Posts by Debbie Kolacki
Everbloom: Stories of Deeply Rooted and Transformed Lives
Writing can be a solitary business, but the women whose poems, essays, and stories are included in Everbloom: Stories of Deeply Rooted and Transformed Lives have found a way to combat the loneliness of writing while proving that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Everbloom was written by 42 of the…
Read MoreThis Child of Faith
Paraclete Press published This Child of Faith: Raising a Spiritual Child in a Secular World on December 14, 2017. The book was written by Sophfronia Scott and her son, Tain Gregory. It tells the story of their faith journey, which began when Tain asked to enroll in Sunday school. It’s beautiful to watch Tain grow…
Read MoreThat Baby in the Manger
That Baby in the Manger is published by Paraclete Press. The book’s illustrations are fun and child-friendly, while the content encourages families and Sunday school classes to discuss what Christmas means for each of us. The book begins with a group of first grade students entering a church to look at the crèche set up…
Read MoreLook! A Child’s Guide to Advent & Christmas
Look! A Child’s Guide to Advent & Christmas is published by from Paraclete Press and is beautiful both in spirit and appearance. The poetic narration makes difficult concepts, such as “waiting for someone born so long ago,” easier for both children and adults to understand. The illustrations are subtle, as though viewed through a gauzy…
Read More‘Twas the Evening of Christmas
Those of us who work with children in the church are always looking for ways to emphasize the true meaning of Christmas. Often, the message children receive from TV and other media is focused on material gifts and Santa Claus. If we want our children to grow up as caring, giving individuals, we need to…
Read MoreThe Day When God Made Church
I fell in love with The Day When God Made Church: A Child’s Book About Pentecost the first time I saw it. This was shortly after it was published last year with words by Rebekah McLeod Hutto and illustrations by Stephanie Haig. Hutto’s language captures the wonder and excitement of the coming of the Holy…
Read MoreMake Room: A Child’s Guide to Lent and Easter
For parents and Christian educators, explaining to children the meaning of Lent and telling them the stories of Holy Week can be challenging. Christmas emphasizes the birth of a baby surrounded by animals and angels. Before you know it, that baby is a grown man who is arrested, put on trial, and condemned to death.…
Read MoreAll Creation Waits
An Advent daily devotional is a wonderful way to prepare our hearts, minds, and spirits for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. If you are looking for something a little different from the usual devotional, check out a new offering from Paraclete Press called All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings. The introduction…
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