Church Dog Ministries
Mission
Church Dog Ministries (CDM) is a federal 501c3 with a mission to introduce children to Jesus through building a franchise of faith-based books, media and associated resources. Our ministry simultaneously encourages and equips children to improve their reading and comprehension skills by using faith-based books from the Church Dog book series and affiliated resources. These resources in development include Sunday School materials, Pre-school lessons, parent discussion guides, Vacation Bible School programs, teaching guides, flashcards, games, videos and other educational resources. Readers encounter basic sight words, as well as age-appropriate vocabulary words while increasing Bible knowledge with faith-based stories.
Parents teachers or student-mentors can use any parts of the resource materials along with the books to help a child learn to read. The program can be used in a one-on-one setting or a larger, classroom, library or event setting.
Vision
Church Dog Ministries has a vision to, equip, encourage, and empower children with the message of Jesus Christ so they can impact their world- becoming readers today and leaders tomorrow. Our program aims to:
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Increase access to books for vulnerable children and inspire their imaginations.
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To inspire children to build a relationship with Jesus Christ
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Promote universal values that produce positive behavior, increased self-confidence and grow leadership skills
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Encourage children to learn more about Bible characters and Bible stories.
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Train and engage parents, youth leaders and community members to read with younger children.
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Expand the amount of time children spend reading or being read to.
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Inspire children’s and parents’ appreciation and love of reading
The Books
Church Dog is a puppy sent from Heaven to teach children about God’s unconditional love. He has supernatural eyes that allow him to see people through the eyes of Jesus, not the way the world sees or judges them. Church Dog’s special mission is to show children that they have an identity and purpose as a precious child of the King of Kings. Each story uses biblical foundations to teach moral lessons about real life issues that children face. The books are perfect for igniting conversations around subjects like bullying, grief, prejudice, forgiveness, fear and fighting temptation. Equally important is stressing the power of being kind, compassionate, inclusive, giving,
standing up for one another and having self-esteem. Our stories bring Jesus into every issue a child faces.
The discussion guides
Each book in the Church Dog Adventure Series comes with a free, downloadable Family Discussion Guide. These are designed to help parents delve a little bit further into the Bible and talk about important issues with their children with fun and relatable activities. These activities include: three takeaways from the book, key bible verses, a fun activity based on the story and a message from Pastor William. We plan to further our biblical educational mission to include Sunday School lessons, Vacation Bible School Packages and other materials that can be used enhance children’s ministries at churches around the world.
Why is Reading so Important?
Students who can’t read proficiently by third grade become highly susceptible to larger setbacks as they grow older. Without the basic skill of reading, they are more likely to struggle throughout their school years, drop out of school, and become enmeshed in the criminal justice system. — Tutormate.org
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2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare. 85 percent of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate.
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More than 60 percent of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate.
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Illiteracy and crime are closely related. The Department of Justice states, “The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure.” Over 70 percent of inmates in America’s prisons cannot read above a fourth-grade level.
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**Statistics reported by www.begintoread.com
Plush Toys
We understand that stuffed animals are often the first friends a child has. This special relationship has a significant impact on a child’s development, helping with socialization, feeling safe and comforted, and fostering creativity and imagination. What a wonderful opportunity to introduce Jesus into this early development process. Church Dog plushies are a fantastic way for children to realize that Jesus is always with us. Holding tight to these adorable characters are a source of comfort when children need courage, need to pray, or talk with Jesus about anything. It lets children know they have a best friend named Jesus that loves and cares about them.
life Sized Church Dog Character
Having our headquarters in the town that Disney built we have all seen firsthand what can happen when a beloved story character pops off the page or screen and shows up in person to deliver a message. You have the kids’ FULL attention. So, our team invested in the creation of a life-sized Church Dog we can take to hospitals, schools, libraries, and special events. We have seen him draw attention wherever he goes and engage kids in a way that no one else can. Audiences young and old have fun with Church Dog and we see this as an excellent opportunity to spread joy and bring the word of God wherever we take him. He has even opened the door to get our message into public schools. While they love the big, fluffy white dog, he brings the message of Jesus with him. God uses all things to overcome barriers and advance His Kingdom.
church dog around the world
This year we were proud to launch our “Church Dog Around the World” program in partnership with our missionaries in Kenya. We delivered more than 1,000 books translated into Swahili for the Utange Orphans. This program increases access to books for vulnerable children and inspires their imaginations with the love of Jesus Christ. It also becomes an educational tool for children to learn about other cultures, languages, and customs. We are all God’s children. Our goal is to translate the books into other languages for children around the world and to be sure the books are available to vulnerable youth. This includes orphans, refugees, homeless and displaced families to let them know they are precious children of God and have a special purpose in life regardless of their circumstances.
the need
God has shown us that we have created a unique franchise of products to encourage families to replace some “secular” books, toys, and songs with some high quality “Jesus-centered” Church Dog ones. The possibilities are endless, and our prayer is that this mission goes on long after we are all gone and continues to introduce children to Jesus Christ for generations to come. Children need to know the truth of Jesus’ promises over their lives and identity, to experience a personal relationship with Him and to be equipped to follow Him throughout their lives. We believe with your help we can achieve this mission and take the Church Dog ministry to an entirely new level. We invite you to part of this purposeful, life changing journey.
Programs in Development for 2024 & 2025
Church Dog Ministries has many exciting programs in development for 2024 and 2025. Please keep following us on our website and social medial.
partners
Community Presbyterian Church in Celebration
Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida
Embrace of Celebration
Osceola County Schools
American Library Association
Get involved
We are excited you are interested in learning more about our Church Dog Ministries Program! Childhood is the time when critical foundational development occurs — or doesn’t. We encourages some of the most vulnerable children around the world to read, while they develop a more positive attitude toward reading and education, grow in their faith, and build strong relationships with their peers and families. As a parent, educator or ministry leader, this is one of the very best investments you can make in your kids.
