The community of believers who are putting their time and resources, into declaring the truth about God’s creation through the biblical account ranges far and wide, but not always interconnected. I had the pleasure to ask Christian author Rachel Jerry who is a pastor’s wife, and home-schooling mom of four about her latest Flat Earth children’s book ‘Let There Be’.

Her passion for writing is fuelled by her desire to help Christian families dig deep into the truth of God’s word to lay strong foundations of faith and walk in freedom in Christ. She hopes to inspire and encourage her readers through her books.

What inspired you to write a children’s book, and is it a one-off?

I had been interested in writing and self-publishing Christian children’s books for years before writing Let There Be! I have a background in early childhood education and I love the creative process of bringing ideas to life.

One day I was reviewing some Biblical cosmology resources with my children, but it was a little bit above their level of comprehension. I thought about how there should be more books for younger children that take God’s word at face value when it comes to His creation and the world. Then I felt that the Lord put it on my heart to write one myself.

I hope to write more children’s books. I do currently have one other family Bible study book published called Ready Answer.

How does your faith a Christian inspire you towards publishing this book?

My faith as a Christian inspires all that I do, but especially things like this that are stepping out of my comfort zone and into faith and trust in the Lord. I believe He directed me to write it, so my job was to simply obey and place it in His hands.

How did you come up with the idea for your story, why was it important to tell?

I’m a strong believer in establishing foundations of faith in our children, so I figured starting right at the beginning with the creation story in Genesis would be a great start to that foundation.

As a Christian parent that also believes in Biblical cosmology, it is frustrating that a majority of the children’s books about Genesis 1 depict globes, ever-expanding galaxies, and planets. I wanted to provide a resource for families like mine to use, that depicts creation the way it is described in the word, not by the philosophies of man.

So I took the creation account from Genesis chapter 1 and Genesis chapter 2 verses 1-3 and simplified the language several times until it was at a level that a child as young as 2 or 3 could understand. My objective was to stay as true to scripture as possible, while also making it memorable and comprehensible for little children.

What was the most challenging part of writing your first flat earth children’s book?

The most challenging part of me was battling the fear of man and worrying about what people may think about me for writing a book the depicts a geocentric model of the world. It can be hard to go against the narrative and also to be contradictory to people you love. But ultimately, the choice had to be— obey.

How did you decide on the themes or messages you wanted to convey to preschool-aged readers?

The main messages I wanted to convey in the book were:

• God created all things
• What happened on each day of creation, -God made a firmament with waters above and beneath
• God placed the sun, moons, and stars in the firmament
• People are special, made in God’s image

 

Receiving the first copy of the book and holding in my hands was my favourite part of the process.

 

What was your favourite part of the creative process—writing the story, working with the illustrator, or seeing the final product?

Receiving the first copy of the book and holding in my hands was my favourite part of the process. Holding a tangible version of what was once just an idea in my mind was very special.

What I wanted young readers to take away from the book is a love for God’s creation, a desire to dig into God’s word, and the inspiration to question the world’s narratives.

You amazingly published this book on the same day as your fourth child, could you share a bit about that?

My book was at the final stage of completion when I went into labour a little early with my fourth baby. The proof copy came in the mail that same day as well. So I made one slight change and then I hit the publish button just hours before our child was born.

How did you choose the illustrations for your book?

I had a general idea of how I wanted the illustrations for the book to look. I took great care with how the story of creation was presented through the visual art, I handed my ideas off to my wonderful illustrator Sarah Lewis and she brought them to life so beautifully.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of writing their first flat earth children’s book?

First of all to seek the Lord because His direction and leading is the most important.

I’ve been hoping to see more resources like this for children and families created, so I hope that my book can be an inspiration for that. If a regular stay at home mum like me can publish one, so can you!

How did you feel when you saw your book finished and in the hands of young readers?

It has been so exciting and humbling to see the book being enjoyed by children, families, and ministries throughout the world. Glory to God!

Do you have any stories or behind-the-scenes moments from the creation of the book that you’d like to share?

Very shortly after I felt that I was to write the book, some good friends of ours prayed over me and said that they believed I would write books and curriculum for children. It was such a wonderful confirmation and I’m so thankful for their encouragement.

You can purchase Let There Be! directly from Amazon.

It was great to catch-up with Rachel about her children’s creation book. It takes time, focus effort and energy to remain obedient to God’s call on our lives. What a great joy it is to serve Him with our gifts and talents. What is God saying to you about, using your gifts to tell of His truth about His creation?