The Apostolic Age and Early Church Age (from c.30-325 AD) were each an exciting time in Church history.
The Apostolic Age
Following the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ, the Apostles carried the good news of the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, writing the New Testament as they preached the Word of God.
Though early Christians were persecuted and martyred, the Church grew and spread.
Early Church History
At the close of the Apostolic Age, the Apostles had actively discipled new believers, and the Early Church Fathers began to minister.
During the Early Church Age, false teachings grew and spread and the Church Fathers fought to maintain the truth of the Gospel, sometimes falling prey to heresy themselves. Persecution grew and spread throughout the Roman Empire, yet the Church continued to grow. With Constantine came the imperial age of the Church, when Christians were protected by the state.
Church History Research Project
Invite your older students to travel the Cobblestone Path™ of Church history. It is a path filled with individual lives, theological debates, and political intrigue.
Cobblestone Path™ Church History Research Journals are designed to help middle school and high school students develop a solid understanding of Christian history one “age” at a time.
They will also help young adults develop and strengthen skills in:
- pre-writing (notetaking and organization)
- handwriting
- reading comprehension
- research
While much of the research for the journals will be done using the internet, you’ll want to have a good Christian history overview text (or two) and you may wish to supply your students with some great biographies or literature pertaining to the time period.
Each journal covers a period of time (or “age”) in Church History. There’s no clear agreement on the divisions of Church ages, so I have divided these ages thematically and have tried to name them appropriately.
Cobblestone Path™ is designed to look at the major aspects of each age from a global view. Students will find people and movements that stood in opposition to the Christian Church, as well as those who claimed the name of Christ, yet espoused a different gospel.
This Church history research journal series is compiled from a Protestant viewpoint. There is not a complete list of the bishops and popes of Rome or of world leaders, however, at every point where the individual popes or world leaders are important to understanding Church history, they are included.
Apostolic Church and Early Church History Resources
While much of the research for Cobblestone Path™ may be done online, there are wonderful recommended and supplemental resources suggested for use with the journals.
This is a list of great resources for studying the Christian Church from the Ascension of Jesus until 325 AD.
This list is designed to coordinate with Cobblestone Path™ Church History Research Journal: The Apostolic and Church Ages, but can also be used on their own just to study the history of the Church.
Following is a list of recommended resources and suggested supplements. Because I know you may have younger children as well, I will also recommend some great books from The Apostolic and Early Church Ages as well. You can include them in your Church history studies with a few well-chosen read-alouds. No notebooking or research required!
Christian History Resources from Danika Cooley
When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther
The 5 Solas: Signs to Follow on the Narrow Path, A 7 Day Family Bible StudyBuy NowWho was Martin Luther? (Who What Why)What was the Gutenberg Bible? (Who What Why)Why did the Reformation Happen? (Who What Why)
Recommended Church History Overviews
For middle and high school students undertaking the study of Church history, I recommend choosing a good overview text (or two), and then allowing students to use the internet to do additional research. Following are several good choices. You’ll want to read reviews and make a decision based on your needs.
Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity
Church History in Plain Language: Fourth EditionThe Church in HistoryThe Story of Christianity, Vol. 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the ReformationThe Story of Christianity, Vol. 2: The Reformation to the Present DayFoxe’s Book of Martyrs (Pure Gold Classics)
c.30-1350 AD ~ The Early Church for Middle School
Peril and Peace: Chronicles of the Ancient Church (History Lives series)Monks and Mystics: Chronicles of the Medieval Church (History Lives series)Hostage Lands (Heroes & History)Hand of Vengeance (Heroes & History Book 2)The Accidental Voyage: Discovering Hymns of the Early Centuries (Mr. Pipes Books)Morning Star of the ReformationAugustine: The Truth Seeker (Trailblazers)John Chrysostom: The Preacher in the Emperor’s Court (Trail Blazers)Patrick of Ireland: The Boy Who Forgave (Trail Blazers)John Chrysostom (Bitesize Biographies Book 3)
c.30-1350 AD ~ The Early Church for High School
The Rise of Western Christendom: Triumph and Diversity, A.D. 200-1000Josephus: The Essential WorksEusebius: The Church HistoryAugustine of Hippo: A BiographyJohn Chrysostom (Bitesize Biographies Book 3)Basil of Caesarea: His Life and Impact (Biography)Patrick of Ireland: His Life and Impact (Early Church Fathers)
c.30-1350 AD ~ The Early Church for Preschool to Second Grade
Polycarp of Smyrna (Heroes of the Faith)Irenaeus of Lyons (Heroes of the Faith)Ignatius of Antioch (Heroes of the Faith)Bible History ABCs: God’s Story from A to ZBoys Just Like Me: Bible Men who Trusted God (Daily Readings)Girls Just Like You: Bible Women who Trusted God (Daily Readings)Follow Jesus With Peter: His Letter in 25 Readings
c.30-1350 AD ~ The Early Church for Third to Fifth Grade
Peril and Peace: Chronicles of the Ancient Church (History Lives series)Monks and Mystics: Chronicles of the Medieval Church (History Lives series)The Accidental Voyage: Discovering Hymns of the Early Centuries (Mr. Pipes Books)Augustine of Hippo (Christian Biographies for Young Readers)Anselm of Canterbury (Christian Biographies for Young Readers)Irenaeus (Christian Biographies for Young Readers)Athanasius (Christian Biographies for Young Readers)Who Was Joan of Arc?
How to Notebook (and What is Notebooking?)
Notebooking Resources for Your Kids!
Bible Road Trip™ Year One Notebooking JournalsBuy HereBible Road Trip™ Year Two Notebooking JournalsBuy HereBible Road Trip™ Year Three Notebooking JournalsBuy HereMy Timeline NotebookBuy HereMy Book LogBuy HereMy Field Trip and Travel JournalBuy HereMy Sermon NotebookBuy HereCobblestone Path™ Church History Research JournalsBuy Here
Teach Your Kids the Bible with Bible Road Trip™
Bible Road Trip™ is a three-year Bible survey curriculum. Take your family through the Bible five times from preschool to high school.
To help you get the most out of your studies, Bible Road Trip™ has an array of coordinating weekly activities:
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- Researching the section of the Bible you’re studying
- Reading and discussing the Bible
- Memorizing Scripture
- Notebooking about your studies
- Praying for the nations
- Suggestions for further study
- Crafting about what you’ve learned
- For your older students: A project to share what they’ve learned
- Bible Road Trip™ also has some great tools you can use along with it, such as:
- Notebooking Journals for grades 1-9. Want a structured notebooking journal for high school? Don’t hesitate to use the Dialectic journal (grades 7-9).
- Bible Memory Card Sets for all five levels of study, preschool to high school. These are available in both ESV and KJV.
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Grab your Bible Road Trip™ Year One Sample Pack. You’ll get:
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- The Bible Road Trip™ Parent / Teacher Guide.
- The first three weeks of the curriculum for all five learning levels. Week Three is where we really dive into the Bible and begin to our systematic study. Week Three will give you a good feel for the rest of the curriculum.
- The first three weeks of the Bible Memory Card sets for all five levels, in ESV and KJV.
- The first three weeks of each of the three leveled Notebooking Journals.
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Grab the Sample Pack for FREE:
Disciple your kids by taking your family through the Bible together in a meaningful way!
Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible
You want your kids to learn and love the Bible.
You want to teach the Bible…
As parents, we deeply desire the best for our kids. We look for the right schools, we make them eat right and exercise, and we get them involved in extracurricular activities. We take our job as parents seriously.
But are we also putting our time and energy into
teaching them the Bible? Giving them the life-changing, soul-nourishing words of Scripture is not only doable, it’s an essential part of parenting kids for Jesus. And the good news is, studying God’s Word as a family doesn’t have to be difficult!
2 Timothy 2:15, ESV, says:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,
a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Our job, as parents who love Jesus, is to help our kids become approved workers, unashamed and rightly handling the word of truth.
The good news? Teaching the Bible isn’t hard. Your family can learn the Bible together.
…and you can!
A Crash Course in Teaching the Bible to Your Kids
Danika Cooley’s book, Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible, will give you the tools and confidence to study the Bible as a family. It will help you identify and overcome your objections and fears, give you a crash course in what the Bible is all about and how to teach it, and provide the guidance you need to set up a family Bible study habit.
You will finish this book feeling encouraged and empowered to initiate and strengthen your child’s relationship with the Lord through His Word.
Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible will equip you with everything you need to know to teach the Bible to your kids!
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