Lent Resources for the Whole Family

With about a week left until Ash Wednesday, it’s time to make a devotional plan for you and your family. For many of us, Lent is something that we kinda know about, but perhaps not fully. If that’s you, check out this post from What’s in the Bible?. It’s very informative and concise.

Every year we like to share some of the Lent resources that we have found in our search of what to do with our family. Last year we shared a few resources plus some good activities to do with the kids. The year before we created a paper chain, counting down the days until Resurrection Sunday with each link  relating to worshiping, serving, and waiting. The M&M story is a quick way to talk to our kids about Easter and the homemade Resurrection Eggs are a popular way to engage even the smallest of children in this important season.

Some of the resources we are sharing this year are ones that we have used ourselves, while others come recommended from friends that we trust. If you have never observed Lent, I would encourage you to look into this faith tradition that has been around for a very long time, and which has helped followers of Christ more fully enter into the season of Easter. Even if you choose not to observe as a family, perhaps this year you will use one of the resources below to engage in it yourself.

Adults:

1. The Easter Journey: Signs of Life (A Study in the Gospel of John) by Waiting for Water: This ecumenical network of Christ-followers is dedicated to helping provide clean water to those who need it around the world. Each year during the Lenten season, they attempt to mobilize Christians to help provide clean water. They encourage participants to give something up, grow spiritually by using their devotional that you can either download for free or purchase online if you are more of a physical book kind of person, and then donating money to grant safe water to someone. Waiting for Water has a plethora of other resources to go along with the devotion: sermon samples, a tabletop calendar, videos, etc. This is an organization that I’m beginning to work with personally, and am really excited about this resource and project.

2. Rediscover Lent by World Relief: This organization has its roots in the season of Lent, and this year they will be making available a devotional guide, videos, and prayer resources for people to work through during the 40 days. Visit their site to sign up for daily emails or just download it altogether.

3. 2014 Lenten Prayers for Hungry People by Bread for the World and Women of Faith: Two solid Christian organizations teamed up to develop a Lenten Devotional around the theme of “Maternal and Child Nutrition.” Not only will you be able to download a Bible study guide, but you can also learn more about hunger/nutrition both international and right here in our own backyard.

4. American Gods Lenten Devotional by JR. Forasteros: This guy is a teaching pastor at a church in Ohio, and also happens to be one of my very good friends. He’s sharing a devotion via email each morning during Lent– and the topics will be about several key aspects of American culture that battle for our worship (of which we are often unaware!). I’m INCREDIBLY excited about this.

5. Seedbed has a great set of articles and resources that I highly recommend. Careful- it may be a site that you get lost in once you land on it! 🙂 Love it!

6. Stories Behind the Traditions and Songs of Easter by Ace Collins. This book is especially for those who connect with God best through music. Collins explores the traditions of Lent as well as the history behind some of our favorite Easter songs.

7. Bread And Wine: Readings For Lent And Easter. Read each day from authors like Philip Yancey, C.S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen, Kathleen Norris, and Mother Teresa. What I particularly like about this book is that the author selection is so wide- women and men from various countries and from all different time periods and religious traditions. A truly rich book.

8. Belmont University puts out a Lenten Devotional each year. I’ve perused it and it looks very well-written with a lot of different perspectives on the season.

9. PageCXVI put out a new album of hymns dedicated for the Lenten season. Sometimes I just need music, not words in writing, to speak to my soul. If you’re like that too, be sure to take a listen.

10. The Lent Project by Biola University- a daily compilation of Scripture, art, music, poetry, devotional words, videos. It’s slowly unfolding and it looks really worshipful.

Children/Families:

1. Easter Tree Devotional by Ann Voskamp: Think the Jesse Tree, but for Easter. Included are a Bible reading, a verse to meditate on, an action point, and a full colored paper ornament to put on your Easter Passion tree (which I have found at Target, Walmart, or the Dollar store). You can get it for free by subscribing to her email list.

2. Find More Jesus: How to Make Jesus All About Easter
by Katie Orr: This is an alternative to Resurrection eggs. Each day, beginning on Palm Sunday, kids read a passage of Scripture and open an egg that corresponds to a discussion question or activity. It’s really good for preschool kids.

3. The Lent Experiment: Guiding Your Child Toward the Cross by Grace for Moms. This is new this year, so I haven’t experienced it. However, their blog looks really solid, so I can only imagine this will be a good one. In order to receive this downloadable ebook, you’ll need to subscribe to their newsletter updates.

4. A Sense of the Resurrection by ohamanda (the maker of Truth in the Tinsel). I’m super glad that she got this ready in time for the Lenten season. She does a great job of explaining spiritual truths in simple ways that little minds can understand. This one costs $7.99.

5. The Crossing Church Lenten Guide for Kids. Includes an activity a week to do with your kids as it relates to the lighting of the candles. I used to live in Columbia, MO, and this church has a great kids program, so I trust that this resource is good too!

**Note, a couple of the links are affiliate links, which means if you purchase through our site, we get a small percentage of the sale.**

I’ve linked up with Tuesday Tots