Bret NicholausBret Nicholaus—author, Loyola Press senior writer, and father of two young boys—shares why he enjoys 52 Simple Ways to Talk with Your Kids about Faith by Jim Campbell.

Naturally, your child is exposed to the Catholic faith at Mass or in a parish religious education class. But what about the rest of the week? How much exposure to the faith does your child experience before nervously heading off to school the morning of a big test, or following a tough loss in a weekend soccer game?

Since most parents feel uncomfortable, if not ill-equipped, to discuss matters of the faith with their kids, most children receive very little real-world faith training from their parents. That’s why I love 52 Simple Ways to Talk with Your Kids about Faith—it helps everyday moms and dads recognize and optimize opportune moments for talking about the faith.

In the book, author, theologian, and father/grandfather Jim Campbell cites 52 common opportunities that arise in daily life where parents can easily bring faith into the discussion. From moving to a new neighborhood to dealing with the loss of a pet, from keeping promises to dealing with sibling rivalry, you’ll discover all sorts of meaningful ways to talk to your child about faith regardless of the issue or situation involved. A bonus is that Campbell always provides Scripture verses that tie in to the topic at hand, as well as a prayer that parents and children can pray together.

In the end, 52 Simple Ways to Talk with Your Kids about Faith offers something substantial for both parent and child: parents gain the confidence to talk openly about faith with their child, and children come to understand that the life of faith goes well beyond the pews in the parish—it extends even to the sidelines of the soccer field!

For a limited time you can purchase 52 Simple Ways to Talk with Your Kids about Faith at 30% off the regular price. Use code FAM7 to receive the discount, which is valid through December 1, 2009.

Advent Webinar for Faith Leaders

by Loyola Press on October 29, 2009

ProfileJoe Paprocki, National Consultant for Faith Formation for Loyola Press and veteran catechist, invites catechists, religion teachers, and RCIA leaders to join him in this Webinar that explores how to create engaging advent-themed faith-formation activities drawn from the Sunday Scripture Readings of Cycle C (the Gospel of Luke). Joe will take us through the readings for this Advent season, explore the theme for each week, and share some unique ways you can develop the theme into activities that inspire children, youth, and adults to enter more deeply into the beauty and holiness of Advent.

In the days following the Webinar, Joe will offer additional Advent-related activities on his blog, Catechist’s Journey. If you are unable to attend the Webinar, you may view the video on Joe’s blog. It will be posted the week following the Webinar.

This free Webinar is led by Joe Paprocki, an 8th-grade catechist in the Archdiocese of Chicago with over 30 years of experience in pastoral ministry. Joe, National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, is the author of numerous books including the best-selling The Catechist’s Toolbox and A Well-Built Faith, as well as the host of the blog Catechist’s Journey.

Register for this free Webinar today by clicking here.

If you have additional questions about the Webinar, please contact Carrie Freyer at freyer@loyolapress.com.

Loyola Press launches a new 3-Minute Retreat Experience

by Loyola Press on October 21, 2009

The highly popular 3-Minute Retreat was updated over night.  After months of reviewing subscriber feedback, Loyola Press implemented changes to the daily 3-Minute retreat.  The new retreat includes:

3-Minute Retreat Page-New images and music to enhance the retreat experience
-Larger fonts for easier reading
-No time constraints to move forward or backward, allowing you to pray at your own pace
-Related retreats to continue the prayer experience
-Opportunities to comment on retreats and share with friends

 Loyola Press is excited to hear your feedback.  Please share it on the comments section of the 3-Minute retreat page.

Fr. James Martin, SJ, is honored by Fordham University

by Loyola Press on October 20, 2009

Photo courtesy of James Martin, SJ

On October 16, Fr. James Martin and 11 other individuals received Sapientia et Doctrina awards from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education.  Fr. Martin spoke at the celebration about the role of humor as a sign of faith.  Fr. Martin said, “We’ve all met Catholics who seem to think that being religious means being deadly serious… But of course, when you’re deadly serious, you’re seriously dead.”  For more information about the Sapientia et Doctrina celebration, visit Fordham University’s eNewsroom.

Bert Ghezzi on EWTN Radio

by Loyola Press on October 15, 2009

Voices of the SaintsListen to EWTN Radio throughout the month of November for short reflections from Bert Ghezzi on the saints, adapted from his new book, Voices of the Saints

You can catch the program on your local EWTN radio station or listen to a recording on EWTN’s Web site.