African Heroes: Discovering Our Christian Heritage

Jerome Gay, Jr.

Oct 2023 · New Growth Press

About this ebook

Jordan and Jasmine's dad loves history and is always telling them stories about the past. One day when their family is out on a picnic, they start asking if there were any Christians who looked like them who God had used to help the church grow. They are excited when their dad shares inspiring true stories of early Christian leaders—both men and women—from Africa who helped to grow the early church in remarkable and significant ways.

Author Jerome Gay Jr. introduces children to the stories of eleven amazing African leaders including Augustine, Athanasius, Tertullian, and more. African Heroes presents these figures on a level children can understand with diverse imagery and colorful illustrations by John Joven.

• Written for children ages four to seven to show the African roots of the early church.
• Key principles and Bible verses are connected with each leader; for example, Augustine's life and work in Algeria is characterized by grace (Ephesians 2:8).
• Christian parents and church leaders will value sharing this resource with children to show that people of diverse cultures were part of the early church.

About the author

Jerome Gay Jr. is the founding and teaching pastor of Vision Church in Raleigh, NC. He has a vision to see gospel centered churches and leaders raised up within the urban context. He is the author of The Whitewashing of Christianity and Renewal: Grace and Redemption in the Story. Jerome and his wife, Crystal, have two children.

John Joven is an illustrator and painter who works from home, where he can share his passion for drawing and painting with his children while working on projects. As a six-year-old, John took his first painting, sculpture, and character design class. As an adult, he has had many opportunities to bring his artistic vision to diverse media, including magazines, newspaper articles, children's books, and animation projects around the globe. He enjoys spending free time with his family, playing soccer with friends, watching movies, reading, writing, and traveling. He lives in Colombia with his wife, Ana, and two children.