Resources for Faith Formation

  • The cover of a children's book titled 'I Wonder: Exploring God's Grand Story,' written by Glenys Nellist and illustrated by Alessandra Fusi, featuring colorful illustrations of animals and nature in a lush landscape with birds, elephants, a raccoon, a tiger, a whale, a bee, a frog, and a butterfly.

    Pastor Amelia’s top pick for a Bible for younger learners. Short stories with beautiful illustrations, selected stories are appropriate for elementary age. Features “Wonder” questions after each story.

  • Colorful illustrated cover of a storybook Bible titled "The Peace Table." Features diverse people gathered around a table, reading and sharing a story, with leaves and flowers around the border.

    Best pick for slightly older learners— most stories are kept to one page. Lots of faith, prayer, and map/ historical resources in the back.

  • Cover of an illustrated storybook bible titled 'God's Stories as Told by God's Children,' featuring a boat, animals including elephants and lions, children, angels, a cloudy sky with angels, a moon, and flying doves, with text indicating it is brought to readers by the Bible for Normal People.

    The most scholarly option. Good for older students, including adults, who are looking for an accessible introduction into Biblical scholarship.

  • Cover of a children's Bible storybook titled 'The Book of Belonging'. The cover features an illustrated tree with pink and green apples, surrounded by ornamental designs in gold on a green background, with text noting words by Mariko Clark and pictures by Rachel Eleanor.

    Designed for contemplative children, longer, more in depth stories. Has wonder moments and activities. Good for a child who is interested in a deeper dive.

  • Colorful illustrated book cover titled "God's Big Picture Bible Storybook" by N.T. Wright, featuring a jungle scene with animals like a tiger, elephant, zebra, lion, peacock, and various plants and trees.

    Renowned scholar N.T. Wright’s Children’s Bible.

  • Colorful book cover with rainbows, stars, and clouds. The title reads 'Queerfully and Wonderfully Made: A Guide for LGBTQ+ Christian Teens,' edited by Leigh Finke with an introduction by Jennifer Knapp.

    Orthodox reminder of the theology behind our tradition’s embrace of LGBTQ people. Good corrective if students are struggling with peers who come from less Biblically literate traditions.

  • Cover of a children's Bible titled 'Deep Blue Kids Bible' with a light blue background and a dark blue decorative strip on the left side.

    CEB (Common English) Deep Blue Kids Bible. Pastor Amelia’s #1 recommendation for a Bible for older students: good translation, full text of the Bible, and accessible scholarship and clarification on the side bars. Middle school and up.

  • Cover of the NIV Adventure Bible for kids, featuring a magnifying glass with a dinosaur examining a treasure chest, surrounded by jungle foliage.

    NIV Adventure Bible. The #1 selling Children’s Bible. Good for children who are looking for devotional resources, more directive than the CED Deep Blue. The maps in this Bible are more engaging than the Deep Blue, also.

  • Colorful illustrated cover of "The Biggest Story Bible Storybook" with large decorative letters spelling "BIBLE" and various illustrations of a tree, globe, angel, rainbow, houses, mountains, trees, and two people, with the title and author names.

    The translation here goes out of its way to be inaccurate, and the theology is not great, but it is the most beautiful and immersive option. If you have a very visual child AND you are willing to do a lot of side by side reading and clarification with them, this might be a good option for your student. We do not use this resource in our classrooms but the pages are gorgeous.