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Teaching Kids to Appreciate Diversity

APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Trillia Newbell believes that in order to celebrate God, we should celebrate His creation in all of its diverseness. She explains, “I wrote this book to help parents and children talk about diversity and that’s about so much more than race. We all want our kids to love and embrace people of different ethnicities, cultures, ages, abilities and disabilities. Especially within God’s family, the Church.” When Trillia was asked to teach a Sunday school class at her church, she came up with the idea to help kids understand the beauty of diversity. While researching the topic, she quickly realized that there were very few teaching tools.  So, Trillia set out to change that. God’s very good idea is to have lots of different people enjoying loving him and loving each other. This illustrated journey from the garden of Eden to God’s heavenly throne room shows how despite our sinfulness, everyone can be a part of God’s very good idea through the saving work of Christ. This book celebrates diversity and will help children see how people from all ethnic and social backgrounds are valuable to God and how Jesus came to rescue all kinds of people.

Now, she not only speaks and writes about diversity, she also lives in the middle of it. “When my son was young…, he started to notice that mommy and daddy look different. His dad is white and I am black.” Trillia believes that the importance of giving kids biblical teaching on why God created people differently can help the way that they relate to others for the rest of their lives.

GRACE TRANSFORMS
Trillia was formerly a liberal and considered herself a “holiday” Christian. Later, she became anti-church, and was ardently pro-choice. “I thought children were expendable; that children would get in the way of my dreams.” She admits that she wholeheartedly believed she was correct in her thinking. In addition, Trillia admits, “I thought Christians were a little dumb and unthinking.” As an ambitious woman, she excelled at anything she put her mind to and her mind was set on becoming a lobbyist or pro-bono lawyer. God had a different plan.

In the summer of 1998, while leading a private camp, Trillia waited for her assistant. Then, a bubbly, blonde haired, blue eyed girl walks in. She would change the trajectory of Trillia’s life. She was a Christian. In 2000, Trillia attended her assistant’s church and God began to soften her heart. The grace of God transformed her and she became a Christian. Later in life, Trillia miscarried twice and the realization of how precious an unborn life is really hit home. Now, Trillia has two healthy children and an amazing husband.

Mentioned in the Video

Guest Info

Credits

Trillia writes on issues of faith, family, and diversity

Author of numerous books

Her latest: God’s Very Good Idea (Part of Tales that Tell the Truth series by The Good Book Company, 2017)

Blogger

Speaker

Director of Community Outreach for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commissions for the Southern Baptist Convention

Newbell has a degree in political science from the University of Tennessee

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