list. There is immense comfort in knowing that its content directly supports what I am teaching my kids, not just theologically, but in practical understanding.

“I Believe; Lord, Use Me to Help Others Believe.”– Discernment and Discipleship

The foundational setting for faith strengthening and making disciples is everyday life in our families. An informal setting does not mean unintentional teaching. Wherever we are, whatever we are doing, make disciples. Teach, train and equip. While planting a tree, we can talk about the one true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, and the sustainer of life.

“I Believe. Lord, Help My Unbelief.”– A Paradox of Faith

2008 was one of the worst years of my life. It was the year some very close family members turned their back on their Christian faith and shut us out of their lives. In deep sorrow and grief, I cried myself to sleep every night for a year—sobbed would be more accurate.

Reading the Psalms with Luther: Lent 2025 in Ankeny, IA

Psalm 61 begins with these familiar words: 

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy (Psalm 61:1-3).

Inspired by Faith

Our Summer ’26 newsletter features our latest articles and resources for ministry to kids and teens. Jaelynn Kozicky reflects on how the youth at Hope Church in Minneapolis have strengthened her own faith, and Pam Twedt shares how St. Paul’s Free Lutheran in Fargo, ND, has used Jesus A-Z in their after-school outreach program. Plus, check out our recent publications for teens and children (some of them are on sale!).

Jesus in the Neighborhood

Nearly fifteen years ago, the dream of reaching out to serve families in the neighborhood of St. Paul’s Free Lutheran in Fargo, North Dakota, became a reality.  After much prayer and planning, and with help in training from CRU (Campus Crusade) and their S.A.Y. Yes! Centers, our congregation started an after-school program.

When I Survey

A surveyor set up his instruments on the edge of the field. Hours later a young girl noticed he was still there. Why would someone spend so much time looking at the land? Then he came back the next day for more looking! This seemed strange to me as a child. But I didn’t understand the meticulous work of a surveyor or the precise measurement needed, often for the purpose of assessing value.

A Versatile Resource

Martin Luther’s visits to the congregations of his day revealed a great need for instruction in the foundational teachings of the Christian faith. The need eventually prompted him to write the Small Catechism with headings noting that it was for the heads of households to teach their families. The wider church soon found it to be useful in more places than just the home.

Laying a Biblical Foundation

Our Spring ’26 newsletter features articles on building a biblical foundation—for the home (Jaclyn Czymbor), and for a church library (Pastor Erin Tormanen). What questions should we ask and what practices should we develop to lay this foundation?

A Biblical Foundation for the Home

“Tell me a story from when you were a little girl?” I knew the question was coming, as it did every night when I tucked my son into bed. I was running out of stories, but he didn’t care if he’d heard the same one before. He loved hearing about how I grew up, and he never grew tired or bored with hearing the same stories. He desired to know me more deeply.

The Church Library: Encouraging Spiritual Life and Growth

Throughout the Bible, we are called to grow in our knowledge and understanding of God. For the Christian, this growth is essential for increasing our ability and desire to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” In his letter to the church in Colossae, the apostle Paul writes,