This past weekend, I had a conversation with one of my small group girls who grew up in a family with very nominal beliefs, but this year as a first year seminarian, she got invited to five different Ash Wednesday services. But, as she confessed, she had no idea what Ash Wednesday was, so she went to Google and was so overwhelmed about what she read and what to expect that she didn't go to any of them.

I grew up in a family with a parent in ministry, but our church never practiced Lent, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, or even Good Friday. That was for the one little Catholic church in town. We had an Easter Sunday service (maybe a sunrise service), everyone wore their new Easter clothes, and we ate a scrumptious meal after church with an Easter egg hunt that afternoon. Oh, and don't forget the lavish Passion Play production that the church put on for Easter weekend.

We all have different backgrounds and different levels of exposure when it comes to Easter, and you can read the previous blog posts we have done (see below), but this year, I want to let you know about an exciting new resource that you can use for yourself or, if you have kids, with your family to help them know about "the greatest rescue mission in history."

Scott James, one of our Elders at Brook Hills, wrote this two-week devotional that families can beginning on Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter) through the week after Easter. It looks at the overall message of redemption, and it helps parents unpack the importance of Jesus' death and resurrection and how these truths affect our lives today. You can simply read the devotional as a family, and the book also provides suggestions for family activities that parents can use with kids of all ages. If you're new to the concept of family worship or family devotions, this would be a great resource to start, for each devotion only takes about ten minutes to do, and it reminds our kids and ourselves that Easter is more than just "bunnies and baskets."

If you would like to purchase a copy of Mission Accomplished, you can do so for $10 at the Brookstore at our church, or you can order a copy from this site.

If you want to learn more about Easter itself and about how to cultivate family traditions that point to Christ during Easter season, read the following BH Women posts:

• "The Good in Good Friday"
• "Getting Beyond the Bunny: How We Can Celebrate Christ at Easter"