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If you’re looking for a condensed gospel presentation to use as an affordable giveaway for children’s ministry events or something that’s lightweight for mailing, consider The Gospel Story for Kids: God’s Story of Love from Creation to Revelation by Tama Fortner.

Of course, a full version of the Bible is the very best presentation of the gospel. However, occasionally, the need arises for something compact in design.

This beautifully illustrated book opens with a note to readers who may wonder how to discover what a Bible story is all about. Readers are challenged to ask four questions when reading any story in the Bible.

Who struggles?

What do they discover?

How do things change?

What can I learn about God and myself from this story?  

–The Gospel Story for Kids, page 2

The Contents of The Gospel Story for Kids

A supplement resource to Tyndale’s GoBible, The Gospel Story for Kids is not a Bible but a retelling of true Bible stories. I’m sure it was challenging to narrow down which stories to include. You’ll not find a list of the contents online, so I’ll list them here.

The stories chosen were:

“God’s Good Creation”

“Adam and Eve Disobey God”

“Noah and the Flood”

“Abraham and Sarah”

“Jacob and Esau”

“Joseph”

“Moses and the Ten Commandments”

“Ruth and Naomi”

“Samuel Anoints David”

“Esther”

“Esther Saves Her People”

“The Birth of Jesus”

After the story about the birth of Jesus, the booklet includes the additional content mentioned in the next section.

Additional Content Included:

Additional intriguing content is included in this 32-page booklet.

“Prophecy 101”

“Key Figures in Jesus’ Genealogy”

“Jesus Life” (infographic with scripture references)

“Jesus’ Early Ministry”  (infographic, but no scripture references)

“Seder: A Passover Celebration”

After the infographics, the stories resume with:

“The Last Supper”

“Jesus’ Ultimate Sacrifice”

“Jesus Resurrection”

“The Great Commission”

“The Long-Awaited Transformation”

At the booklet’s end is a guide on how to follow Jesus, which includes comments on reading the Bible, praying, worshipping, connecting with other believers, and serving people in the name of Jesus.

Following this is a section on how to lead others to Jesus.

Other Elements in The Gospel Story for Kids

Award-winning author Tama Fortner wrote this booklet. Throughout the booklet, she sprinkled fascinating facts about people and other things we find in the Bible. One example is the history of the Passover lamb and how that ties into the sacrifice Jesus made.

Also scattered throughout the book are snippets offering reflections and life applications based on the stories.

Scriptures Used in The Gospel Story for Kids

This storybook asks readers to refer to their own Bibles more often than it prints out the scriptures. One example is in the story about Adam and Eve, where it says:

“And best of all, God promises to give you everything you need to choose what’s right and say no to Satan’s sneaky lies (see Proverbs 3:5-6)!”

There are some direct quotes from the Bible, such as in the story “The Long-Awaited Transformation,” where it says,

“At the end of Revelation, John writes, ‘Come Lord Jesus!’ (Revelation 22:20). We can pray the same thing—that Jesus will come back soon, making everything right.” Page 28

When quoted, scriptures are drawn from the New Living Translation (1996, 2004, 2015) by Tyndale House Foundation.

Recommendation

I love the size and the content of this booklet. It’s perfect for mailing inside 6” x 9” envelopes, and it takes minimal storage space when preparing for a mission trip or a children’s ministry event.

The thick paperback cover and slick coating make it durable. The pages are firmly bound with staples, making it affordable to buy in bulk.  

In my research, I found that several pages of this booklet can be viewed on Tyndale’s website—but not under the description for this booklet. You’ll find them by clicking on the button to view a sample of their Go Bible. They offer thirty-six pages of the Go Bible to preview. Three of those pages are in The Gospel Story for Kids booklet! If you look at Genesis 3 in their Bible sample, you’ll see “God’s Good Creation.” This is an exact copy of the text and illustrations that are in The Gospel Story for Kids booklet. The same goes for the page about “Abraham and Sarah” (Genesis 13) and “Key Figures in Jesus’ Genealogy” (Matthew 2).

This booklet is a helpful tool for introducing the Bible to young children. It provides numerous opportunities for further Bible reading and conversations to deepen a child’s understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Motivated by the power of story, history, and His Story, Sally Matheny’s passion is telling the next generation wondrous things.

Her nonfiction writing appears in worldwide, national, and regional publications.

Learn more at SallyMatheny.com., where you’ll find encouraging blog posts, book reviews, and free resources.