Ages 4-14 · Book 6, Faith · 4,299 places

Mennonite Churches

Mennonite Churches looking for children's material that carries a value without carrying a doctrinal position. Ellis Abel is a character series — faith as the choice to keep going — so the story does the human work and your church does its own teaching.

Built on Ellis Abel and the Disciple — “Difference isn't weakness. It's a gift.” The story carries the value; your church supplies the doctrine.

The five sessions

Session 1
Open with the story, not the lesson — the lesson lands after
Session 2
Small groups: what does moving forward scared look like at school
Session 3
Leaders model it first, with a real time they were the different one
Session 4
Each child writes the one step they will take before next week
Session 5
Follow up by name the following week and ask what happened

Questions leaders ask

Does mennonite churches in your area teach a particular denomination?

No. Ellis Abel is a character series built on named values — belonging, courage, accountability, self-mastery, empathy and faith. Book six treats faith as the choice to move forward while it is still hard. The story carries the value; your church supplies the doctrine. That is why the same material is used across traditions.

What ages does this work for?

Ages 4-14. The story is read aloud, so a child who cannot read yet is still fully in it, and the discussion questions are written in two bands so one leader can hold a mixed-age room.

Will this conflict with what we already teach in your area?

It is not written to. The material stays on character and on faith as perseverance, and stops where doctrine begins, so it runs alongside your own catechism, confirmation material or curriculum rather than competing with it.

Can we use it alongside the curriculum we already have?

Yes, and most churches do. It is most often used as the story spine for a term, with your existing teaching material doing the rest.

The rules that make it work

The story carries the value, the church supplies the doctrine

Ellis Abel is a character series. It teaches faith as perseverance and stops where doctrine begins, so a parish, a Baptist club and a co-op can all run it beside their own teaching.

Difference isn't weakness

The line on the cover of book six is the operating policy, not a slogan. A child whose participation looks different is participating.

Faith is a decision, not a mood

Children are told to feel confident and cannot make themselves. They can decide to take one more step, and that is teachable, repeatable and honest.

Volunteers are the constraint

Every session is written for an adult who was handed it the night before. Questions written out, timing in the margin, and a note for when nobody answers.