How I Started Writing Christian Kids Books
Towards the end of 2018, I had come to a place of dissatisfaction. Looking back, I think I felt a pent of energy and a need to pivot to serve God in a new way. At the end of 2018, I had been working for Uber full-time in order to have a flexible schedule. I needed the flexible schedule because my first child, my son Noe (the main character in my first book that we will discuss in a minute), was born in June of that year, June 9th to be exact (06/09/18, as parents, you’ve got to drill that date into your head since you will be filling out forms with those numbers on your kids’ behalf for years to come). So I had been driving around playing audiobooks and podcasts in between rides for that whole time, and the year before that, I drove around and cleaned houses and daycares (in which I listened to audiobooks and podcasts full-time then). I’d also graduated Bible college at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in May of 2017. So I had read hundreds of books at that point, and over a hundred of them were theological in nature, not to mention the thousands of hours of sermons I had listened to over the years. I remember talking to one of my buddies, Garret, and telling him that I had been reading a ton and felt really full of knowledge. I wanted to find a way to give back. I‘d had a Christian Reformed Baptist blog that had been gaining steam up until my son's birth, but once he was born, I completely dropped it in order to be fully available to the misses to push through those terrible first six months.
By the end of 2018, I had made it through the first 6 months, and I no longer had a place to regularly share what I was learning (I am the guy who can talk your ear off about a million things, so I need a place to put my thoughts. Fun Fact: when I told my Christian friends I was going to start writing books, they all nodded and said that was a good fit for me since I loved deep diving into theology). So the question you should be asking is, why did he not just write adult theology books? The reason was that I was entrenched in kids’ books with my son. So the timing had me exposed to all kinds of different books, and I remember walking around the Christian kids’ section in Christian bookstores and not seeing much of a section on who God is. I saw books about being able to trust God and Him being good, but I did not see any books that could support that idea, why could we trust God, and why is He good? I also need to mention that I follow a guy named Voddie Baucham (arguably one of the most influential Christian men in my life). He was huge on Fathers as spiritual leaders and huge on family worship, in general. (If you are a lady, you are still called by God to teach your kids, so I do not want you to feel left out. You and your husband are a team.) Combine all these ideas together and throw them in a bowl, mix them around, and out comes the “About God for Kids” series. I remember telling my wife and best friend that I wanted to become an author. That is all it took, and I was off to the races. The imagination and doctrine that had been downloaded into my head over the years was now going to be untangled and applied to something that could help others. In a few days, I will reach out again and let you know the backstory behind that first book, Great Creator. P.S. If anything I said to you hit you in a profound way, you feel inspired, have recommendations, or just want to chat, feel free to email me back at aboutgodforkids@gmail.com. I want us to be in fellowship with one another; you are my brother/sister in Christ. I am seeking to share the things of God with your kids, and as parents, it is good for us to chat about it.
Tim Bankes II
Tim is a Christian author. His worldview that informs his writing is Calvinist, Baptist, and Libertarian. His main series is his Christian picture book series, "About God for Kids", where he discusses the attributes of God in a way kids can digest. He also wrote a Christian Romance novel, libertarian book for beginners, and Christian coloring books. He graduated with a Bachelor's in Biblical Studies from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
He has written a book on freedom called “Are You Free” (If you are into listening to books I have it in audio also, Are You Free Audiobook )and he has written multiple children’s books about God. Be Sure to check out the podcast version of the blog, Labor for Truth Podcast. And check out “The Truth About” Youtube Channel. You can find his works at his amazon author page, https://amazon.com/author/timbankes. He even has a free digital ebook on how God is the creator. Get your free copy today at, Greater Creator .Also If you are into Christian Fiction, he has made his first book in his Futuristic Christian Fiction series free, Her Dying Wish