God forgets no one!
Missionary Beth Guckenberger shares
Tales of the Not Forgotten to introduce children to missions
We often forget how
fortunate we are, the many blessings in our lives, and the extent of human
suffering around the globe. How can we teach our children to grow up with
hearts for others and to be mission-minded? With the help of missionary and
author Beth Guckenberger, parents and Sunday school teachers can introduce children
to the wonderful things that God is accomplishing around the world through
Tales of the Not Forgotten (Standard Publishing/May 1,
2012, ISBN 978-0-7847-3528-2).
Written
for ages 8 and up, Tales
of the Not Forgotten shares a collection of four real-life stories
of children from impoverished circumstances and paints a picture of God’s
dynamic movement in their lives. The first in the Storyweaver series,
Guckenberger inspires readers to trust that God is weaving a story in the lives
of each us, writing endings they would never imagine. She takes young readers
on a journey to faraway lands, introducing them to faces the world often
doesn’t see, but are not forgotten by God.
Guckenberger
and her husband are founders of Back2Back Ministries, an international
Christian non-profit organization dedicated to being a voice for orphans and
existing to love and care for orphans and impoverished children. One of the
stories is especially close to Guckenberger and her family–-the story of Joel
who lives in an orphanage near Monterrey, Mexico where they have lived and
served as missionaries for 15 years. Each of the four stories focuses on a
child from one of the countries in which Back2Back ministries has a campus
(Mexico, Nigeria, India and Haiti).
Sharing stories of hope from those she has met is not
new to Guckenberger, but her two previous books have been written to an adult
audience. As a mother, she felt called to turn her attention to a younger
audience with this release. “I see my own kids
asking questions about the issues they are aware of around the world,” says
Guckenberger. “As a missionary, I serve alongside so many families that travel
here on a short-term trip. Those experiences provoke good discussions they take
back home with them. I wanted a book that would spark those kinds of
conversations of substance at the dinner table and in the minivan, but without
having to travel. I also wanted a book that addressed what God was doing
instead of what man wasn’t as to not sound guilt-driven.”
Tales of the Not Forgotten shrinks the
big picture down to approachable, individual stories of real children and
teaches about fundamental survival
issues. The stories address some of the challenging questions that kids have
and weave God's promises to orphans into each one. Preteens will be challenged
to answer the questions: How do I pray? What can I give? Where can I go? Who
will I serve?
Also available is the Tales of
the Not Forgotten Leader’s Guide (ISBN: 978-0-7847-3527-5), a 6-session
kids' missions resource that walks adults through an easy-to-follow guide and
action plan to help others. The guide is designed for parents to use at home or
for Christian schools, VBS settings and Sunday Schools and is filled with fun
activities, compelling stories, biblical teaching, and practical applications. The activities can be customized for 15, 30
or 60 minutes, depending on the setting.
For more information
about Beth and Back2Back Ministries, visit www.bethguckenberger.com or www.back2backministries.org.
Beth Guckenberger and her husband,
Todd, are the founders of Back2Back Ministries (based in Cincinnati, OH) which communicates a lifestyle of service by
sharing the love of Christ and serving God through service to others.
Back2Back Ministries connects willing workers to open hearts through
international and local ministry opportunities. Their ministry is
currently caring and providing for orphan children and needy people in Mexico,
Nigeria, India and most recently, Haiti.
Beth travels and speaks regularly at
women’s and missions conferences, as well as youth gatherings and church
services. Her topics include orphan care, missions, parenting, marriage/intimacy,
and faith. Her story-telling style captures audiences, and she draws from
her field experience as a missionary and parent for illustrations to biblical
concepts.
In addition to her
latest release, Tales of the Not
Forgotten (Standard Publishing 2012), Beth has written Relentless Hope (Standard,
2011) and Reckless Faith (Zondervan,
2008).
The Guckenberger family lives and
serves in Monterrey, Mexico where they have hosted thousands of guests on their
ministry campus. Between biological, foster, and adopted additions to their
family, Beth and Todd are raising nine children.
Beth Guckenberger is available for
interviews to promote the release of Tales of the Not Forgotten. To
request a review copy, schedule an interview or for more information, please
contact Audra Jennings, audra@litfusegroup.com.
Comments