Our Biblical Approach

Scripture first. Storytelling in its proper place.

At Gospel Growers, the Bible is not simply inspiration for what we create.

It is the foundation.

Our aim is to help children engage with Scripture, understand what it says, and grow in their knowledge of God’s Word.

That means we take seriously the difference between:

• what the Bible actually tells us,
• what may reasonably be understood from its historical setting,
• and what has been added for the purpose of storytelling.

We believe children deserve to know the difference.

Why this matters

Many Bible stories have been told and retold for generations.

Over time, details can become attached to those stories that are so familiar we assume they must be found in Scripture — even when they are not.

Sometimes these additions are harmless.

Sometimes they can subtly change the way we understand the biblical account.

At Gospel Growers, we want to encourage children to develop a simple but important habit:

Go back to the Bible and see what it actually says.

Our resources are designed to support that habit, not replace it.

Faithful Bible retellings

Some Gospel Growers books and resources are direct retellings of biblical events.

When creating these, we aim to stay as close as possible to the information Scripture gives us.

That means we try not to present traditional assumptions, invented details or popular interpretations as though they were part of the biblical record.

Where Scripture is silent, we want to be careful not to speak with more certainty than the text itself allows.

The goal is not to make the Bible less interesting.

Quite the opposite.

We believe the biblical record is already rich, dramatic, challenging and powerful in its own right.

Scripture-grounded historical fiction

Some Gospel Growers books use a different form of storytelling.

They are Scripture-grounded historical fiction.

In these stories, imagined characters, conversations or viewpoints may be used to help young readers experience the world surrounding real biblical events.

For example, an invented character may witness events recorded in Scripture, allowing the reader to encounter those events from a different perspective.

When we use this approach, the distinction is important.

The biblical events come from Scripture. The imagined elements serve the story.

We do not want creative storytelling to blur the line between what God has revealed and what an author has imagined.

Instead, imagination should help illuminate the setting while continually pointing the reader back to the biblical record.

Eliab’s Journey: From Egypt to the Promised Land is one example of this approach, using an imagined character to experience events surrounding the biblical record while keeping Scripture as the foundation of the story.

Scripture remains the authority

Gospel Growers resources are not intended to replace Bible reading.

A children's book, song or activity can explain, illustrate and help someone remember.

But it should always remain secondary to Scripture itself.

Our hope is that a child who reads one of our books or listens to one of our songs becomes more interested in opening the Bible.

We want children to ask questions such as:

Where is this found in Scripture?

What does the passage actually say?

Why did this happen?

What does this teach us about God?

What can we learn from the people involved?

Those questions are often where real learning begins.

We distinguish between text and tradition

There are many ideas associated with familiar Bible stories that come from tradition, artwork, films, children's books or popular retellings rather than directly from Scripture.

Where relevant, Gospel Growers aims to distinguish between these things.

That does not mean every traditional interpretation is necessarily wrong.

It simply means we believe it is valuable to know the difference between:

“The Bible says…”

and

“People often imagine…”

That distinction encourages careful Bible reading and helps children learn not merely to repeat what they have heard, but to examine the biblical record for themselves.

Historical context

The Bible describes real people living in real places and circumstances.

Understanding some of that historical and cultural background can help biblical events make more sense to young readers.

Where historical context is used in Gospel Growers resources, our aim is for it to support the biblical account rather than overshadow it.

Historical background can help us understand the world of the story.

Scripture tells us what the story means.

Creating Bible-based music

We apply the same principles to our music.

Some Gospel Growers songs are closely based on particular passages of Scripture.

Others explore biblical themes, people or events in language designed to help children understand and remember them.

Where a song is connected with a specific Bible passage, we want children and parents to be able to find that passage and explore it for themselves.

Music is a powerful memory tool.

Our hope is that a song learned today may help a child remember a biblical truth many years from now.

Questions guide our creative process

When developing a Gospel Growers book, song or resource, we continually come back to questions like these:

• What does the Bible actually say?
• What does it not say?
• Are we presenting an assumption as though it were a fact?
• If we are using imagination, is it clear that it is imagination?
• Does this help the child understand the biblical account more clearly?
• Will this encourage them to return to Scripture for themselves?

Those questions shape the way we work.

Helping children become careful readers of Scripture

Ultimately, our ambition is bigger than producing enjoyable Christian books and songs.

We want to help children develop a lifelong relationship with the Bible.

We want them to become readers who notice details.

Readers who ask questions.

Readers who compare what they hear with what Scripture actually says.

Readers who are comfortable saying, “I don't know — let's look.”

And readers who grow in their understanding of God through His Word.

A doorway, not a replacement

Every Gospel Growers resource is created with one principle in mind:

It should be a doorway into the Bible, never a replacement for it.

If one of our books makes a child want to read the biblical account for themselves, that is success.

If a song helps them remember a passage of Scripture, that is success.

If a family conversation begins with, “Is that actually in the Bible?”, that is success.

Because the ultimate goal is not simply for children to know our stories.

It is for them to know God’s story.

Explore Gospel Growers

Discover our Bible-based books, music and resources created to help children engage with Scripture and grow in their understanding of God’s Word.

You can also learn more about Jamie Barker and the story behind Gospel Growers on our About page.