Encouraging Gifts for Every Age
A little something for everyone on your list
Looking for an edifying and encouraging gift for someone you’re discipling, raising, or doing life with? Here are a few of my favorite books and resources that help point me and the people I love towards Christ!
FOR TODDLERS
Training Young Hearts
Abby Wedgeworth’s Training Young Hearts Series is so cute and encourages obedience in toddlers motivated by God’s grace in precious lift-the-flap board books! The series starts with What are Mouths For? What are Hands for?. And What are Ears For? What are Eyes For? come out in January.
Big Theology for Little Hearts
This collection of board books uses beautiful pictures and simple language to teach important truths from Scripture! These would make great stocking stuffers for a toddler! I also love to include them in baby shower gifts. Creation and The Church are my favorite!
FOR KIDS
Do Great Things for God
This book series is so special, especially for little girls. Each book highlights incredible women that did great things for God during their life – missionaries, pastor’s wives, women that used their gifts to serve others and pursue justice. There is a book about Corrie ten Boom, Susanna Spurgeon, Amy Carmichael, and more.
The Biggest Story Bible Storybook is as theologically rich as it is beautiful! If your children have graduated from The Jesus Storybook Bible this is a great next step before a Bible of their own.
Tales that Tell the Truth
This 14 books series is fabulous. I love reading them, I love gifting them, I love seeing what they come up with next! The Friend who Forgives is a sweet book about Peter. Any time, Any Place, Any Prayer teaches kids the beauty of talking to God about anything, anywhere. The Awesome Super Fantastic Forever Party is all about heaven and the life that Christ invites us into. So many good options!
The Boy Who Was Bold has been one of my favorite books to gift this year! This children’s book, written by my pastor and friend – Adam Griffin, is about Jesus as a child and teaches kids what it looks like to be bold and courageous for Christ.
TWEENS
Kaleidoscope Kids Bibles are individual books of the Bible retold in narrative form for kids who are beyond the Jesus Storybook Bible and The Biggest Story, but might still find the ESV or CSB hard to navigate. There are books for Genesis, Exodus, Matthew, and more.
Andrew Peterson’s Wingfeather Saga four-book series is an epic fantasy adventure between good and evil. These books have been a hit among so many kids I know, especially boys 8-12!
TEENS
10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Curiosity is a great book for teens! Rebecca Mclaughlin doesn’t try to trivialize, dumb down, or dance around the difficult questions that can come up about Christianity, but instead speaks to teens in a way that is mature and meaningful and invites them into the life-giving truth that Christianity offers.
Good News, a Bible Study for teen girls, about how to know the gospel and live it out is a great option for girls that are wanting to go deeper into the Word of God and grow in their ability to know and communicate the gospel.
My friend, Haley, wrote a beautiful 10-week study for high school girls called Rooted to Rise. This book guides girls through Scripture and invites them to live boldly for Christ while addressing things they encounter in their daily lives like identity, social media, gossip, etc.
MEN
Made for People written by Justin Whimel Earley is a clear call to fight for friendship in a lonely world. He shares practical habits for pursuing and prioritizing friendship that apply to anyone, but I think he holds out a picture of friendship amongst men that is really admirable.
Dane Ortlund’s In the Lord I Take Refuge is a daily Psalms devotional. Each Psalm and accompanying reflection can be read in less than ten minutes and invites the reader to consider and pray through each Psalm.
The Training of The Twelve is a detailed look at how Jesus found and taught twelve disciples and how these men were transformed by their time with him. This is a long, but worthwhile read. It would be perfect for a man that is discipling younger men or desires to grow in his knowledge of Christ and his apostles.
WOMEN
Ruth Chou Simons new devotional, Pilgrim: 25 Ways God’s Character Leads Us Onward is theologically rich and full of gorgeous illustrations. It’s a perfect gift for your mom, mother-in-law, best friend, or any women in your life that needs a reminder that God goes with her and before her.
Liturgies of Hope is full of sixty prayers for all the high and low moments in life. It was written by two women that began writing prayers for their local church. It’s a beautiful offering that gives words to so many feelings we have all experienced and reminds us that we have a God who hears our prayers.
All my Knotted Up Life is one of my most favorite booksI read (or listened to) this year. Beth Moore’s honest, vulnerable, heartfelt memoir is an encouragement to anyone who has grown up using her bible studies, any women in ministry, or anyone who needs to be reminded that God is up to something good in her days, even if it’s difficult to see at the present moment.
