Who would have thought that turning kids’ radio dramas into short devotional stories would result in a daily devotional read by thousands of families and heard by millions more? That’s what we did 40 years ago when Keys for Kids Ministries (formerly Children’s Bible Hour) launched the Keys for Kids devotional that eventually became the new name of this ministry.
The Keys for Kids devotional started in 1982 with a print run of five thousand copies. It wasn’t enough. Ten thousand more copies were needed to keep up with the demand. In the fall of that year, a radio broadcast version of the devotional was also released on Christian radio stations around the world, hosted by Uncle Charlie (VanderMeer). Uncle Charlie hosted the program until December 2015. Phil Ayres took over for him and continues to host the program today as “Zach.”
Keys for Kids uses contemporary fictional stories to teach biblical truths, pointing families to the Bible as they read each day’s devotion. It’s a devotional that’s relevant today just as much as it was in 1982. Christine writes, “Three generations and counting of our family using Keys for Kids!” Gina said, “We appreciate that the devotionals are presented in a way that glorifies God and honors Him, that Jesus’s redemptive work on the cross is included and the Holy Spirit is discussed and recognized. God is taken seriously.”
Other publishers have also used our material. Tyndale House Publishers has produced a series of one-year devotional books for kids using Keys for Kids stories. Other publishers have done the same for Spanish speakers.
Over the last five years, we’ve seen steady growth. Keys for Kids is now available on a phone app, and thousands use it every day. We’ve created YouVersion plans that have had thousands of completions. We have special edition devotionals for fall and Christmas. We’re also expanding the number of translations. You can read Keys for Kids every day in Spanish at llavesdelcielo.org. It’s also being translated into Nepali, Russian, and Ukrainian.
Sign up to get your free devotional book at keysforkids.org.