NOTE: None of these companies asked for a review on my blog. I would probably say that they have no idea I even exist. I’ve used them, I liked it, and then I blogged about it.
How to Be with Your A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E. – Great video series done by Craig Jutila and his team at Saddleback Church a few years ago. It’s designed to be a weekend elementary series to help kids understand the eight principles of Celebrate Recovery as found in the Beatitudes. Basically, it’s a kind of “pre-covery” program for kids. It’s got a weekend programming schedule, handouts for kids, games, small group discussion questions, and some activities to do at home during the week. It also comes with a great review time for each week’s lesson. This is a great resource if you’re looking for something to use on the weekend in conjunction with what the adults are doing or even if you just want to cover the principles yourself. Also works well as an eight week program for kids if their parents are in some type of recovery study.
Celebration Station – This is a more in-depth study for kids to do with leaders at church and for parents to do at home with kids. In many ways it is a sequel of sorts to “How to Be with Your A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E.” and can function on its own without any follow-up from your normal children’s ministry programs. Less adaptable to a weekend service, this will work great if you are looking for just a curriculum for kids whose parents are in recovery.
Divorce Care For Kids – Does exactly what it says on the tin. This curriculum and program will help kids 1) learn to understand their feelings, 2) express their emotions appropriately, 3) feel better about themselves, 4) develop coping skills, and 5) be introduced to biblical concepts that will bring comfort. This is a national recognized program that is top-notch and has a great reputation. It’s a little pricey but great to run in conjunction with any divorce care stuff your church is doing for parents.
Life Hurts, God Heals – Aimed at middle and high school students, LHGH comes as both a weekend series for students and a midweek program and small group study to help teenagers work through the scriptures and overcome the addictive behaviors in their lives. It’s been field tested in churches across the country and is pretty solid. It’s reasonably priced and comes with more than enough resources for you and your church to launch a recovery program for preteens and teenagers alike.
The Landing – A year-long curriculum for preteens and students that takes them through the Beatitudes. It is really new but has been beta tested in several churches to make sure that the principles will hold water in any church. I love that it takes care of a lot of the programming elements for you. Like LHGH, this is not aimed at children but could be adapted for preteens and would be a great resource to let your church’s youth ministry team know about.
What resources and tools have you found useful at your church to help kids whose parents are going through the recovery process?
Jeff McClung 