This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Reformed Free Publishing Association who also sponsored the blog this week with the article “Comforting and Doctrinal Devotions for Children.” They are giving away 10 free copies of I Belong: Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer 1 for Children.
“What is your only comfort in life and death?
That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ…”
So begins the first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism. I Belong: Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer 1 for Children, a new picture book by Joyce Holstege, takes this question and answer and breaks it into sections. Throughout the book, Joyce explains each comforting phrase of the answer in language that is understandable to young children.
How to use the book
We recommend that you make use of I Belong as a devotional and read a devotion each day with your young children especially. All together there are twenty-two devotions in the book.
Here’s a sneak peek at part of the very first devotion:
It’s comforting to belong to God because you know he will care for you. The Bible tells you that when you pass through the deep waters and when you walk through the fire, God will be with you.
Features
Joyce’s goal for the book was that it be a blessing to both children and their parents, and that it spark discussion and thought-provoking questions during times of family devotions. In addition to the devotion on each spread, there are some other great features in the book that will foster these conversations:
- Scripture verses: every devotion closes with a simple verse or portion of a verse that is easy to memorize and that will help children remember the comforting doctrinal truths in the devotion. Here are a couple of examples:
- Psalm 51:2 – “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” from the devotion, “But if I belong to God, why do I need a savior?”
- Matthew 10:30 – “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered” from the devotion, “Since I belong to God, God has planned everything for my life.”
Illustrations: each spread of the book has a beautiful full-page illustration, created by Meagan Krosschell, a young artist from Randolph, Wisconsin. These colorful illustrations of a diverse group of children will capture children’s imaginations as they learn what it means to belong to their faithful Savior.
Takeaways: reading thought these brief summaries of each devotion (found on the same side of the spread as the illustration) are another great way to help children remember what they have learned.
Here’s what others are saying about the book
I love using this book as a devotional with our 5 year old…There are many times we stop and start our reading, as she remarks or has a question, showing an ability to grasp these truths in her young mind and heart…This book is a gem for those who want to impress upon their child’s heart that this world and everything in it belongs to God – and most importantly that we live to serve and praise our Creator God!
~HollyF on Amazon
My children ask me to read this book to them every night…Using this book has provided a wonderful opportunity for many thoughtful discussions about how we belong to God, who God is, Jesus dying on the cross, what it means to be a righteous child of God, what Heaven is like, and much more…As [we] read, I know they are understanding and learning about God and doctrine, but they are also able to begin memorizing this important Q&A of the Heidelberg Catechism.
~Randy Kuiper on Amazon
Enter here
Again, there are 10 copies to win. To enter the drawing, just drop your name and email address in the form below. This will add you to Reformed Free Publishing Association’s mailing list.
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway will end on October 31st, 2022.
