Deeper Roots Bible Curriculum for Middle School

I have recommended and used several different devotionals for short term missions from Deeper Root Publications in the past and knew that they had great products. I have been interested in their homeschool Bible Curriculum for quite a while, but was hesitant to purchase since I didn't know if it would be a good fit for our style of homeschooling. So when presented with the opportunity to review their Middle School Bible Curriculum, I was very excited to receive this and try it out!

First I would like to give you a little information about Deeper Roots Publications. Howard and Bonnie Lisech have spent time on the foreign mission field, as well as much time training and working with short term missions teams. Deeper Roots Publications grew out of their heart to provide material to help those preparing for the mission field, but even more importantly, deal with the issues of returning to their own culture. Having just returned to the U.S. after almost 6 years in Mexico, I can certainly relate to the need they are addressing. Having also homeschooled several of their children, they saw the need for a good, Biblically-based Bible curriculum.

After having the opportunity to use and review "Discovering Who I Am In Christ" which is for 7th - 9th grades, I am very impressed with the quality of this curriculum. And I very much appreciate the missions-mindedness that is incorporated in all of their products. This curriculum is laid out for ease of use for both the teacher and the student. The Middle School curriculum consists of four different volumes/studies in the Discovery Series. They are Discovering Our Amazing God, Discovering Who I Am In Christ, Discovering Christlike Habits, and Discovering a Christlike Character. There is a Teacher's Guide ($28.95) for each, which provides all the instructions, ideas and information that you, as teacher, will need to use this curriculum. The Student Workbook ($19.95) provides the lesson, memory verses, questions with space to write their answers, as well as Reflections pages for the student to write their thoughts and notes. Each section contains information about unreached people groups and prayer focus. It has engaging artwork, maps, photos, etc. which make the pages fun to look at and interesting. If you have a student that is still not comfortable with alot of writing, you can answer the questions orally and work through this together. It is a great foundational Bible study that would benefit every family.

They also have Bible curriculum for younger children called "Firm Foundations: Creation to Christ Children's Edition" which follows a chronological study of the Bible. It includes maps, a timeline and posters to make it more appealling to children.

Their high school Bible curriculum, "Rooted and Grounded (A Guide for Spiritual Growth)", is a one-year senior high course that helps students move from Biblical knowledge to spiritual application of these truths and concepts. The Teacher's Guide is $39.50 and the Student Workbook is $23.95. There is also a Unit Tests and Answers booklet for $3.95.

And if you are planning now or in the future to take a short-term missions trip, please consider using their short-term missions devotionals. They have Pre-Field, On-Field and Reentry resources and devotionals. We have recommended them for our interns when they came and stayed with us and I believe this truly helped them to make the most of their time with us as well as "re-enter" their life in the U.S. with less stress and culture shock.

Deeper Roots Publications offers free samples of their curriculum, so please don't hesitate to try them out and see if their products would meet the need in your homeschool family. If you would like to have a missions emphasis in your home, these products will be a great help with this and provide many opportunities to discuss missions and unreached people groups as you and your children study together.