“Walking Together” is a book collection designed to help elementary-aged children process common yet difficult topics alongside their parents.
We believe that parents are the most influential spiritual leaders in their children’s lives, so as a church, we want to help them lead their kids well.
We see these books as tools to help families have meaningful and hopeful conversations. We also believe they will help parents peel back the curtain on how their kids may be feeling and how they are processing weighty circumstances, whether those circumstances are happening for them personally or if they are being experienced by a friend, family member, or even a neighbor.
While the stories in this collection are not meant to be a how-to guide, they do offer families direction on how to process circumstances healthily without casting themselves as the central characters. Each book is designed in such a way for families to process both individually and together.
The Fourth Grade Plan
TRUSTING GOD EVEN WHEN THINGS ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL
The Fourth Grade Plan is centered around trusting God when things feel out of our control.
In the story, the main character has a plan for how he wants things to go. This plan includes good things like winning a special award, competing on his school team, and for his parents to get back together. Throughout the story, he wrestles with why God isn’t fixing all the things that aren’t going according to his plans. The book points to the importance of community, the importance of open conversations, and the realistic emotions that many kids face when they encounter something hard that is beyond their control.
The Unexpected Summer
EVEN WHEN WE DON’T UNDERSTAND, GOD IS GOOD
The Unexpected Summer is centered around the truth that God is still good even when we don't fully understand what He is doing.
In this story, twins, Raya and Mikey, are eagerly anticipating all the fun that comes with summer. Then, something unexpected happens that changes everything. Pa, their much loved grandfather who is a central part of their family, dies on the last day of school. Each twin struggles to process grief in their own way while their little sister doesn't seem to fully understand what has happened. With grief comes lots of questions. Pa was great, why did God let him die? Is God okay with us being sad? Can He still be good even when He lets something so unfair happen? Does He really care about our feelings?
Our intention is to equip parents to confidently enter into these conversations so that by “Walking Together” — the church alongside families, parents alongside their children — we can help our kids grow and become rooted in their faith as they learn how to navigate with hope through the very real and hard parts of life.
Meet the author!
Hi! I'm Katie and I live on the coast of North Carolina with my husband and three kiddos. I work at my local church, Port City Community Church, where I get to help families make Jesus a normal and natural part of their everyday life!
There is nothing I love more than spending time with my family, and at the same time, parenting is by far the hardest title I've ever held. I deeply wish I could protect them in a perfect bubble, but I know that isn't reality, and I know God has called us as parents to so much more. I certainly don't have all the answers, but I think God is okay with that. He doesn't expect perfection- He simply asks us to enter in and trust His faithfulness.
If you ever want to connect with our church or learn about other resources, simply email walkingtogether@portcitychurch.org and we will get back to you!
Meet the illustrator!
Hi! My name is Samantha and I have loved getting to call Wilmington and Port City Community Church home for the past few years!
I’ve recently noticed that almost all of my work revolves around caring for families. Sometimes this looks like taking care of babies or after-school pickups. Other times it looks like family photoshoots. I love that so much of what I do supports families, and this project was another opportunity to do just that!
I personally love the amount of wisdom and inspiration that comes from children's books and the way that their illustrations help readers connect in a visual and emotional way that might not have been possible without them. It has been a joy to get to be that support for these stories and I hope they help you and your family connect just a little bit deeper with the wisdom and truth found in them.