Life2gether

Looking for more ideas to prepare your family for Easter?  Go here.

I like these videos of the Easter Story (taken from this website) that walk through the Book of Mark:

1. Jesus on the Cross (Mark 15:22-32)
2. The Death of Jesus (Mark 15:33-39)
3. Jesus is Alive (Mark 16:1-7)

And Watch the Jesus Storybook Bible video below w/your kids

I’m excited about Why Easter? a new resource that helps children understand and celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  Tedd Tripp, author of Shepherding a Child’s Heart, gives his endorsement:

Since most Evangelicals do not follow the church calendar, Easter often catches us unprepared.  Barbara Reaoch comes to our aid with a four-week series of devotions for parents and children that will increase our joy at Easter.  These devotionals are well-crafted, theologically sound, and doable.  They could be used year after year as a wonderful family tradition.

You can click here to download a sample of the first 3 lessons.

Advent is a time of expectation and preparation for the celebration of Christ’s birth.  I encourage you to set aside some time with your family to focus on Jesus in these weeks leading up to Christmas.  Here are some ideas:

Christ the King Presbyterian Church has developed two Advent devotionals you can download here and here.

Jared Kennedy posted some great ideas for families to celebrate the Advent season.

The Resurgence also has an excellent series of posts onLearning to Advent together.

Justin Taylor points to a new Advent Narrative Book that looks really good.

Tony Kummer highlights some Advent Lessons for Kids that teach through the nativity.

One thing we do in our home is sing Christmas songs together (I can still manage to play a few on the guitar!) and talk about the words to these songs.  I’ve found that some of them are rich in theology (i.e. Joy to the World). Whatever you do, make it simple and fun for your kids!

Here’s a good laugh as you go into the weekend. And here’s a good post on being intentional.

These two videos were shot last year … the first one when we visited Churchill Downs and got a peek at what it’s like sitting in the grandstand, and the second, a Kentucky tradition with the kiddos.

Churchill Downs! from Doug Wolter on Vimeo.

Untitled from Doug Wolter on Vimeo.

Over at ministry-to-children.com, you can check out a children’s bible lesson I wrote awhile back based on J.C. Ryle’s sermon for children called, No More Crying.  This sermon and other addresses to children can be found in the book, The Two Bears, (Grace and Truth Books, 2004).

The lesson is shaped around “3 places” which kids (and parents) will easily remember:

As people enter our doors this Easter Sunday, will they see us as real people worshiping a real Savior? Will they enter a community of grace? Tim Chester, in his excellent book, You Can Change, lists some great questions to discern if your church is a community of grace, and thus attractive to broken, needy sinners.

• Are people open about their sin or is there a culture of pretending?
• Is community life messy or sanitized?
• Are broken people attracted to your community?
• Is conflict out in the open or is it suppressed?
• Are forgiveness and reconciliation actively pursued?
• Do you constantly return to the cross in your conversation, prayers and praise?

I like these videos of the Easter Story (taken from this website) that walk through the Book of Mark:

1. Jesus on the Cross (Mark 15:22-32)
2. The Death of Jesus (Mark 15:33-39)
3. Jesus is Alive (Mark 16:1-7)