KANSAS CITY, Mo—Midwestern Seminary celebrated the June 9 release of three new installments in the Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers children’s book series by Joe M. Allen III.
Allen, who serves as assistant professor of missions in the Gary Taylor Endowed Chair of Missions and Evangelism at Midwestern Seminary, wrote and illustrated the new books, which teach the doctrines of Christ, the Church, and heaven to children four to eight years old.
Midwestern Seminary President Jason Allen said, “I’m thankful for Joe Allen and this collection of books, Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers. Over the past two decades God has used these booklets to influence countless children for Christ. I heartily recommend this resource believing God will use it for many decades to come.”
Joe Allen served in Asia with the International Mission Board for 14 years before coming to Midwestern Seminary to train future pastors and missionaries. He shared his hopes for his new books to equip parents and children’s ministry leaders in making disciples. “My prayer is that these books lead kids to believe, know, and love God’s truth so completely that false teaching appears ugly and repulsive to them,” he said.
With a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design, Allen began writing and illustrating Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers two decades ago in a seminary theology class.
He shared, “My professor assigned a creative project. We could write a song, paint a picture, or create an art piece about the doctrine of the Trinity. I decided to write and illustrate a children’s book. My professor was so complimentary, and he encouraged me to publish it.”
Allen went on to say, “Another professor helped me connect with my publisher, New Leaf Press. I pitched a whole series of theology books for children, and the Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers series was born.”
The first four volumes, The Gospel, The Mission, The Scripture, and The Trinity, were released with New Leaf Press in 2005. Each of the seven volumes is narrated by a young character who explains the doctrine at hand through accessible language that young children can understand. Each page features relevant Bible references and illustrations that show the character interacting with the topic.
More than 275,000 copies of the books have been sold in the 20 years since the series released. In that time, many readers have noted the stories’ impact in their spiritual lives.
Allen shared, “I’ve taken great joy in hearing from Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College students who read my books as children. I’ve loved the testimonies and emails from parents who say that these books helped them lead their children to the Lord! What a joy to see the Lord use these books for His glory.”
The 20th anniversary of Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers presented Allen an occasion to expand the series. Reflecting on the reason for the three new titles, Jesus, The Church, and Heaven, Allen said, “I selected topics that I considered of utmost importance.”
Each of the new books includes a note from Allen to parents and teachers, encouraging them in communicating the book’s doctrinal truths to the children in their care.
Highlighting the importance of teaching theology and doctrine to young children, Allen said, “Children often grasp far more than we realize, so we must expose them to foundational truths about God from an early age. I hear parents say, ‘I don’t know if my child really understands the gospel yet.’ I often point out that long ago, Christians adopted the motto fides quaerens intellectum, which means ‘faith seeking understanding.’ Faith comes first and paves the way for understanding! We do not need to wait until children have a mature cognitive ability to begin teaching them doctrine. In fact, the Lord Jesus held up the faith of a child for adults to emulate. If we teach them the truth, we can be confident that the Lord will use our efforts at the proper time.”
Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers has been endorsed by theologians, pastors, and seminary leaders nationwide. Fred Sanders, professor of theology at Biola University, said of the series, “They reach all the way up to actual, real theology, and all the way down to straightforward ways of talking, manageable chunks of text, and bright, energetic illustrations.”
Speaking of one of the new books, Sanders added, “This volume, on Jesus, keeps the same high standards and humble format. You’ll notice it’s not just the story of Jesus, but the actual theology of Jesus, from creation to eschatology. It’s an ambitious Jesus book for children, and it succeeds wonderfully.”
Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers: Jesus, The Church, and Heaven are now available from New Leaf Press and wherever books are sold.
By Michaela Classen
