As parents, we often know what we are looking for but do not know where to start, or which resources are good. Below are a variety of resources and their location to help cut back on search time. Please note that not all books have a Christian emphasis, but rather can be used as tools to help our children in biblical principals, or to navigate our ever changing world.
Need a resource you do not see listed, please email Kristen and let her know. Have a great resource you would like to share? Let Kristen know and she can add it to the list.
Abuse
Sexual Abuse: Details on what sexual abuse is, how to recognize it and how to help those who are walking through the healing process.
Apologetics:
Curiously Kaitlyn Podcast: theologian Kaitlyn Schiess interviews a bible scholar about a theological question posed by a child. Sometimes it’s silly questions, sometimes serious, but what they all common questions kids ask like “How do we know the bible is true?” and “How is God everywhere and why can’t we see him?”
How to Help Kids Discern a True Gospel From A False Gospel: Helpful guidelines to teach our children when it comes to recognizing false teachings.
Mama Bear Apologetics: This mom-to-mom guide will equip you to teach your kids how to form their own biblical beliefs about what is true and what is false. Through transparent life stories and clear, practical applications―including prayer strategies―this band of Mama Bears offers you tools to train yourself, so you can turn around and train your kids.
Mama Bear Apologetics WebsiteTalking To Your Kids About God:In a friendly, parent-to-parent voice, Natasha Crain identifies 30 specific conversations about God that parents must have with their children, organizing them under the categories of the existence of God, the science of God, the nature of God, believing in God and the difference God makes.
Talking To You Kids About Jesus: In a friendly, parent-to-parent voice, Natasha Crain will walk you through essential topics on Jesus’s identity, teachings, death, and resurrection. Each chapter clearly explains what skeptics are saying and provides a concise, easy-to-understand response you can discuss with your child (one that can be tailored for any age).
Aggression:
The Unofficial Guide to Theraputic Parenting for Childhood Aggression and Violence: The reasons why distressed children may behave violently can be complex; this book sets out the biological, psychological, and environmental reasons as to why your child may be displaying violent behaviours and helps you develop strategies to reduce the incidence of violence, de-escalate violent situations and repair relationships following incidents.
Baptism
Bibles:
With all the different types and styles out there, choosing a bible can be difficult. To help ease some of that frustration, there is a large collection of bibles to try out available in the Church Library.
Types of Bibles: a general overview of the different translations, to help choose a version the works best for you!
Douglas Talks: Bible Translations: A kid friendly way of understanding Bible translations. Comes with some family questions for follow up.
Biblical literacy:
Biblehub: commentaries, bibles and word studies all in one place!
Blue Letter Bible: Similar the studylight.org and Biblehub, a tool to help deepen your understanding of scripture.
Books of the Bible Reading Caterpillar: As your child reads through a book of the bible, they track the chapters by colouring in different circles on the caterpillar.
Day-To-Day Bible (at the link, or in the office): Read your way through the bible with this kid friendly, daily reading bible.
studylight.org: take your bible study to the next level! dig into commentaries and word studies to help further your understanding.
The Bible Recap for Kids: here is a kid-friendly edition of The Bible Recap, based on the same reading plan as the original book and podcast. This book will walk you through the entire Bible with simple, one-page recaps that explain each day’s passage, plus relatable God Shots that point out what Scripture says about God’s character. There are also plenty of fun and helpful illustrations, as well as weekly summaries to reinforce key truths.
Bible Study:
For adults:
The Bible Project: Take your bible studies deeper with these quick easy videos, studies, and overviews.
The Overview Bible: deeper learning to expand your study time.
Bible Gateway: access many translations, compare them all in one location!
For Kids:
Discover 4 yourself series:19 devotional books that get your kids not only reading about a passage but actually digging in. This series works through an inductive bible study method that helps them learn to decipher what each passage is talking about.
Kids of Integrity: Kids of Integrity is a set of free lesson plans that will help you coach your kids with confidence and a clear sense of direction. Suitable for ages three to 10, Kids of Integrity is designed to be flexible. It’s up to you which lesson to start with, and how many ideas from each lesson you’d like to use.
Blessings:
The Blessing (small group study and book available at office or Library):Children of every age (including adults) long for the gift of “the blessing” — the unconditional love and approval that come from a healthy relationship with their parents.
Death: See Grief
Devotionals:
Indescribable: (Has 2 options available 1 for littles, and one for grade school) Easy, quick devotional with amazing facts, and hands on activities (depending on the book).
YOUVERSION: while the this bible app is great for reading the bible, it now contains a short devotion for your kids to listen to. Watch it while eating breakfast, hanging out at a sports event, or in some down time. It’s short, its applicable and its for kids.
KidZ at Home, spiritual practices: devotional style. Great for all ages and stages.
Kingdom Family Devotional: The family virtues–based devotional provides 52 separate topics, one for each week of the year, and five devotionals within each topic that will guide devotional times Monday through Friday. Topics range from the basics of the faith―such as salvation, spiritual warfare, prayer, forgiveness, and discipleship―to essentials of living as followers of Christ: money, prayer, family, friends, and priorities.
The Kingdom of God Bible Storybook set: Read a bible story and then dig into the word with questions. Appropriate for multiple ages.
The Bible Recap For Kids Devotional: Designed for children ages 6 and up, this interactive devotional is their personal tour guide, pointing out key verses and important, fascinating things to learn about God–from Genesis through Revelation. Along the way, your child will also enjoy word puzzles, coloring pages, and other fun activities that reinforce essential truths and facts.
Discipleship:
Creating Alter Moments: The importance of creating alter moments to remind us of God’s presence and work in our lives.
Family Discipleship 101: This small group study teaches the HOW to realistically start talking about faith at home in a way that builds their relationships with each other and with God.
Habits of the Household (book): Discover simple habits and easy-to-implement daily rhythms that will help you find meaning beyond the chaos of family life as you create a home where kids and parents alike practice how to love God and each other. Visit their website to find additional resources.
Parenting for Faith: This website if designed to equip and encourage parents in their journey of discipline and building into their child(ren)’s faith journey.
Resilient: Child Discipleship by Valarie Bell. “Resilient Child Discipleship focuses on three key areas, essential for shaping long-term faith: Belonging – Highly relational ministry led by a loving and caring adult Believing – Deeply Scriptural ministry rooted in the truth of God’s Word and the power of the gospel Becoming – Truly experiential ministry, designed to move kids from simulation to real-world application of faith-based living”
Talk about: Costs 5.99 USD/month. Conversation starts and topics to help deepen your child’s relationship and understanding of God.
Entertainment Reviews:
Grandparents with Purpose:
Discipling Your Grandchildren: With an assortment of actionable ideas–from pragmatic tips on how to better connect with your grandchildren to fun, age-appropriate activities
Grandma Prays for you by Jean Fischer: In this cherished story, a darling grandma bear shares special moments with her grandbabies, wrapping them in love and covering them in prayer throughout ordinary days and treasured milestones. As you read this with the little ones in your life, you’ll show them that you’re praying for them and always will.
Grand Monday Nights: A webcast hosted by The Legacy Coalition. Topics covered are relevant to Grandparent in our current situation with Practical ideas and information on how to be a more intentional Christian Grandparent.
Grand Parenting: Grandparenting gives you a biblical foundation for investing spiritually in your grandkids, walking you through the principles of influencing them for Christ–from sharing with unbelieving grandkids to discipling them into a mature faith.
Power of a Praying Grandparent: Stormie Omartian offers powerful suggestions to help you do just that as you: pray for your grandchildren to be healthy, protected, smart, kind, wise, godly, and obedient so that they do not stray into enemy territory, pray for yourself to be a powerful praying Grandma or Grandpa who understands what your grandchildren are facing in this world today and how you can best cover them spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically, pray for your grandchildren’s parents to be led and enabled by God so they can be the wisest, most patient, and loving parents for their children
Grief:
Flying High: Understanding Grief with God’s Help by Michelle Medlock Adams: Experiencing loss––in the varied ways it comes to us––affects everyone differently. As adults, we have ways to verbalize how we are feeling. Many children, however, lack the vocabulary and the understanding to name the emotions they experience when they go through grief. They just know they are hurting inside. With hope-filled language featured in the layered-text format, our desire is that each reader will discover it’s okay to have the feelings he or she is having and that, each new day holds healing, hope, and promise.
Goodbye to Goodbyes Storybook: A True Story of Jesus, Lazarus and The Empty Tomb By Lauren Chandler: The author, used the story of Lazarus to help her own children in the wake of her husband’s brain tumor. Whether children are coming to terms with the illness or death of a loved one, or simply fearful of when that day might come, this book reassures them with the amazing truth that Jesus came to give his friends life after death.
Someday Heaven by Larry Libby: Someday Heaven provides biblically based answers on a topic that’s not always easy to explain to a young child. The warm, illuminating art of Wayne McLoughlin helps to convey each touching story of the future God promises to his children. Help your child discover the answers to the wonders of God’s mysterious and glorious home with Someday Heaven.
Something Sad Happened by Darby A. Strickland: Sunny is a little bluebird who loves to sing happy songs until the death of Wren. Sunny’s heart hurts because she misses her friend, and she doesn’t feel like singing anymore. But Sunny’s Mama and forest friends gather around her, teaching her how to share her sadness with God and others. Sunny learns to remember what she can count on about God’s love and care and all the love she shared with Wren.
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst: Parents, educators, therapists, and social workers alike have declared The Invisible String the perfect tool for coping with all kinds of separation anxiety, loss, and grief. It’s also been joyfully embraced as a year-round celebration of love–gifted at births, graduations, weddings, Valentine’s Day, and beyond. In this relatable and reassuring contemporary classic, a mother tells her two children that they’re all connected by an invisible string. “That’s impossible!” the children insist, but still they want to know more: “What kind of string?” The answer is the simple truth that binds us all: An Invisible String made of love. Even though you can’t see it with your eyes, you can feel it deep in your heart, and know that you are always connected to the ones you love. Does everybody have an Invisible String? How far does it reach? Does it ever go away? This heartwarming picture book for all ages explores questions about the intangible yet unbreakable connections between us, and opens up deeper conversations about love.
The Moon is Always Round by Jonathan Gibson: In this beautiful, full-color illustrated book, the author allows readers to eavesdrop on the conversations he had with his young son in response to his sister’s death. Father and son share a simple liturgy together that reminds them that, just as the moon is always round despite its different phases, so also the goodness of God is always present throughout the different phases of life. A section in the back of the book offers further biblical help for parents and caregivers in explaining God’s goodness to children.
Heaven:
Heaven for Kids by Randy Alcorn: Intended for kids ages 8–12. It addresses the difference between the present Heaven, where we go when we die, and the New Earth, where we will live forever with Jesus after he returns. Discusses common questions about Heaven, like: Can we be sure we’ll go to Heaven instead of hell? How can we know what Heaven is like if we’ve never seen it? Will we have real bodies in Heaven? Will we actually see God? What happens to us the second after we die?
Tell Me About Heaven by Randy Alcorn: Ten-year-old Jake struggles to understand his grandma’s death. But as he spends two weeks at his grandfather’s home, he is able to receive answers to his questions about Heaven.
Internet Safety:
Family Life Review of Various Filters
Needhelpnow.ca: Walks families through the steps of removing of inappropariate phtotos of themselves and helps with dealing with the aftermath.
Netsmartz: NCMEC’s (National Center For Missing And Exploited Children) online safety education program. It provides age-appropriate videos and activities to help teach children be safer online with the goal of helping children to become more aware of potential online risks and empowering them to help prevent victimization by making safer choices on- and offline.
Protectyoungeyes.com: Lots of information about protecting our children and teens online and with smartphones, including app recommendations. They also have a downloadable guide for how to talk to your school/school board for advocating for the removal of phones from schools.
Sextortion: an organized attack against youth that manipulates them to give financial or image based payment to stop the sharing of inappropriate photos.
Thorn For Parents: “Be your kids safety net” Includes guides for having online conversations, to talk about those tough topics regarding sharing photos, internet safety among other things.
Mental Health:
Missions:
Parenting:
Axis.org: Tons of resources to help parents and teachers anazlyze current cultural trends and how these are impacting youth. Sign up for the culture transalator weekly email that explains a few of the current trends and provides discussion questions for you to discuss with your child/teen/student.
Grace Based Parenting Series: Grace Based Parenting is not another manual full of impossible standards; rather it is a new map for learning to see ourselves and our children through God’s limitless tenderness – to raise our kids the way God raises us.
It’s Just a Phase, so don’t miss it (available at office): From birth to graduation, our children are constantly changing and growing. This book, breaks down the stages and looks at the wholistic child (spiritual, physical, emotional), and helps you as parents navigate each stage.
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles that can radically change your family: In the midst of folding laundry, coordinating carpool schedules, and breaking up fights, many parents get lost. Feeling pressure to do everything “right” and raise up “good” children, it’s easy to lose sight of our ultimate purpose as parents in the quest for practical tips and guaranteed formulas.
Raising Critical Thinkers: A guide for parents to help children of all ages process the onslaught of unfiltered information in the digital age. Julie Bogart offers practical tools to help children at every stage of development to grow in their ability to explore the world around them, examine how their loyalties and biases affect their beliefs, and generate fresh insight rather than simply recycling what they’ve been taught.
Talk Now and Later by Brian Dollar: Don’t wait until something big happens to talk to your kids― start now!In Talk Now and Later, presents 10 common topics your child deals with― or will soon― and detailed advice on how to approach and discuss the issues with them. Learn to have these conversations early, have them often, and have them wisely so that when the difficult topics come up, the lines of communication will already be open.Provides conversation starters on the following issues:- Death and tragedy- Sex- Self-image- Making wise choices- Divorce- Friendships- Money- Bullying- Restoring broken relationships- SexGet ready to talk to your children about the big issues in life― now and later.
Podcasts:
Curiously Kaitlyn Podcast: theologian Kaitlyn Schiess interviews a bible scholar about a theological question posed by a child. Sometimes it’s silly questions, sometimes serious, but what they all common questions kids ask like “How do we know the bible is true?” and “How is God everywhere and why can’t we see him?”
Risen Motherhood: exists to encourage, equip, and challenge moms to apply the gospel to their everyday lives.
The Big Life Kids Podcast: a growth mindset podcast that shares stories of kids who overcame adversary, teaching children to dream big and set goals.
The Holy Post: Join VeggieTales and What’s in the Bible? creator Phil Vischer and co-host Skye Jethani (author, speaker, pastor) for a fast-paced and often funny conversation about pop culture, media, theology, and the fun, fun, fun of living a thoughtful Christian life in an increasingly post-Christian culture.
Theology in the Raw: Episode 1151: Same-Sex Attraction, Female Sexuality and Parenting LGTBQ Kids with Ellen Radcliff.
Theology in the Raw: Episode 1143: When to talk to your kids about sex? With Dr. Julia Sadusky
Pornography:
Covenant Eyes: For those seeking to break the chains of addiction to pornography in their own lives, the life of their spouse or child.
Good pictures, bad pictures (available in the library, or at the office). For more information, check out the links for preschool/early elementary or grade school students.
Needhelpnow.ca: Removal of inappropariate phtotos and help with dealign with the aftermath
Sextortion: an organized attack against youth that manipulates them to give financial or image based payment to stop the sharing of inappropriate photos.
Prayer:
Breath Prayers: Quick simple prayers, you say with the rhythm of your breath. Great for moments of stress and anxiety.
Imaginative Prayer: When we lead our children through guided times of imaginative prayer, they can experience a connection with God that transcends mere Bible knowledge or doctrinal content. This unique resource provides six units of weekly guided imaginative prayer, themed around core topics: God’s love, loving others, forgiveness, God as king, the good news of God, and the mission of God. Each unit has six sessions, providing a yearlong experience of spiritual formation for children ages five to thirteen
Journey to the heart: Centering prayer is a way to help children (and adults) quiet their souls before God. By creating a secret word between them and God to help them focus, children (and adults) and invited to spend 6 minutes just listening and enjoying the presence of God. This book contains a clear step by step process to help children quiet their minds, and souls to listen to God.
Lament: Teaching Children How To Lament: By Exploring the deep. This blog post includes a template of helping our children to practice lament.
Lament: Teaching our Children to Lament: A blog post by Megan Hill.
The Examen Book: Examen Prayer invites children to reflect on their day. In doing so are directed to look for the things they are thankful for, and emotions that they felt. They then bring these to God inviting him to help them see him through the emotions and events. This book is wonderful starting point.
Why Lament Matters according to science: This research-based slide deck explains the science behind lament and how it can strengthen faith, ease emotional burdens, and build resilience in the face of suffering.
Sabbath
The Rest of God By Mark Buchanan: Many of us have endless demands and stifling daily routines. Learn why Sabbath is essential to our full humanity and faith, a rhythm of work and rest set by God that if restored to our lives will bring prolonged life, enriched relationships, increased fruitfulness, and abundant joy.
Safety
Scripture Memorization:
Music is an excellent way to commit scripture to memory without even knowing it. Check out these 3 great artists to help bring scripture through song into your home:
Sex and Sexuality:
7 lessons to introduce your child to Biblical Sexuality: The Talk is a series of 7 studies, all anchored in the Scriptures, that helps parents to talk meaningfully with children about sexuality. The Talk was written for parents to read with children ages 6 to 10 years old. The study supplies elementary-age children with foundational truths about sexuality at a level they can understand.
Authentic Intimacy: It can be overwhelming as parents to navigate sexual discipleship of our children. This linc contains tools, and podcasts by experts to help you navigate these conversations. The website itself contains resources for adults who are try to navigate God and his design for sex.
Beautiful Union by Joshua Ryan Butler: This book offers a new way to view sex; one that is both true and beautiful. It gives us a provocative, positive look into the deepest Christian understanding of sex . . . and what sex reveals about God, our world, and even ourselves. Through biblical teaching and livable, joyful answers to our tough questions about sexuality, showing how sex illuminates the structure of creation, the nature of salvation, the abundance of God’s kingdom, and God’s heartbeat for the world.
Intoxicated on life Resources and videos to help lead discussions and teach out children about biblical sexuality, puberty and relationships from a biblical perspective.
How to Talk to Your Kids About Gender Identity: In this biblical, practical guide, he offers parents wisdom and answers to their biggest questions about gender, equipping you to: critically engage gender theory from a Christian view, initiate honest, informative dialogues with your kids, model biblical conviction with civility and compassion, recognize early signs of gender dysphoria, navigate relationships with those who identify differentlyGender identity is a defining issue in our children’s generation. This practical guide is your go-to resource for reliable, kingdom responses on these critical topics.
How to Talk to You Kids About Sex (Vimeo video)
She deserves Better: Data-driven insights about how to raise a woman who is resilient, knows her strength, and has the discernment skills needed to make good choices. By reframing (and sometimes replacing) common evangelical messages to teen girls, this book will equip you to raise a girl who can navigate the difficult waters of growing up while still clinging tight to the God who created her on purpose, for a purpose.
Theology in the Raw: Episode 1151: Same-Sex Attraction, Female Sexuality and Parenting LGTBQ Kids with Ellen Radcliff.
Theology in the Raw: Episode 1143: When to talk to your kids about sex? With Dr. Julia Sadusky
Spiritual Formation:
Becoming A Spiritually Healthy Family(one copy in office): unpack the 6 common dysfunctional parenting styles that we fall into out of habit, and how to get back on track with this grace-filled guide on focusing on God as 1st in charge.
KidZ at Home, spiritual practices: devotional style. Great for all ages and stages.
Spiritual Disciplines for Children by Vernie Schorr Love. This book provides the tools caregivers and those who work with children need personally—and the tools they need practically—to guide children in Christian spiritual formation using twelve spiritual disciplines.
Teens:
Trauma:
Something Bad Happened By Darby Strickland: The author is a Counselor and trauma expert who uses the story of Miles to help parents and caregivers share the comfort of taking their fears to the good Shepherd by applying Psalm 23 to difficult experiences. Through a special section at the end of the book, Strickland helps parents recognize the feelings and behaviours children might have in response to their trauma and guides them in how to help children talk about what scared them.
War and other violence:
5 ways to support your kids during scary times It can be hard to know where to start, check out this article to give a basis on how to start talking about the scary things going on in the world today.
How to talk to your Kids about War: This article breaks down the tough conversation of war into age appropriate levels.
The Unofficial Guide to Theraputic Parenting for Childhood Aggression and Violence: The reasons why distressed children may behave violently can be complex; this book sets out the biological, psychological, and environmental reasons as to why your child may be displaying violent behaviours and helps you develop strategies to reduce the incidence of violence, de-escalate violent situations and repair relationships following incidents.
What To Say To Kids When The News Is Scary: A non-christian article that looks at helping our kids walk through all the scary news out there.
Worship:
Teaching Kids Authentic Worship (one copy available in office)While designed for churches, this book not only teaches about authentic worship, but contains 52 practical ways to draw your child(ren) into worship.