Children's Bible Hour Ministries~ Seasons of Faith Series

I received a group of 4 books by the Children's Bible Hour Ministries for review~ Their Seasons of Faith Series. I have always been a fan of "seasonal series" books, using them as "gifts" on the first day of Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, but this series is a little different than most, because it is dealing with Spiritual Seasons, not with actual Seasons, although they do tie in to the settings.

Here's a quick run-down of the Seasons of Faith icons, and what they signify:

Spring: This is a time when people experience new life in Christ. Faith develops and Christians begin to share the Salvation message with others.
Summer: The season when faith grows under God’s love and care. Fruit is witnessed and triumphs are gained through applying His Word and striving to be the best we can be in Christ.
Autumn: Times of struggle and temptation, peer pressure, making mistakes, and scary transitions happen during this season. Even though it might seem like nothing good can come from this time, God has promised us He will be there. He will teach us how to forgive and then grow in grace.
Winter: This season is the most difficult. Deep struggles, mourning, trying to make it through difficult times, or the death of a loved one can pull us away from God. He teaches us to lean on Him for comfort and peace.

There are currently 4 books in the Series, one for each title~

You can read about each specific story here

Each softcover book includes a read-along CD narrated by "Uncle Charlie" of the Children's Bible Hour Radio Ministry fame, and include the "ABC's of Salvation" with Scripture references in the back of each book, as a help for young Christians.

What I like:

• each story deals with some aspect of faith, whether it is how to share making an initial decision to follow Christ, or how to grow in that decision, with stories on forgiveness, and trust in God.
• I can see that these could be good tools to show in words relevant to today's children, what they can do and say as they grow and share what it means to be a Christ-follower in their own neighborhoods
  
• CBHM has created a page with discussion questions to help foster this activity.
• While a couple of the stories seemed to be a little "preachy", and simplistic in their view, in the final analysis, preaching isn't bad, regardless of what today's society might say (That's why we go to church on Sundays, isn't it? To hear preaching?), as long as it is telling the truth in an appropriate and relevant manner.
  

Just a couple of nit-picky comments about the "quality" of the books.

• I wouldn't consider these "Literature" in a Charlotte Mason sense, but rather more of a "Tool" for training.
• In line with that, the artwork is "ok", but not stellar (ie, in Midnight's rescue, the same two horses showed up in the artwork as a startling array of colors~ white, black, gray, brown, tan~ and in a variety of combinations... These are the things that could be disconcerting to my discerning little artists' eyes, thanks to their training in attention to detail via the FIAR curriculum... ;) )

So, final thoughts~

• Great child-friendly evangelism/spiritual growth/character training "Tools"
• Not great Literature/artwork
• Buy them for what they ARE , and I think that you will be satisfied with your purchase.

Price: $10 each (For a limited time, through April 15, when you purchase the entire set and use the code FREESHIPAPR15, you can get free standard shipping)

As always, I hope that this helps you decide if these are books that would be useful in your homeschool, as you train up each child in the way he should go. :) For other viewpoints and reviews, visit my TOS Crewmates. (Local folks~ If you'd like to see these, let me know, and I'll bring them to the next meeting!)

Blessings~




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."