National Observance of Children's Sabbaths^® Celebration

Join thousands of churches, synagogues, mosques and temples across the country in this celebration by holding special worship services, education programs, and advocacy activities to engage people of faith in the lives of children and their families.

Sponsored by the Children's Defense Fund, the National Observance of Children's Sabbaths Celebration is a way for faith communities to celebrate children as sacred gifts of the Divine, and provides the opportunity for houses of worship to renew and live out their moral responsibility to care, protect and advocate for all children.

This celebration is a part of a broader Children's Sabbaths movement that aims to unite religious congregations of all faiths across the nation in shared concern for children and a common commitment to improving their lives and working for justice on their behalf. In that respect, each action is bigger, more powerful and more inspiring than the efforts of any one celebration.

To assist communities with planning and implementing their Children's Sabbaths Celebration, CDF produces an annual National Observance of Children's Sabbaths Manual: A Multi-faith Resource for Year Round Child Advocacy. Though the National Observance of Children's Sabbaths Weekend is traditionaly held the third weekend of October, the worship resources and prayers found in this year's Children's Sabbaths manual are intended for use throughout the year.

The National Observance of Children's Sabbaths Celebration is supported by Catholic Charities U.S.A., the Islamic Society of North America, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., the National Assembly of Bahá’ís in the U.S., the Sikh Council on Religion and Education, the Union for Reform Judaism, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and more than 200 other religious organizations and denominations.

Children's Sabbath Promotional Resources

• National Observance of Children's Sabbaths Promotional Packet (.pdf)
  Packet includes:
  • Introduction to the Children's Sabbaths and Frequently Asked Questions
  • Ten Examples of Children's Sabbaths Celebrations from Previous Years
  • Children's Sabbaths Promotional Flyer
  • Children's Sabbaths Manual Order Form
• Ten Examples of Children's Sabbaths Celebrations from Previous Years
• Promotional Children's Sabbaths copy and graphic for newsletters (.doc)

Children's Sabbath Banner

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