Fun activities that teach children and their families about the holy season of Lent. Includes family Lenten devotionals. Suitable for any Christian denomination that follows the liturgical calendar. These fun-filled activities for home, pew, or church school, help children ages 4-7 learn about the seasons of Lent and Easter. This book includes mazes, crossword puzzles, connect the dots, and more. 41 pages of activities and a 4-page parent guide designed to promote parenting in the pews.

Sticky Faith delivers positive and practical ideas to nurture within your kids a living, loving faith that lasts a lifetime. Research indicates that almost half of high school seniors drift from their faith after graduation. Struck by this staggering statistic, and recognizing its ramifications, the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) conducted the "College Transition Project" in an effort to identify the relationships and best practices that can set young people on a trajectory of lifelong faith and service. This easy-to-read guide presents both a compelling rationale and a powerful strategy to show parents how to actively encourage their children’s spiritual growth so that it will stick with them into adulthood and empower them to develop a living, lasting faith. Written by Fuller Youth Institute Executive Director Dr. Kara E. Powell and youth expert Chap Clark--authors known for the integrity of their research and the intensity of their passion for young people--Sticky Faith is geared to spark a movement that empowers adults to develop robust and long-term faith in kids of all ages. Further engage your family and church with the Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith curriculum, and Sticky Faith youth worker edition. Sticky Faith is also available in Spanish, Cómo criar jóvenes de fe sólida.

Can you imagine a God who dances with shouts of joy, laughs when you laugh, loves to play, and invites us to join the fun? In this book Christine Sine invites us to pay attention to childlike characteristics that have the power to reshape us, with fresh spiritual practices that engage all our senses and help us embrace the wonder and joy that God intends for us.

While the Advent season is filled with fun and expectations, Lent can be hard for children. It's travels through frightening places, loaded with themes of self-denial and death. How can children approach this season in a way that is meaningful and not frightening? Make Room presents Lent as a special time for creating a welcoming space for God. Other books offer excellent ideas for going through the Lenten season with children, but Make Room uniquely connects its projects to the story of Jesus. Simple and practical activities such as baking bread, having a neighbor over for dinner, uncluttering your room, and watching less TV become acts of justice and kindness, part of a life of following and imitating Christ, and a way to make room for God in our lives and in the world around us. Other books tell the Passion narrative for young readers; this unique book integrates themes of hospitality and self-giving that echo Jesus' ministry, Jesus' entire life. Make Room invites children to wonder about the story, to encounter Lent with all their senses, and to experience activities in Lent as part of a life of discipleship.

Written for 7–11 year olds, this playful guide appeals to kids who want to know more about what adults are telling them is a serious time. Without talking down to them, yet challenging them to learn and do more, the following topics are explored in detail: What Lent Is, What Lent Definitely Is Not, 40 Days of Survival Tactics, and A Few Prayers and Practices—Only for Kids. From What Lent Definitely Is Not: “People easily become confused on this subject. In fact, we’re glad you are reading this book, because we want to set you, at least, straight. You can then please set others straight. Lent is not about “giving up” silly things. It is not about making sad faces to show how difficult life has suddenly become for you. (Need we start explaining how most of the world would think that giving up candy bars or soda for 40 days sounds just plain silly? According to Bread for the World, 925 million people around the world go hungry each day. So please don’t talk about the terrible hardship you are undergoing by giving up M&M’s and Coca-Cola for a few weeks.)”

Like all of us, adolescents have a deep hunger for God. They have a need to make sense out of life and a desire to make the world a better place. They are people of endless hope, and have the capacity for deep sadness and profound joy. Their hungers, needs, hopes, and moments of sadness and joy mirror the experiences of biblical characters we meet during Lent and the Easter season. To meet the challenge of making Lent and the Easter season meaningful, parish and youth ministry efforts need to be intentional about bringing alive the Scriptures for each Sunday and special commemoration of the season. Ministry Ideas for Celebrating Lent and Easter with Teens, Families, and Parishes is a resource manual that provides activities for gathered sessions with youth in parish settings, as well as ideas for meaningful ways to observe the season with families and friends at home and in the community. At the core of the manual are gathered sessions with youth that are lectionary based, using themes from the Scriptures. Some sessions are specific to a particular Sunday in one liturgical cycle. Others are more thematically inclusive and may be used with all cycles. In addition to the gathered sessions, supplementary activities for the season include a guided meditation, a service project, and discussion activities that may be used in a variety of ways throughout the season. Also included are two chapters designed specifically for families. Each chapter contains several activities that will help families share faith stories and create memories. These activities can be sent home or adapted for use in a gathered environment.