Words Kids Need to Hear: To Help Them Be Who God Made Them to Be

Words matter. Words can build up, or words can tear down. As parents and church leaders, do we use our words well? Words Kids Need to Hear offers compelling, yet simple ways to build up the hearts of children through meaningful and well-chosen words. What children hear from adults they trust makes a significant impact―now and for years to come.Words Kids Need to Hear offers an easy-to-follow learning path. Each of the seven chapters focuses on a single statement kids need to hear from parents, children’s workers, and other close adults. These seven statements are simple to share, yet guaranteed to make a profound impact on a child’s life. They are:• I Believe in You• You Can Count on Me• I Treasure You• I’m Sorry, Please Forgive Me• Because• No• I Love YouEach chapter seeks to educate first, equip, and then motivate to action. Words Kids Need to Hear helps parents and children’s workers use words to build up the hearts of elementary-age children, resulting in closer parent-child relationships that pave a path toward a relationship with God.

David Staal serves as the president of Kids Hope USA, a national non-profit organization that partners local churches with elementary schools to provide mentors for at-risk students. Prior to this assignment, David led Promiseland, the children’s ministry at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois. Other leadership roles he held at Willow Creek include director of communications and director of children's ministry for the Willow Creek Association. David authored Word Kids Need to Hear (2008), Leading Your Child to Jesus and Leading Kids to Jesus (2006), and Making Your Children’s Ministry the Best Hour of Every Kid’s Week (2004, co-authored with Sue Miller). David also serves as the senior editor of Today’s Children’s Ministry, an electronic publication and web site from Christianity Today International. He lives in Grand Haven, MI, with his wife Becky, son Scott, and daughter Erin.