The Story We Tell Our Children: Gospel Formation in a World of Counterfeit Imitation

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The digital world is aggressively discipling kids. Are you?

Children are always listening. From campfire stories of old to today’s constant stream of screens, the narratives they absorb shape their identity, worldview, and faith. Too often, counterfeit stories win children’s hearts, much like Stockholm syndrome, where hostages grow attached to their captors. By the time most kids turn 13, these cultural narratives have already formed their lifelong beliefs.

In The Story We Tell Our Children, Matt Markins, President and CEO of Awana, calls pastors, ministry leaders, and child discipleship advocates to action. He exposes how churches can unintentionally offer a “Bible Lite Strategy” that emphasizes good behavior without anchoring kids in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Instead, Markins shows how to root the next generation in God’s greater story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. With clarity and conviction, he equips leaders to help children encounter the Gospel with consistency and depth so it becomes the story they live by.

For those longing to see lasting faith in the next generation, this book will sharpen your vision and provide practical ways to disciple kids in the one story that is both true and life-giving: the Gospel.

About the Author

Matt serves as the President and CEO of Awana, a global leader in child discipleship. As a researcher in child discipleship and children’s ministry, Matt has commissioned eleven research projects since 2013, including a study conducted by Barna Group called, Children’s Ministry in a New Reality. He’s a board member at large for the National Association of Evangelicals and is the author or co-author of four books, most notably The Faith of Our Children: Eight Timely Research Insights for Discipling the Next Generation and RESILIENT: Child Discipleship and the Fearless Future of the Church. He’s also the co-founder of the Child Discipleship Forum and D6 Conference. Matt and his wife Katie have been involved in children’s ministry for more than 25 years and spend their time in Nashville with their two sons.