LifeWay creates online Sunday school alternative for kids as churches respond to coronavirus

By Samuel Smith, Deputy Managing Editor Tuesday, March 17, 2020

The Southern Baptist Convention’s publishing arm, Lifeway Christian Resources, is offering a free, in-home children’s Bible study program available to churches of all kinds that have postponed their services due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

As many churches across the United States have suspended live events and moved worship services online to help containing the outbreak of COVID-19, LifeWay responded to the need for the continuation of children's ministry by creating a temporary free resource called “LifeWay Kids at Home.”

The Digital Pass experience offers parents and their children a Sunday school-like alternative that will provide weekly media-driven kids’ Bible study at home. 

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“LifeWay Kids at Home” includes a conversation guide, a series of videos that focus on the Bible story, life application and missions.

“The provided content is taken from current-cycle material in LifeWay’s ‘Bible Studies for Life: Kids’ broadly graded curriculum for 1-6th graders,” the announcement from LifeWay reads. “Churches using this curriculum will be able to remain on their teaching schedule. However, the ‘LifeWay Kids at Home’ Digital Pass experience is available to any church, of any denomination, anywhere in the world.”

Each Thursday night, new sessions will be updated with fresh content. 

Churches will be able to access “LifeWay Kids at Home” anytime over the next 12 weeks through the end of the Spring quarter, according to the announcement. 

LifeWay Kids Director of Operations Chuck Peters told Baptist Press that the new program is a response to many pastors who asked LifeWay in recent weeks how other churches are responding in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Although LifeWay Kids was initially available to churches that are already a part of LifeWay’s three brands of student curriculums, LifeWay is opening “LifeWay Kids at Home” to anyone who desires to use it. 

Peters said the outbreak has presented an “opportunity to serve the Church with no strings attached."

"We quickly became aware there is a broader need of churches we don't currently serve," Peters was quoted as saying. "This short-term temporary study is an opportunity for us to serve the church by serving families."

In order to access the new at-home kids’ program, families will need to go to LifeWay’s website and register through redemption code “VZMD4SSQ38.” 

"This is our heartbeat — to serve the church and equip parents to minister to their kids," Peters told Baptist Press. "The coronavirus presents many challenges, but every obstacle is an opportunity. We have the privilege of aiding parents and caregivers — people who may have never done so — to conduct a Bible study in their home. We get to help facilitate that at no cost, no-obligation and no strings attached for these churches and families. It's why we're here: We're a ministry first."