New DVDs and Giveaways!

UPDATE: Thursday, 3/4 at 7:40 p.m. WINNERS!

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10, 6
Timestamp: 2010-03-05 01:31:40 UTC
Congrats to Susan D and bp! Email me your addresses, ladies, and I'll send a voucher your way!

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I was blessed to grow up in a home and church that emphasized learning the Bible. I figured that was normal for everyone! Yet while folks can spout off sports statistics, secular song lyrics, and a plethora of other trivia, Bible knowledge has been sadly neglected by today's generations.

Biblical illiteracy is an increasing trend in today’s society. Consider these statistics:

• 92% of Americans own a Bible, but 64% said they did not read the Bible because they are too busy.
  
• 80% of Americans said the Bible is too confusing and hard to understand.
  
• A 2000 study showed that 60% of evangelical Christians believed Jesus was born in Jerusalem rather than Bethlehem.
  
• Only half of American adults can name even one of the four Gospels.
  
• In a report on America’s religious illiteracy, USA Today reported that 50% of high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were married.

It’s no wonder half of Christian kids raised in the church are walking away from their faith after high school. We’re not doing a good job passing our faith on to our kids because no one passed it on to us very well.

A new video series is being released this month which will take kids from Genesis to Revelation, teaching them exactly what’s in the Bible, how it’s organized, who wrote it, and what it’s all about - in a fun combination of animation, puppets, real-life characters, and music.



From the man who made vegetables talk (and sing, dance, and tell Bible stories), comes an engaging new series that walks kids through the entire Bible. What’s In the Bible? springs from Phil Vischer’s passion to reverse the trend of biblical illiteracy in the church. Unlike previous efforts to retell Bible stories, this 13-part DVD series explains the Bible—from Genesis to Revelation—in a format that is humorous and entertaining for children and adults alike.

In the Beginning and Let My People Go, the first two volumes of What’s In the Bible?, will release in March 2010 from Jellyfish Labs and Tyndale Kids. In the Beginning introduces Buck Denver and his friends as they share how the first 11 chapters of Genesis set up the rest of the Bible—and all of life. Kids will learn the simple, yet challenging lesson that things go well when we listen to God, and go very badly when we don’t. In Let My People Go, Buck Denver and friends introduce kids to Abraham and how God used him to start a great nation called Israel. Through the stories of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses, children will learn that they can always count on God and trust his promises. The entertaining cast of characters explains what’s in the Bible, how it’s organized, who wrote it, and what it’s all about. Vischer does it all in an engaging format, using a mix of animation, puppets, live action, and music.

Each DVD includes two 25 to 30-minute episodes that each answer a different question about the Bible, such as:

• Where did the Bible come from?
  
• How did we get it?
  
• Who wrote it?
  
• How do we know we can trust it?
  
• How do all the different books come together to tell one key story?

What’s In the Bible? continues the work Phil Vischer started 10 years ago with VeggieTales. While that series taught kids important values and Bible stories, What’s In the Bible? provides an overview of all the books of the Bible, what they mean, and how they affect our lives. Parents and children’s ministry leaders will appreciate how What’s In the Bible? lays the foundation for deeper biblical understanding in children, ages four to 84.

MY THOUGHTS:
These videos provide a fresh new resource for teaching the Bible. I expected just to view more depictions of well-known Bible stories. What a wonderful surprise to discover that these videos go far beyond stories, explaining how the Bible is arranged, the meaning of the word "testament", how it was written and by whom, and more. Catchy songs and quirky characters (my favorite is Chuck Wagon!) make this a delightful series.



You can find out more about this series at the What's in the Bible? website.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
In 1990, 24-year-old computer animator Phil Vischer sat down to create a group of characters that could teach Christian values to kids in a delightfully weird way. Hence, a tomato named Bob and a cucumber named Larry were born. VeggieTales would go on to revolutionize Christian filmmaking, selling more than 50 million videos and placing Phil's faith-filled stories in one in every three American households with young children. Phil is highly respected by key leaders across the Christian landscape, from Joel Osteen to James Dobson. His company, Jellyfish Labs, provides faith-based daily programming via the Internet at jellytelly.com. The characters from the What's in the Bible? series are featured, but the content is not specifically from the DVDs. Phil continues to pursue innovative ways to integrate faith and storytelling through Jellyfish Labs. He chose the name Jellyfish as a reminder to remain pliable to God's plans and not his own. Phil lives with his wife, Lisa, and their three kids in Illinois.


GIVEAWAY!
Tyndale has given me the opportunity to give two of these DVDs to my readers! Two winners will receive a "Free Product Award Certificate" for either In the Beginning or Let My People Go which can be redeemed at their local Christian stores or, if they live outside the USA, sent directly to Tyndale. (Did you notice this giveaway isn't limited to US Residents?!) To enter, leave a comment on this post by 6:00 pm CST Thursday (3/4) and I will draw two names. Be sure to include an email address if you don't have a blog.)

Tyndale has also provided five coloring pages for kids - if you would like me to email those to you, just indicate in your comment and I will send them to you.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the preview DVD free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their Blogger 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 Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”