Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Book Review: Pass It On

Pass It On. Jim Burns & Jeremy Lee. David C. Cook. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Rites of Passage Experience is a series of shared spiritual moments between parent and child that uses the power of symbols and ceremonies to infuse faith into the natural transitions that take place in the life of your child. 
Pass It On is a book encouraging parents to celebrate rites of passages with their children. They suggest celebrating one rite of passage per school year. The first three chapters of the book establish some of the why and how. What kind of legacy do you want to create for your children?

The remaining chapters are more of a reference, in a way. There's a chapter for a rite of passage for each grade in school starting with kindergarten. The goal, of course, is for parents to come back to this book every year as their child grows up. Each chapter is packed with information. Not only on the rite of passage and how to do it yourself in your own family, but, also information on that stage of development: physical, emotional, relational, spiritual.

  • Kindergarten: An Invitation to Generosity
  • First Grade: An Invitation to Responsibility
  • Second Grade: An Invitation to the Bible
  • Third Grade: An Invitation to Rhythm (Time-Management/Setting Priorities)
  • Fourth Grade: An Invitation to Friendship
  • Fifth Grade: An Invitation to Identity
  • Sixth Grade: Preparation for Adolescence
  • Seventh Grade: The Blessing
  • Eighth Grade: Purity Weekend
  • Ninth Grade: Driving Contract
  • Tenth Grade: Money Matters
  • Eleventh Grade: Family Tree
  • Twelfth Grade: Manhood/Womanhood Ceremony

I appreciated how each chapter has a Laying the Foundation of Faith section. The book isn't just about spirituality, but, it is the foundation in many ways.

I am choosing to only talk about one "rite of passage" experience. (It wouldn't be practical to cover all of them in a review).
Second Grade Rite of Passage
Ceremony: Bible Presentation with Scripture Testimony
Symbol: Bible
In the second grade rite of passage, you and others who are important to your child will have the chance to share why the Bible is meaningful to you, and then you will present your child with his very own special Bible. As a parent, your treatment of Scripture greatly forms how your child will treat Scripture, so this experience is a wonderful gateway to influence him concerning the power and impact of God's Word.
The first step is to purchase a Bible…
After you purchase the Bible, ask significant people in your child's life to highlight their favorite verses and write their names or initials next to those verses. We also recommend that you write a short letter to your child in the front of the Bible.
Once the Bible is ready, present it to your child. Take time to read the letter inside the cover and point out some of the verses people highlighted…
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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