Friday, June 6, 2025
Unpacking Eid-al-Adha
Exploring traditions from other cultures helps your child grow in understanding and love for the peoples that God loves. Eid al-Adha (eed uhl-ad-HAH) is a Muslim holiday starting on the evening of Friday, June 6, 2025.
As you discover more about Eid al-Adha with your family, consider reading the biblical account of Abraham’s sacrifice from Genesis 22 together. Afterwards, ask them to point out the differences between the Bible and the Qu’ran (kuh-RAHN) versions. Let your children know the Bible’s account is true, but many Muslims think their story from the Qu’ran is right. Pray for the truth of God’s Word to be made clear to Muslims.
Each year, the exact date of Eid al-Adha changes on the Western calendar because it’s based on the Islamic lunar calendar. This means over time, the date of Eid al-Adha moves up eleven days each year because it’s based on the moon's phases.
Eid al-Adha means “Feast of Sacrifice” and is one of the biggest holidays of the year for Muslims. (Like Easter is for Christians!) It celebrates a story from the Qu’ran, a Muslim holy book. The story tells how Abraham received dreams from God to sacrifice his son, Ishmael. On Abraham’s way to sacrifice his son, Satan tries to stop him. Abraham throws stones at Satan and makes him go away. When Abraham prepares to offer his son as a sacrifice, the angel Gabriel stops him and provides a ram for the sacrifice instead of Ishmael.
Muslims celebrate Abraham’s willingness to obey God’s command each year. They start the holiday by offering an Eid prayer, then (if a family can afford it) sacrifice an animal—a camel, sheep, goat, or ram.
The meat from the animal is split three ways so everyone in the community can eat a good meal on this holiday. First, the family that sacrificed the animal keeps some of the meat. Second, some of the meat is given to friends and relatives. Third, a portion of the meat is given to those in need.
Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha for four days and dress in nice clothes, visit family and friends, eat tasty food, exchange gifts, and greet each other with “Eid Mubarak” (eed MOO-bahr-aack), which means “Have a blessed Eid!”
Read the full article with ways to pray and a family activity on Via Families.
Monday, January 13, 2025
Meet the Uyghurs
Help your family embrace God’s love for the world by developing a habit of learning about other cultures. Read this story together to learn about and pray for the Uyghurs (WEE-gurz), an unreached Muslim people group in Northwest China and Central Asia.
Welcome to Kashgar (KASH-gahr) where, in the Old City, narrow alleyways and ancient mud-brick buildings with colorful arched windows are giving way to modern, concrete architecture and wider streets. Signs here use both Arabic script and Chinese characters. Vendors at the Kashgar Bazaar sell a variety of food and drinks—freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, melons, noodles, and hardboiled eggs from birds of all sizes. The scent of freshly baked bread threads its way through the crowds.
While most Uyghur families are Muslim, many practice folk Islam as well, turning to magic, spirits, and special charms for help in navigating day-to-day problems. Many Uyghurs don’t know who Jesus really is. They may have never crossed paths with anyone who could share the gospel with them because there are so few Uyghur Christians. See those boys kicking a soccer ball around the courtyard…
Yaxshimusiz (YAKH SHEE-moh-sis)! Hello! My name is Nureli (NOOR ah-LEE). My friends and I love playing this game! Do you like soccer? I live here in the Old City with my parents. They sell all kinds of nan (nahn)—flatbread covered with almonds, walnuts, or sesame seeds—to visitors. Our stand’s bread is the best! Sometimes I help sell nan when I’m not at school or playing soccer with my friends.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
EXPLORE: VAISAKHI
Celebrated annually on April 13 or 14, Vaisakhi (vu-SAH-kee) is similar in significance to Christmas or Easter among Christians. There are 28 million Sikhs worldwide—making the Sikh religion the fifth largest in the world! The majority of Sikhs live in the Punjab region of northern India. Sikhs believe only one God exists and that all religions worship him. A core aspect of their faith is treating everyone equally. Sikhs also strive to work hard, be honest, help the poor, and serve others.
Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi for two reasons. One, it marks the beginning of the Sikh community of faith, started by Guru Nanak in 1699.
Once crops are collected, families use the harvested wheat and mustard to prepare traditional foods–roti (ROH-tee), a round flatbread, and green curry flavored with mustard. Families wear new, colorful clothes, and attend a service at the gurdwara (guhr-DWAH-ruh). In this place of worship, the guru reads from the Guru Granth Sahib, (GOO-roo grahnt SAH-heeb), the Sikh holy book.
Afterward, everyone in the community marches in a parade through the village. Vibrant yellow and orange decorations reflect the golden wheat fields at harvest time. People sing and play the drums and tumbi (TOOM-be), a small instrument that looks like a one-stringed guitar. Women perform a special harvest dance called the bhangra (BAHN-gruh).
Sometimes activities for children are set up and free food is provided for all at the gurdwara. More than a place of worship, the gurdwara serves as a community center where food, friendship and shelter are extended to all. Vaisakhi is a joy-filled celebration that reflects Sikh core values and is shared by family, friends, and the entire community.
Read my full article with kid-friendly ways to pray and an activity at Via Families.
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Unpacking Ramadan With Our Kids
As a family, watch this short video (about 3 minutes!) called, "Kids Explain Ramadan" to gain insight about Ramadan from a Muslim child's perspective. (Halal means food prepared according to Islamic law.)
2) Pray for Muslims to have dreams of Jesus as they seek out God more during this month.
ACTIVITIES
1) Swing by the Weave website to learn more about Ramadan, read a kid-focused story, and watch a children's video about the Malay.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Sunday, November 6, 2022
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
FAMILY PRAYER GUIDE
Across the globe, Christians suffer at a high cost for their devotion to Jesus. One in seven experiences intense persecution. For those of us who reside in the West, it can be challenging to comprehend such realities, let alone teach our kids about them. But we can teach our kids to pray for the persecuted church.
Sometimes following Jesus means those who aren't Christians may treat Christians unkindly—this is called persecution. Some countries say it's against the law to become a Christian. Some places won't let a Christian keep a job. Or some governments toss Christians in jail for teaching the Bible. Sometimes others make fun of Christians.
But we shouldn't be surprised when this happens. Jesus tells us in the Bible to expect that some people won't like believers because of their faith in God (John 15:18).
Even if Christians may be persecuted for their faith in Jesus, they aren't alone. They don't have to be sad. Jesus says He is always with us (Matt. 28:20). He promises to give us—and all believers—strength to keep trusting God.
Even if we aren't treated unkindly for our faith, we can understand how it may feel. And today's Bible verse tells us to remember Christians who are treated meanly by others. One big way we can remember them is by praying!
We can pray for persecuted Christians to trust God when others hurt them. We can pray they look forward to the day all sadness will end because they will be with Jesus forever in heaven! And no unkind word will be spoken again!
2) Pray for believers in countries where being a Christian isn't allowed to keep meeting together to grow in their faith.
3) Ask for persecuted Christians to keep sharing their faith with others in wise ways.
1) Courageous book series (Preschool–2nd)
This Voice of the Martyrs picture book series captures the importance of boldly sharing our faith, even when it’s hard. The set includes six books about well-known men of faith and how they remained faithful to Christ despite persecution.
2) Persecution: What can I do?: A 45-minute lesson that shares stories of persecution and our responsibility to pray for them (elementary kids).
This Imagination Station series book draws kids into the life of Bishop Patrick (the man behind Saint Patrick’s Day) as he stands up for his faith in God—even if it may cost his life. This book provides a unique lens for kids to understand the cost of following Christ in a story format.
As we teach our families about the persecuted church, may we model our responsibility and joy to pray for our suffering brothers and sisters across the earth.
Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Unpacking the Day of the Dead With Our Kids
"I don't think we can participate in the Day of the Dead at school," my nine-year-old son tells me on the car ride home.
"Why is that?" I ask.
"I think they want us to celebrate death," he says.
"How so?" I ask.
"They want us to bring a picture of loved ones who died and put it on an altar."
A couple weeks ago, we had a conversation about Halloween and the type of decorations we wouldn't use at our home because we didn't want to celebrate death—something that came as a result of disobedience to God and brings sorrow.
"I like how you're thinking about this," I say, "But I don't think there's anything wrong with remembering loved ones who have died. We would never pray to them or think our prayers could change anything for them now. We only pray to God."
From the silence in the car, I know my deep-thinking child is processing my words.
"How about we keep talking about this as your school shares its plans for this day?"
I watch my son nod his head in my rearview mirror.
The Day of the Dead is a tricky holiday to navigate as a Christian parent. While we want our children to be exposed to different cultures, this is the holiday I hear the most concern about. And I get it because it makes me uncomfortable too.
NAVIGATING THE WORLDVIEW MAZE
We don't want our kids to think the spirits of deceased loved ones will visit on this day or that somehow spirits can be summoned to connect with the dead. We want our families to avoid any participation in summoning the dead (Deut. 18:10–12). But we can take a step back to see things from a different point of view. We can be cultural learners.
I'm not advocating our kids participate in any religious aspects of the holiday (such as placing photos on an altar) or explain the deeper spiritual implications of this day but instead to view it as a chance to understand a different worldview. And to see how the gospel meets the needs of another culture.
The hope Christians have because Jesus defeated death is life-changing. We know evil spirits exist but that Jesus has authority over them (Mark 5:1–13). We don't condone the mistaken spiritual implications that can lend itself toward celebrating death. But as often happens, a once religious holiday can become more secularized. The Day of the Dead is practiced differently depending upon its location. We should keep this in mind as our kids are exposed to this celebration.
The skulls, altar, and talk of the dead may stir up concern in our hearts. Skulls decorated with flowers and hearts may strike our kids as odd or sad. It may lead to conversations about death—which can help us talk to our children about the hope we have in Jesus who defeated death. But it is also a chance to celebrate the life of loved ones who have passed away. Just as Americans might visit and leave flowers at the grave of a deceased loved one.
We can shepherd our kids through learning about a holiday we don't celebrate without fear. The apostle Paul observed the beliefs of others—even those that ran contrary to the Bible—as a springboard to talk about the gospel. He didn't condone their false beliefs but used it as a bridge toward Truth (Acts 17:22–34). We can help our kids navigate the maze of worldviews from a biblical lens so as they grow, they have the right tools to filter the world through a biblical framework.
I think there's a way to learn about it without crossing any lines (and doesn't mean we have to celebrate death or endorse the holiday) but it involves good conversations with our kids.
Remember we want to openly talk with our kids about what others believe. For an overview of how to guide conservations about other religions with your kids, check out this article I wrote. As we increase our understanding, we can better pray for others and cultivate the skills to run everything we see and hear around us through a biblical framework.
As a family, watch this short video (about 1.5 minutes!) produced by the PBS Kids show Let's Go Luna!
PRAYER PROMPTS
2) Pray for Mexican and Latin American families to understand how Jesus has defeated death.
ACTIVITIES
1) Watch the movie Coco as a family. Discuss the differences between what Mexicans believe about death, spirits, and the afterlife with what the Bible teaches. Consider walking through how Paul interacted with those whose worldview wasn't biblical in Acts 17:22–34.
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 cups water
4 ounces bittersweet Mexican chocolate, grated
4 cinnamon sticks
1-2 star anise blooms
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Monday, October 24, 2022
Unpacking Diwali With Our Kids
When October rolls around, my mind drifts to pumpkin spice coffee, autumn leaves, and Halloween. But another holiday fills this month as well: Diwali. While the exact date changes each year, it takes place every October or November.
Sometimes learning about another religion's holidays can feel uncomfortable. Like wearing a pair of shoes a size too big. But it's a great way to understand and connect with those who believe differently. And it allows us to teach our kids how to navigate different worldviews from a Christian lens. Training our kids how to filter different belief systems through a biblical worldview now will give our kids the tools to do so for themselves in the years ahead.
We want to openly talk with our kids about what others believe. For an overview of how to guide conservations about other religions with your kids, check out this article I wrote. As we increase our understanding, we can better pray for others.As a family, watch this short video (about 3 minutes!) produced by National Geographic to gain insight about Diwali (and see some of its beauty as well!).
PRAYER PROMPTS
2) Pray for Hindu families to understand how Jesus has defeated darkness and evil.
3) Ask God to place Christians in the lives of Hindus who can walk alongside them and share the gospel.
ACTIVITIES
1) Swing by the Weave website to learn more about Diwali, create your own diya lamp, make a creative design to welcome Jesus into your family's home, and learn how to pray for Hindus as a family.
2) Hang up white lights on a porch or room in your home. Then make a popular Diwali treat, Gulab Jamun. Enjoy your treat while sitting under the sparkling lights as a family and praying for Hindus.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES