Little Disciples
Providing at Home Christian Educational Resources to Parents for Their Children’s Spiritual Growth
The following information is presented as part of a thesis study conducted as the final step in gaining a Masters of Fine Arts in Graphic Design with Liberty University. Research began in the spring of 2024 with the final solution being published in spring 2025.
THE PROBLEM
Christian parents too often rely on the Church to educate their children on biblical topics rather than taking the parental responsibility to instruct them at home; resulting in decreased understanding and adherence to the Scriptures as children and as adults later in life.
It has always been difficult to keep young people attending church after they reach the freedom of adulthood, but their absence continued to grow with each generation. It is hard to prove whether their decline in attendance is due to lack of spiritual formation in younger years or just the changing of the times is hard to prove, but it can be inferred that more training and honest conversations in earlier years would positively affect this statistic as well as the spiritual wellbeing of future generations. Since the most formative years of children based on brain development are between ages 2 and 6, there should be a greater focus on spiritual foundations during this specific time. With the demographic established, I set out to research what resources are available or being provided to parents.
THE RESEARCH
Research began with an in-depth study of how younger children learn and whether or not that learning style is being translated into how the Gospel is being presented to them. My findings suggested that toddlers learn best with their hands and should be presented with tangible objects and activities to reinforce ideas. These hands-on style activities center around the Montessori principles of child development.
An additional area of study was on discipleship, focusing on the biblical practices associated with it and how the Church views it today. According to many surveys that have been conducted by the Barna Group, the Church is in agreement of the idea that discipleship should begin in the home. While there is value in the teachings of the Church, discipleship does not solely come from Sunday mornings.
Looking to the Old Testament, Eli and Samuel are prime examples of mentorship. When Samuel’s mother dedicated him to the Lord, she determined that he would live in the temple with Eli for his best chance of training. Through the wisdom and discipline of Eli, Samuel becomes a great prophet, able to clearly hear the audible voice of the Lord calling him to ministry (1 Samuel 3). While this type of mentorship is not familial, it is unmistakable that a key factor of Samuel’s success came from an intimate relationship with Eli and the Lord. When children are given the opportunity to learn from trusted adults, there is a greater possibility of getting ideas to stick.
“start a youth out on his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it”
Proverbs 22:6, CSB
THE PROCESS
After conducting research about current trends in Christian education and the lack of at-home learning materials, I decided that a possible solution was to create a new learning resource for parents to use in their homes. Beginning with ideation, I began mind-mapping all possible content that could go into a book for parents focusing on hands-on Montessori style activities centered around Christmas themes. The book starts with information drawn from my research about why this solution is beneficial for families, as well as tips on how to create a positive learning environment within the home. Following the information section, each activity features a material list, description, and biblical lesson.
To produce a completely original book for publication, all written content, photography, and layout design was done within the duration of the spring semester. Using the general photography shoot that I began with, illustrations were made using a fine point pen in Procreate for iPad. These doodles are used throughout the book and will continue as a branding asset for Little Disciples.
Layouts and covers were researched on Pinterest and at local bookstores. After visiting the self-help, and religious sections, it was clear that the solution I was envisioning didn't fit into a classic category like these. I settled on the idea of it being more of a guidebook in terms of style choses and layout.
First step after visual research was sketching possible layout solutions and cover designs.
InDesign was used to create the layouts.
Parent's Guidebook
One possible solution is a parent's guidebook titled Little Disciples: Learning Materials for Little Minds & Busy Parents, rounded out as a 68-page hardcover with 12 included activities. This first edition is centered around Christmas objects that are seen in both the secular and religious settings during the holiday season. Pages are carefully laid out to give parents and caregivers a clear description and time expectation before leading their children in a small Bible lesson associated with the corresponding activity. With only 12 activities, parents get to choose their own schedules when incorporating this new tradition into their Christmas celebration. The freedom to choose when and how the activities are experienced takes even more pressure off parents so that they can focus on creating foundational relationships with their little ones while they are just starting to form their worldview.
Each layout is carefully designed to be clean and modern with younger parents in mind. The colors are chosen from the themed photography that was used through the book, focusing on reds and greens with a couple neutrals. Headings and body copy are simple and legible to make sure that parents are able to focus on spending time with their children rather than trying to decipher a decorative font. Photography was taken at angles to spotlight the activities and materials while keeping the privacy of my models.
