Download the craft patterns and templates here
- Add meaning to family celebrations and create new ones
- Multiple resources for church, home, and community celebrations
Multi-generational Holidays and family events are times for celebration, learning, rituals, food, and fun. This edition of Faithful Celebrations focuses on the months of May, June, and July, when secular holidays inspire us to gather to celebrate God's creation, our freedom, and our families.
Key ideas, activities, materials, background information, music, art, recipes, and prayer resources are all included for small, intimate, or large multi-generational groups, as many festivities bring several generations together at church, at home, and in our communities. Celebrate occasions like Earth Day, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, Summer Solstice, and July 4th in thoughtful, inclusive, and innovative ways.
Audience: Christian educators, youth ministers, camps, schools, parents
“Faithful Celebrations offers exactly what we've come to expect from Sharon Pearson: creative, loving ways to connect faith communities in meaningful ways. Sharon's wisdom is a gift to all of us and a call to think more deeply about the myriad ways we can connect across generations. There is something for everyone––and every church––in this book!”
––Colette Potts, Director of Children's Ministries at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Falmouth, Massachusetts and author of Love First: A Children’s Ministry for the Whole Church
“The Church has often been mindful of holy days on the church calendar, but has missed the opportunity to connect other holidays within American culture to God’s work in the world. Faithful Celebrations offers many opportunities for the church and families at home to bring faith to their celebrations of these days and seasons.”
––Kathy L Dawson, Benton Family Associate Professor of Christian Education at Columbia Theological Seminary, 2015 Educator of the Year by the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators, and moderator of the HOPE4CE network
“In Making Time with Family and Friends, Sharon Ely Pearson offers everything one needs to joyfully celebrate traditionally secular holidays as disciples of Jesus Christ. The suggested readings, games, bible studies, and faith in action activities offer ample opportunities for members across generations to connect and grow in faith together.”
––The Rev. Allison Sandlin Liles, managing editor of growchristians.org
“From ideas for collaborative art and age appropriate variations for activities, Faithful Celebrations: Making Time with Family and Friends is more than a book of activity ideas for various holidays. This is a book of ideas for bringing people of diverse ages together for meaningful gatherings that connect secular holidays with our Christian faith. The book’s organization and clear layout allows for access to activity ideas from music to recipes at a glance. The background information briefly but deeply provides a lens for integrating secular celebrations into a life of faith. The range of ideas from crafts to Bible study, drama, and games provides options for nearly every imaginable circumstance (different group sizes, budget, ages, etc.). The ideas for each holiday engage all five senses and provide a list of children’s books appropriate for the celebration with discussion questions. The book itself is wonderfully creative, but I am quite sure that what is contained within these pages will spark many an imagination for even further creativity.”
––Sarah Bentley Allred, Virginia Theological Seminary
Introduction
Earth Day
Cinco de Mayo
Mother's Day
Memorial Day
Father's Day
Summer Solstice
4th of July
Summer Celebration of God's Creation
