Church Uses Listen Curriculum to Connect Families and Testaments

When COVID-19 brought a season of change to Parkhill Church in Billings, Montana, pastor Jon Warneke knew they needed a tangible example of the constancy of God.

“Bible Engagement Project’s Listin curriculum was that tangible example,” he says. “It brought us God’s Word — something that doesn’t change, no matter what’s happening around us.

“The Listen curriculum is a tool that can promote intergenerational relationships. Our plan for implementing Listen at Parkhill was intergenerational sharing on Wednesday evenings: While the kids were learning the Bible verse (a Faith Verse is highlighted for each four-week lesson) and hearing the Bible lesson, the parents and grandparents would share life experiences with them that related to the verses, and everyone could grow together.”

But two weeks into Parkhill’s plan, the community was hit with COVID, and the church could no longer meet in person.

The Parkhill pastoral team then encouraged families with young children to participate in a “Dinner Challenge” in their homes based on Listen’s Family Devotions. That section of the app includes the Faith Fact, Faith Verse, and engaging questions for each session. They wanted to help families learn to use the app so they could continue to engage in God’s Word together.

Warneke says that he’s thankful for AGTrust helping to fund Bible Engagement Project’s digital Bible study resources, adding: “One of the things my pastoral staff and I love about the Listen curriculum is that it presents the storyline of God’s Word.”

Since Parkhill has begun meeting in person again, the adults and youth have been studying the Listen curriculum on Wednesday nights.

“Kids from age 12 all the way up to seniors in high school have said, ‘This is actually pretty cool and pretty fun!’” Warneke says. “[Others] have said, ‘I don’t know how the Old Testament fits with the New, but this curriculum is helping me make connections between them.’ This has probably been one of the biggest benefits of the curriculum for our church.”

With 40 weeks of intriguing, inspiring sessions, Bible Engagement Project’s digital Listen curriculum walks a church through the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, at every age level.