CatholicMom.com » Homeschooling

“Celebrate” Children’s Book Series Contest

Lisa Hendey — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:26 +0000

This month, to celebrate the fact that noted author Heidi Bratton has joined us as a columnist, we are giving away a set of Heidi’s tremendous Celebrate series of four board books. The series contains the following titles:

Celebrate Animals – A Story about Family Life on Noah’s Ark – Through captivating photographs of children interacting with animals, life on Noah’s Ark becomes a beautiful word picture for contemporary families learning to gently take care of one another and all God’s creatures.

Celebrate Family – A Story about Your Own Special Family – Captivating photography and simple text create a beautiful canvas of love and care lived out in today’s families.

Celebrate Feelings - A Story about God’s Love for Me – Happy. Silly. Sad. God is with me, no matter how I feel!

Celebrate Me & You – A Story about Your Special Part in God’s Family – God made me special, and he made you special too!

To enter to win this contest, you must leave a comment on this post with a valid email address (which won’t be published or shared) before Midnight PST on March 27, 2010. I’ll draw three random winners and announce the winners when the contest has ended.

March 7, 2010

Gospel Team — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:39:04 +0000

Third Sunday of Lent

Check out Lisa Hendey’s new book, The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul, now available at The Catholic Company, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Aquinas and More, or a Catholic bookstore near you!

Click on the links below to download each item

Sunday’s Gospel
Coloring Page
Mass Worksheets - 7-10, 11-14
Word Search Coming Soon
Crossword Puzzle Coming Soon
Lesson Plan
Jesus Is Our Savior File Folder Game - Introduction- “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.” John 4:42
Woman at the Well Pre K Lesson Plan
Lent Calendar

Extra activities:

Lent at CatholicMom.com
Current CatholicMom.com Contests
Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB

Pre-K Lesson Plans:

We will be providing weekly Pre-K lesson plans this year. These do not coincide with the Sunday Liturgy of the Word, but are specifically created for Catholic Pre-K learners.

Religious Education Resource Articles:

Featured Product:
Thank you for your support of CatholicMom.com! A small portion of your purchase price goes to CatholicMom.com and enables us to continue providing these resources free of charge for families and parishes around the world.

Stations of the Cross for Children – Follow Jesus through fourteen stations — fourteen moments — on His journey with the cross. Rejoice as He returns to His Father in heaven and redeems us from our sins. Recognize His great love for us in His willingness to suffer and die. With moving illustrations and real-life prayers, Stations of the Cross for Children helps children ages six through twelve reflect on Jesus’ Passion and apply His courage and sacrifice to their lives. This beautiful, ancient devotion guides children to ask for God’s strength and forgiveness, to praise and thank Jesus for giving His life for us, and, ultimately, to find great hope. Jesus, who was crucified and died, overcame death and is here with us now. As children walk with Him in Stations of the Cross for Children, they begin to see how He walks with them at home and at school, every day.

February 14, 2010

Gospel Team — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:34:16 +0000

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Click on the links below to download each item

Sunday’s Gospel
Coloring Page
Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
Lesson Plan
Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
Crossword – Puzzle
Solution – Across: 4. Beatitudes; Down: 1. Twelve; 2. Laugh; 3. Heaven
Random Acts of Kindness – Children identify Random Acts of Kindness as they move around the board. (Scroll down to this.)

Extra activities:

Lent at CatholicMom.com
Current CatholicMom.com Contests
Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB – Charity in Truth (Caritas In Veritate)

Pre-K Lesson Plans:

We will be providing weekly Pre-K lesson plans this year. These do not coincide with the Sunday Liturgy of the Word, but are specifically created for Catholic Pre-K learners.

Religious Education Resource Articles:

Live Lent at Home: Daily Prayers and Activities for Families – This day-by-day book for families is a perfect companion for the season of Lent. Each week begins with a Sunday Gospel reflection for parents and children to read together, followed by daily reflections, activities, and simple prayers for a meaningful, fruitful Lent. With the busy lives of today’s families in mind, Paige Byrne Shortal has created an inspirational and useful book that every family member will find enriching. View Sample Pages

February 7, 2010

Lisa Hendey — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:21:13 +0000

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Click on the links below to download each item

Sunday’s Gospel
Coloring Page
Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
Lesson Plan
Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
Crossword – Puzzle
Solution – Across: 1. Sinful; 4. Zebedee; Down: 2. followed; 3. Gennesaret
Disciples – Who Is Knocking at My Door?
Disciples Memory Game or Go Fish Game- A fun way to review the names of the disciples
Fishers of Men Pre K Lesson Plan

Extra activities:

Current CatholicMom.com Contests
Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB – Charity in Truth (Caritas In Veritate)

Pre-K Lesson Plans:

We will be providing weekly Pre-K lesson plans this year. These do not coincide with the Sunday Liturgy of the Word, but are specifically created for Catholic Pre-K learners.

Religious Education Resource Articles:

My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories - With almost 200 stories, this book is an excellent resource for children and families to grow together in their faith and knowledge of Catholic tradition. It uses selections from the actual text of the highly respected and readable New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, including stories from the Deuterocanonical Books. Along with stories from actual Bible text, My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories includes additional elements. Each of these elements will help encourage the child to talk to God, to understand the meaning of new words from the passage, to learn quotes from saints and other important figures, and to go deeper in their faith by cross-referencing the CCC and applying the lesson to their lives. With its thorough teaching of Catholic faith, Bible stories, and classic art, this Bible Storybook will be a welcome addition to Catholic homes, schools, and churches.

Read our Catholic Book Spotlight interview with author Heidi Hess Saxton.

Catholic Book Spotlight: My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories by Heidi Hess Saxton

Lisa Hendey — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:00:25 +0000

Congratulations to our friend and CatholicMom.com columnist Heidi Hess Saxton on the recent release of her wonderful book My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories. When asked to endorse Heidi’s book, I said of it, “With My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories, noted author Heidi Hess Saxton has given Catholic families and parishes everywhere a tremendous treasure. References from the Catechism, inspirational quotes from the saints, and suggested family activities make this a perfect faith formation tool for children and parents alike.” Having had the opportunity to read and share this beautiful book, I am now more convinced than ever that every Catholic family, school and parish should have a copy of this fantastic resource. I’m happy to share the following interview with Heidi Hess Saxton and to give My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories my highest recommendation.

Q: Heidi, congratulations on the release of My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories. Please briefly introduce yourself and your family to our readers.

Hello! Thanks for helping me promote my new book — it was truly a labor of love, and I hope it blesses lots of families. Craig and I were married in 1999, and we foster-adopted our children Christopher and Sarah in 2002, when Sarah was six months old and Christopher was 2-1/2. I was delighted when Thomas Nelson approached me about compiling this book of stories, because it gave me a chance to include a lot of information that I wanted to pass along to my own kids.

Q: I LOVE your new book and can’t wait for our readers to explore it! For those who haven’t yet had an opportunity to read My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories could you please share an overview of the book?

My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories is a comprehensive (400+ pages!), full-color volume of stories from the whole Bible (including the deutero-canonical books). I wrote little introductions to each story, but the entire story is taken directly from the NRSV. Each story includes a prayer to use during Bible story time, tidbits of information to help you get a better understanding of the story, and a cross-referencing tool that lists Scripture and Catechism passages that are especially appropriate to read with that story. I also included a little section at the front of the book to help families cultivate a habit of family prayer.

Q: What makes this book different from other typical children’s Bible story books?

Unlike most story books, My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories includes stories from the entire Bible, especially those most important to Catholics. Although Thomas Nelson is an evangelical publisher, they worked with me to make sure the book has an authentically Catholic “voice,” incorporating Church teachings, especially on the sacraments and the saints. Because the text comes directly from Scripture, it gives children a chance to hear the beauty of the text for themselves – and the passages are kept short, so as not to be too overwhelming. And I deliberately included notes for parents, so they can learn right along with kids!

Q: What type of research went into the formation of this wonderful resource?

I drew extensively from my graduate theology studies at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit — however, I learned to love the Bible from the first thirty years of my life, especially the years I spent in Bible school as an Evangelical Christian. I have in my library an extensive collection of Scripture study resources — you should have seen the mountain of books on my desk while I was going through the project! I have to say, compiling this book gave me a chance to read these stories in a fresh, new way.

Q: What are some of the ways in which you foresee the book being used by Catholic families and educators?

One of the greatest challenges facing catechists and parents is educating children when we ourselves don’t feel completely up to the challenge. The cross-referencing features of each story will help educators to study the material at their own pace, as deeply as they are inclined to do. The index is also cross-referenced to the liturgical calendar, so you can readily look up the story that corresponds to the readings. Above all, it will help educators integrate Scripture and prayer, both of which are needed to maintain a vital Christian life.

Q: What do your two adorable kids think about having their own special book, written by their mom?

They’re cute. They walk around the house with it (I only have one copy so far), and at church they run up to people, flashing the title page (before I get a chance to do it!)

Q: What was different about writing for children rather than writing for adults? Did you test drive the book with your own family prior to publication?

The greatest challenge was finding a voice that would work for the whole family (although the book is targeted at the 6-9 age group). I didn’t want older kids to be bored, or little kids to be lost. That’s why the multiple sidebars helps — you can read as little or as much as you want. Honestly, I had to do it so quickly there wasn’t a lot of “test driving” ahead of time … but I’m enjoying reading it through with them now, with all the beautiful artwork!

Q: Please give our readers an update on your great Extraordinary Moms Network.

I continue to post on it regularly, and people continue to find me …. I’m hoping this book will draw even more readers, and encourage them in their vocations. I have a special page dedicated to resources that tie into the book – websites and other online resources to help families dig deeper into the stories.

Q: With all of your publishing and writing successes, what’s next?

Although I have a few ideas brewing, I don’t have any firm plans right now. Life is very much like a book, full of chapters and plot twists. It isn’t always possible to project what is going to happen from one week to the next, is it? I’ve always loved writing and sharing my faith with other people; as a wife and mother, I can’t always spend the kind of time I’d like with this. This year, my children’s school has occupied the lion’s share of my time, and it looks as though I may soon be headed back to school myself. I’ll update my plans on EMN as they become available … stay tuned!

Purchase My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories and support CatholicMom.com!

January 31, 2010

Gospel Team — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:27:59 +0000

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Click on the links below to download each item

Sunday’s Gospel
Coloring Page
Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
Lesson Plan
Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
Crossword – Puzzle
Solution – Across: 3. native; Down: 1. Physician; 2. Zarephath; 3. Namaan

Extra activities:

Current CatholicMom.com Contests
Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB – Charity in Truth (Caritas In Veritate)

Pre-K Lesson Plans:

We will be providing weekly Pre-K lesson plans this year. These do not coincide with the Sunday Liturgy of the Word, but are specifically created for Catholic Pre-K learners.

Check out Lisa Hendey’s new book, The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul, now available for preorder at The Catholic Company, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Aquinas and More, or a Catholic bookstore near you!

Religious Education Resource Articles:

Rocking the Cradle Catholic – Raising healthy, holy, Catholic children is no easy task. Rocking the Cradle Catholic uses humor and simple, everyday examples – from how to choose a godparent, to prioritizing your vocation and other ministry work, to teaching children about war – in order to guide parents in practical imitation of the Holy Family. Recognizing parents as the primary catechists and family as the domestic church. Rocking the Cradle Catholic is meant to offer encouragement while challenging Catholic parents to be even more committed to their vocation of marriage and family life. Each chapter includes questions for contemplation and action that can be used for personal prayer or within a group setting.

Catholic Moments #135 – Mary Moore

Catholic Moments Podcast — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:42:03 +0000

Our guest on this week’s episode, Catholic wife and mom Mary Moore, is the author of a new book entitled Rocking the Cradle Catholic. Mary is a syndicated writer and speaker. Her column “Wholly Family” has been encouraging Catholic families in the Diocese of Phoenix for five years. Mary and her husband Mark live in Mesa, Arizona with their four children. Be sure to enter for your chance to win a copy of Mary’s wonderful book by visiting our Rocking the Cradle Catholic Giveaway.

Recent events in Haiti have many wondering what we can do? Can we take action so the world will never see large-scale tragedy and suffering again? Deacon Tom’s reflection for today is called RIPPLES. In addition to prayer and perhaps a financial donation to Haiti relief, Tom’s idea is a way to consider our part in building up the kingdom of God.

Avery shares ideas about making a difference in Haitian relief efforts as a teen and talks about the call to service that God gives us. Visit Catholic Relief Services to share your support.

We have a new “amazing” member of our Catholic Moments team! Meet Lisa Mladinich this week with the first of her “Amazing Minute” series.

Kids in the background and the promise of peace: it’s a tall order for a Mary Moment (and more than a little contradictory, we know), but it’s all Sarah Reinhard was able to pull together this week, inspired by the prayer card that also inspired her column this week at Catholic Exchange’s Today’s Catholic Woman.

Please consider joining us in support of the SQPN.com Giving Campaign. Your donations will help us to continue in this important evangelization work.

This episode of Catholic Moments is sponsored by CatholicMatch.com, the Leading Catholic Singles Community. Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:

Rocking the Cradle Catholic
Rocking the Cradle Catholic Giveaway
Making Music Praying Twice
SQPN Giving Campaign
Yoursphere
Current CatholicMom.com Contests
CatholicMom.com Book Club
The Catholic Company
The Handbook for Catholic Moms: The Catholic Company, Amazon, Aquinas and More or Barnes & Noble
Lisa’s Facebook Profile, SQPN Connect Page, Plurk, Twitter
Catholic Mom Logo Store

Subscribe to the feed | Subscribe with iTunes

January 24, 2010

Gospel Team — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:36:49 +0000

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Click on the links below to download each item

Sunday’s Gospel
Coloring Page
Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
Lesson Plan
Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
Crossword – Puzzle
Solution – Across: 3. Nazareth; 4. Luke; Down: 1. Isaiah; 2. Theophilus

Extra activities:

Current CatholicMom.com Contests
Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB – Charity in Truth (Caritas In Veritate)

Pre-K Lesson Plans:

We will be providing weekly Pre-K lesson plans this year. These do not coincide with the Sunday Liturgy of the Word, but are specifically created for Catholic Pre-K learners.

Religious Education Resource Articles:

Lolek – The Boy Who Became Pope John Paul II – Lolek is a celebration of the childhood of Pope John Paul II. He was a little boy who, despite tragedy and oppression in his young life during World War II, was a shining example for his peers and adults alike. Pope John Paul II was a world class freedom fighter, campaigning for world peace as a human rights advocate and defender of the oppressed. During his combat against world poverty, he taught that every life is precious no matter one’s nationality or religious belief, whether one is rich or poor, young or old. One of Lolek’s greatest achievements was the downfall of Communism in Europe. He encouraged people to feel their own power, and the power of faith led to the freedom of half a continent. Children 4-12 years. Read our interview with the author here.

January 17, 2010

Gospel Team — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 18:19:02 +0000

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Click on the links below to download each item

Sunday’s Gospel
Coloring Page
Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
Lesson Plan
Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
Crossword – Puzzle
Solution – Across: 3. Galilee; 4. wine; Down: 1. first; 2. believe

Extra activities:

Current CatholicMom.com Contests
Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB – Charity in Truth (Caritas In Veritate)

Pre-K Lesson Plans:

We will be providing weekly Pre-K lesson plans this year. These do not coincide with the Sunday Liturgy of the Word, but are specifically created for Catholic Pre-K learners.

Check out Lisa Hendey’s new book, The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul, now available for preorder at The Catholic Company, Amazon.com, or a Catholic bookstore near you!

Religious Education Resource Articles:

Living the 10 Commandments for Children – The Ten Commandments have always played an essential role as guiding principles in the lives of adults and children alike. Their simplicity and clarity make them a wonderful tool to pass on an understanding of the Faith to our children. Elementary-age children will appreciate the positive, real-world examples and vibrant full-color illustrations that bring the stories and pages to life.

Containing Scripture for the adult reader, alongside reverent, yet whimsical explanations designed to hold a child’s interest, this book will help families and catechists reinforce a vision of a healthy spiritual life in step with God’s plan.

An excellent preparation tool for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Living the 10 Commandments for Children contains a mini-examination of conscience appropriate for children. Free bonus: On the last page of the book, the reader is referred to www.osv.com for additional pages of “Tricky Temptations,” scenarios that children can use for their examination of conscience or parents can use as conversation starters with their children.

Kids Gospel Moment Video for 1/10/10

Lisa Hendey — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:14:13 +0000

January 10, 2010

Gospel Team — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:49:54 +0000

The Baptism of the Lord

Click on the links below to download each item

Sunday’s Gospel
Coloring Page
Mass Worksheets - 7-10, 11-14
Lesson Plan
Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
Crossword – Puzzle
Please note: #2 Across should read: “The people were filled with ____ and were asking themselves if John might be the Christ.”
Solution – Across: 2. expectation; 4. Baptism; 5. dove; Down: 1. Beloved; 3. water

Extra activities:

Current CatholicMom.com Contests
Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB – Charity in Truth (Caritas In Veritate)

Pre-K Lesson Plans:

We will be providing weekly Pre-K lesson plans this year. These do not coincide with the Sunday Liturgy of the Word, but are specifically created for Catholic Pre-K learners.

Religious Education Resource Articles:

Child’s Guide to Baptism – Written in the spirit of the other bestselling titles in the Child’s Guide series, this volume explains in child-friendly language the sacrament of baptism. We meet Anthony, a young boy whose baby brother is about to be baptized. Anthony eagerly invites the reader into his church and explains the importance of this once-in-a-lifetime sacrament. He leads readers through the baptismal ceremony step-by-step, describing the events through his own eyes. Throughout the book are interactive questions encouraging discussion between the child and parent or teacher: “Do you know why you have the name you do?”; “Do you know the name of your godparents?” When the time finally comes to baptize little James, Anthony proudly joins in the responses with the rest of the group.

Written in clear, simple language, this book:

has vivid full-color illustrations throughout
can be either read to children or used by beginning readers
is a meaningful gift from parents and other family members
is the perfect teaching tool for use in Catholic schools or parish CCD classes

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Gospel Team — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:22:38 +0000

The Epiphany of the Lord

Click on the links below to download each item

Extra activities:

Current CatholicMom.com Contests
Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB – Charity in Truth (Caritas In Veritate)

Pre-K Lesson Plans:

We will be providing weekly Pre-K lesson plans this year. These do not coincide with the Sunday Liturgy of the Word, but are specifically created for Catholic Pre-K learners.

Religious Education Resource Articles:

Featured Products:
Thank you for your support of CatholicMom.com! A small portion of your purchase price goes to CatholicMom.com and enables us to continue providing these resources free of charge for families and parishes around the world.

Magnificat Magazine 1 Year Subscription

Magnificat is a lavishly printed, visually stunning, and easy-to-read pocket-sized daily Mass companion, for use in church or at home and ideal for personal or family prayer.

At over 400 pages each month, Magnificat features the complete readings for each Sunday, weekday and feast day Mass; daily reflections on the Gospel from the church’s greatest minds past and present; a fresh take on the lives of the saints.

Each day also includes beautiful prayers for both morning and evening, drawn from the riches of the Liturgy of the Hours; and each issue concludes with a discussion—and quality reproduction—of a masterpiece of sacred art. Magnificat publishes 12 monthly issues a year, as well as two special issues for Christmas week and Holy week.

You’ll discover that its timeless rich content, daily relevance and sheer beauty make Magnificat a real treasure for every Catholic home. The magazine is a powerful resource to help you:

Develop your prayer life
Deepen your spiritual life
Enrich your intellectual appreciation of the faith
Participate at Mass with ever greater fervor
Grow closer to Christ

Magnificat Magazine 1 Year Subscription – Click here to order.

The Real Saint Nicholas

Lisa Hendey — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:40:38 +0000

Looking for a fun way to help teach your children about the real “Saint Nick”? Check out the terrific online virtual storybook about Saint Nicholas of Myra on the Catholic Heroes of the Faith website. While you’re there, be sure to check out the first in their planned series of animated documentaries, The Story of St. Perpetua. You can watch the trailer for this great DVD – I hope we can all support these important resources for our sharing the faith with our children.

Amazing Launch!

Lisa Hendey — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:00:01 +0000

Congratulations and best wishes to our wonderful friend and Puppet Script author Lisa Mladnich on the launch of her brand new website, Amazing Catechists. The following press release offers all of the details, but I know you will love visiting this tremendous new resource. Please help me in spreading the word about Lisa and her team’s great work!

Amazing Launch!

“To teach the Faith truthfully, it must be taught thrillingly,” says Lisa Mladinich, founder of AmazingCatechists.com, an exciting new website for Catholic catechists with an inviting format designed to encourage participation by its readers. “Our mission is to share the very best teaching methods available for transmitting pure, honest Catholicism to students of all ages. But to do that, we need help.”

AmazingCatechists.com, loyal to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church and dedicated to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, is designed to provide a place for Catholic catechists from all over the world to share teaching tips, insights, experiences, resources, and true inspirational stories from their classrooms, whether they teach in their homes, parishes, or schools.

Volunteer catechists write monthly or bi-monthly columns on subjects from elementary education through special needs, confirmation, chastity training, teen ministry and adult programs, like RCIA and NFP. Several of the columns are translated into Spanish and the site’s forums also include a Spanish-language section. Mladinich hopes to expand bi-lingual offerings in the future.

Other features include, “Your Galleries,” a place for sharing photos, artwork, video links and sound files related to teaching faith and morals from a Catholic perspective. Catechists and parents are invited to share digital images of theirs and their children’s faith-related arts and crafts, dramatic presentations, you-tube and audio links that teach, inspire or entertain.

A point-and-click archive of teaching ideas and stories is found under “Tips & Insights,” with categories including every grade level, sacramental and adult programs. Readers are invited to submit their tips and stories through a simple online form that makes sharing easy. The “Events” page contains an automated calendar for readers to submit their program dates and descriptions in order to publicize and promote good Catholic events more effectively. The “Speakers” page features several AmazingCatechists.com volunteers who also have public ministries as speakers and workshop leaders.

Other sections include charming, original Catholic cartoons by Ellen and James Hrkach, interviews with “amazing” Catholics, links to great Catholic resources, a fundraising “Store,” “Book and Product Reviews,” “Bible Stories [retold]” and favorite prayers.

Mrs. Mladinich hopes that catechists who stop by for a visit will take a few moments to share from the treasure-houses of their own personal experiences in teaching the Faith, and by sharing, strengthen the whole Church!

Visit AmazingCatechists.com.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Gospel Team — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:59:52 +0000

Third Sunday of Advent

Click on the links below to download each item

Sunday’s Gospel
Coloring Page
Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
Advent at CatholicMom.com – see below in “Extra Activities”
Current CatholicMom.com Contests
Word Search – not available until after Christmas – please enjoy our extra Advent activities!
Crossword – not available until after Christmas – please enjoy our extra Advent activities!
Lesson Plan

Extra activities:

Advent at CatholicMom.com
2009 Advent Wreath Coloring Page
Current CatholicMom.com Contests
Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB – Charity in Truth (Caritas In Veritate)

Pre-K Lesson Plans:

We will be providing weekly Pre-K lesson plans this year. These do not coincide with the Sunday Liturgy of the Word, but are specifically created for Catholic Pre-K learners.

Religious Education Resource Articles:

Magnificat Magazine 1 Year Subscription

Magnificat is a lavishly printed, visually stunning, and easy-to-read pocket-sized daily Mass companion, for use in church or at home and ideal for personal or family prayer.

You’ll discover that its timeless rich content, daily relevance and sheer beauty make Magnificat a real treasure for every Catholic home. The magazine is a powerful resource to help you:

Develop your prayer life
Deepen your spiritual life
Enrich your intellectual appreciation of the faith
Participate at Mass with ever greater fervor
Grow closer to Christ

Magnificat Magazine 1 Year Subscription – Click here to order.

Lolek Book Giveaway

Lisa Hendey — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:42:54 +0000

This month, we are thrilled to offer our readers the opportunity to win one of two copies of the amazing children’s book Lolek – The Boy Who Became Pope John Paul II by Mary Hramiec Hoffman and Mark Hoffman. Just in time for Christmas, this book will become a family favorite in your home! The story is compelling (and true!) and the book’s illustrations and overall presentation make it a true treasure.

The following is a brief description of this fantastic book:

Lolek is a celebration of the childhood of Pope John Paul II. He was a little boy who, despite tragedy and oppression in his young life during World War II, was a shining example for his peers and adults alike. Pope John Paul II was a world class freedom fighter, campaigning for world peace as a human rights advocate and defender of the oppressed. During his combat against world poverty, he taught that every life is precious no matter one’s nationality or religious belief, whether one is rich or poor, young or old. One of Lolek’s greatest achievements was the downfall of Communism in Europe. He encouraged people to feel their own power, and the power of faith led to the freedom of half a continent.

To enter to win this contest, you must leave a comment on this post with a valid email address (which won’t be published or shared) before Midnight PST on December 15, 2009. I’ll draw two random winners and announce the winners when the contest has ended.

Update: Our lucky winners are Lisa(#25), Kathy (#35), and Kimberly (#2). Your prizes will be sent soon. Take a look at our other CatholicMom.com contests for more great chances to win!

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Gospel Team — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:11:43 +0000

The First Sunday of Advent

Click on the links below to download each item

Sunday’s Gospel
Coloring Page
Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
Advent at CatholicMom.com – see below in “Extra Activities”
Current CatholicMom.com Contests
Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
Crossword – Puzzle
Solution: Across – 1. First, 3. Drowsy; Down – 2. Strength, 4. Signs
Lesson Plan

Extra activities:

Advent at CatholicMom.com
2009 Advent Wreath Coloring Page
2009 Printable Advent Chain
2009 Advent Calendar
Advent Bingo
Advent Crossword Puzzle
Christmas Catechism Puppet Show (includes related craft project)
Advent Wreath File Folder Game
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Current CatholicMom.com Contests
Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB – Charity in Truth (Caritas In Veritate)

Pre-K Lesson Plans:

We will be providing weekly Pre-K lesson plans this year. These do not coincide with the Sunday Liturgy of the Word, but are specifically created for Catholic Pre-K learners.

Religious Education Resource Articles:

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My Catholic Advent And Christmas Book – Jennifer Galvin’s activity books for children have been enormously popular because, unlike other activity books, these are designed specifically to teach children about their Catholic faith. And her latest one does just that. She has put together entertaining word finds, crossword puzzles, color-by-number puzzles, and crack-the-code puzzles that will teach children about Advent and Christmas, all the while emphasizing the real meaning of the holiday. An added advantage is that the activities are tied to the lectionary for all three cycles. The activities are clever and challenging and are illustrated with charming, inviting art work. The sheets themselves are reproducible and are aimed at children from kindergarten through third grade. Highlights: an attractive, reasonably priced book; reproducible pages; perfect for home, school, or church use; tied to all three cycles of the lectionary

Sunday Gospel “Video Moment” for November 22, 2009

Lisa Hendey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:09:35 +0000

Sunday Gospel “Video Moment” for November 15, 2009

Lisa Hendey — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:36:14 +0000

Here’s the latest of our children’s gospel messages for this week’s liturgy of the word. As always, you can locate all of our gospel activities for children — coloring pages, puzzles, mass worksheets, lesson plans and more — here. This Sunday’s gospel presents a bit of a challenge – how to speak with young children, or even grown ups, about “end times”. I’d love to hear your take on how you’d address this topic with your children.

Video Link

Catholic Moments #125 – Steve and Joni Abdalla, Wee Believers

Catholic Moments Podcast — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:39:27 +0000

Our guests this week, Steve and Joni Abdalla, are the Catholic parents of three daughters and the founders of Wee Believers™, an authentically Catholic toy company based in Indianapolis. The inaugural product of Wee Believers is the “My Mass Kit”, a great tool for faith formation for little ones. During this conversation, we discuss the mission and history of Wee Believers, as well as the “leap of faith” taken by the Abdalla family to share their love of faith with others.

What is it like at your parish before liturgy starts? Is it a quiet, sacred church? Or is it noisy and neighborly? Deacon Tom discusses this by sharing about a recent Saturday evening at his parish in Arizona.

Do you want a Mary Vitamin in your inbox? Sarah Reinhard shares a quote from a recent Mary Vitamin and encourages you to sign up to receive your own.

Links for this Episode:

Wee Believers
Sean Clive – The First Day
Current CatholicMom.com Contests – Rosary Workout Book Contest, CatholicMatch.com Membership Contest
CatholicMom.com Book Club
The Catholic Company
Lisa’s Facebook Profile, SQPN Connect Page, Plurk, Twitter
Catholic Mom Logo Store

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