Tag: kidmin

Book Review and Author Interviews, Devotional, family devotions, Fun for kids, Giveaway, Kid Ministry, My Faith, Parent and Child Connection

Twas the Season of Advent–Giveaway for Glenys Nellist’s new release

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Hey everyone! I’m so excited to be hosting a give-away for Glenys Nellist’s latest release in the Twas series entitled, Twas the Season of Advent. It is a fabulous family devotional with accompanying artwork by Elena Selivanova.

Description: This is a product perfect for family devotions along with many other settings. There are 25 devotions, one for each day leading up to Christmas, with a blend of stories from the Old and New Testament. I love that Nellist has included the story of Isaiah, as I believe it is so important to remember the fact that God promised to send Jesus seven hundred years before he was born! What a miracle!

At the beginning of each page is a poem in the cadence of Clement C. Moore’s classic, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. There is also a highlighted scripture, and several paragraphs to read aloud together with your child. Each devotion concludes with a heart-felt prayer that also serves to summarize the main point of the day and personalize it for the reader.

For example: I love the story of the angel appearing to Mary. This is the content of the devotion for December 6th. The title is “My Answer is Yes.” The prayer reads:

“Dear God, thank you for Mary who was so brave and trusted you. When I need to be brave, help me remember that you are with me.“

Another page that is especially meaningful is the way Nellist concludes the book:

“I wonder how you are celebrating this holy night. I hope that wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, you might come to the manger, where God is waiting to meet you. No matter if your home is quiet or noisy this Christmas Eve–in the hustle or the hush; in the chaos or the calm; in the sound or in the silence, God is waiting to meet you there.

Dear God, as we gather around the manger, help us to listen as you whisper into our heart. Help each one of us truly know that this child–Jesus, Prince of Peace, Immanuel, the Word, was born for us. Thank you for this holy Christmas Eve.“

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There is so much rich and meaningful content packed into this book! I pray that God will powerfully use it in the hearts of all who read it. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, and he is also the Savior–the Messiah–the one who was born to save each of us from our sin. I am so thankful that Glenys Nellist has written this book, and that Zonderkidz has chosen to publish it. It speaks of the most important message.The message of Jesus Christ.

You will be glad you purchased this book and decided to use it with your family!!!

AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY DETAILS!

I am so happy to be giving away one copy of ‘Twas the Season of Advent!

This giveaway is sponsored by the publisher, Zonderkidz, and is open to entrants living in the USA with a physical street address (no PO boxes.) 

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Follow @mindybakerbooks and @glenysnellist on Instagram and leave a comment on any Instagram post this weekend about the give-away.

2. You can also tag a friend on any Instagram post this weekend for even more entries. One entry per tag.

3. Leave a comment on this blog post for an additional entry.

4. For 10 additional entries, follow this blog and/or subscribe to my mini-magazine. You will receive free bi-monthly content and also be notified of any new posts.

5. You must enter by 6pm EST on Sunday, November 14, 2021. I will draw the winner and post the result here and on Instagram Monday morning, November 15, 2021.

MORE INFORMATION:

Here is a link to purchase the book!

You can find out more about Glenys at her website. She has loads of other wonderful titles!

I absolutely love how Zonderkidz produces free resources to accompany their books. There is a free Parent/Teacher Guide for Twas the Season of Advent that has daily questions and follow-up activities. You can download them at the Zonderkidz website. Check it out!

This blog post is part of a BLOG HOP. The next scheduled post will be December 15th on the Instagram of @DeeperKidmin (Brittany Nelson)

Book Review and Author Interviews, Kid Ministry, My Faith, Parent and Child Connection

An Easter Lesson Using Twas the Morning of Easter, by Glenys Nellist

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Hi everyone! I have been counting down the days until I could reveal this post! Glenys Nellist has agreed to stop by my blog today, and she has graciously done a guest post for me. She wrote a lovely #Kidmin Easter lesson, and I have the privilege of showcasing it here on my blog! I know you will love it, and hopefully it will be a practical tool for your family or Children’s Ministry group!

Twas the morning
Cover of ‘Twas the Morning of Easter

In addition, I am hosting a give-away of the book ‘Twas the Morning of Easter. Zonderkidz is the sponsor who graciously providing one copy of the book. The give-away is open to folks living in the USA with  a physical street address (no PO boxes.) 

Here are the details:

How to enter:

1. Subscribe to this blog and leave a comment on this post.

2. Follow @mindybakerbooks and @glenysnellist on Instagram and leave a comment on any Instagram post this week about the give-away.

Or DO BOTH FOR TWO ENTRIES!

You can also tag a friend on any Instagram post this week for even more entries.

You must comment on the blog post or Instagram entries by 6pm EST on Thursday, March 18, 2021. I will draw the winner and post the result here and on Instagram Friday morning, March 19, 2021.

Here is a short synopsis of the book:

A follow-up to the popular ‘Twas the Evening of Christmas from beloved author Glenys Nellist. ‘Twas the Morning of Easter tells the story of the resurrection of Jesus in a fresh way, with a familiar rhythm and rhyme that children will love, following the pattern of Clement Moore’s iconic “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

Here is a link to purchase the book:

You can find out more about Glenys at her website.

LAUNCH PARTY INVITE!!!

AND, she is having a Book Launch Party on March 19th. This Friday! The same day that I announce the winner of the GIVE-AWAY! Find out more about the launch party here. You won’t want to miss it, they are great fun!

Thank you, Glenys and Zonderkidz! It’s going to be a fantastic week!

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Hello, everyone! It is lovely to join you, Mindy. Thank you for having me. I am happy to provide this lesson for all of your readers. I want to personally invite all of you to my launch party, and I can’t wait to see who the winner is of the give-away.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

  1. Begin by looking closely at the cover of the book. Ask questions such as: Who do you think these women are? What are they holding? Where do you think they might be? How are they feeling? What might they be saying to each other?
  • Tell the children that before you read the book, you’re going to take a picture walk. Say: The illustrations you’ll see at the beginning are dark but notice what happens when Jesus appears. Now look at the pictures together and ask the children if they know who the characters are on each page. Make sure they notice that wherever there is Jesus, there is light.
  • Now read the book, showing the pictures as you read.
  • After reading, ask some ‘wondering questions’ such as:
  • I wonder why the illustrations were lighter when Jesus appeared…
  • I wonder how Mary felt when Jesus called her name…
  • I wonder what Mary is looking at here… (On the page that shows Jesus’ hand up close.)
  • I wonder why the illustrator chose to include doves on this page… (On the page beginning with ‘Then the trees seemed to dance.’)
  • I wonder what your favorite part of this story is…
  • I wonder what the most important part of this story is…
  • Pray together: Thank you, God, for that wonderful morning in Jerusalem when your son came alive. Thank you for Mary, who was the first to tell the good news. Thank you for Easter time. Most of all, thank you for Jesus.
  • Have the children color the sheets or create their own Easter scene from the Activity Pack.

OPTIONS:

  • If time allows, act the story out using the ideas in the pageant.
  • Watch the video of Glenys reading the story.

Kid Ministry, My Faith

Celebrating the release of DIFFERENT LIKE ME with a Kidmin lesson!

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Different Like Me by Xochitl E. Dixon

I’m really excited for my friend Xochitl E. Dixon and the release of her new picture book Different Like Me. I recently reviewed her book on the Christian Children’s Author blog, but I wanted to do more!

(You can read my review here)

I love teaching children about the Bible and biblical truth, and I believe Xochi’s book can be used as a springboard to teach many lessons! I developed a Kid Ministry lesson on topic of Comparison.

The Pinterest Board with Self Portrait Craft ideas is here.

You can download the entire lesson here.

It includes a black and white version and quick skit script ideas. If you use the lesson, I would love to hear your feedback! I am new to developing Kid Ministry materials and praying about making more. Any feedback is helpful.

Xochitl E. Dixon

Want to know more about author Xochitl E. Dixon? Here are the links to her website and social media:

Xochitl E. Dixon Website

Xochitl E. Dixon Facebook

You can buy the book Different Like Me here.

Thanks for joining me today! I hope this lesson is helpful to you as you seek to influence the children in your life and offer them seeds of truth!

Kid Ministry, My Faith

Thursday Thoughts –When Life is Puzzling, Walk by Faith!

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Hi kids! I’m back again with another Thursday Thought! Has life ever felt puzzling to you? This video talks about a man named Ananias, and how he had the faith to obey God even when it felt puzzling.

And here is a fun activity to try!! PUZZLE RACES…I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it. What puzzle did you use? Who was the winner? How fast were they?

Book Review and Author Interviews, Kid Ministry

Book Review of QUINN SAYS GOODBYE by Christie Thomas

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Cover of Quinn Says Goodbye
Quinn Says Goodbye

In Quinn Says Goodbye, written by Christie Thomas and illustrated by Sydney Hanson, Quinn meets a new friend, an injured firefly named Blink. She and her mother help the firefly heal. Quinn doesn’t understand why one evening, when she wakes up, Blink is gone. Mama is there to help comfort Quinn and reassure her that God promises to always be with us.

Quinn Says Goodbye is designed to help children cope with grief and loss. It includes a section in the back with conversation starter questions for parents and caregivers, to assist with those difficult discussions that occur in life.

I thought Quinn Says Goodbye was a sweet story, and I loved the illustrations. Quinn’s big eyes!! And the use of light was really eye-appealing. I was inspired to make a Pinterest Board of Owls and FIreflies. Maybe you will like one of the pins and want to try a craft with your child. Here is the link to the board.

I had the opportunity to meet Christie at a writing conference in May. She is full of ideas and energy, with a contagious smile and laugh. I really enjoyed getting to know her!

Christie, I wish you all the best with this book and all of your writing endeavors!

You can purchase book on Amazon and at other book retailers.

Author Christie Thomas
Author Christie Thomas

About the author:

Christie Thomas writes about cultivating authentic faith in the home. She is the author of Quinn’s Promise Rock and the interactive devotional book Wise for Salvation. She has also written for various websites, including the MOB Society and For Every Mom. Christie lives in Alberta, Canada, with her husband and three boys. You can visit her website here.