Good Easter gifts for family with evangelization in mind?

[Holly3278]

Hi everyone. I am wanting to get a good Easter gift for each of my family members. It needs to be relatively inexpensive. I am going to get them one gift per household. But I am looking to get them something that will evangelize them. My dad is conservative/fundamentalist Southern Baptist. His girlfriend is a conservative Presbyterian. Both are non-practicing. My sister, Cassie, and brother-in-law, Nathan, are conservative/fundamentalist Pentecostals. My sister, Patricia, is a liberal Atheist and is also a practicing bisexual. My grandma is a believer in the New Age type of stuff. My grandpa is an Atheist. My grandma and grandpa on my mom’s side of the family are conservative General Baptists. Could you all recommend something for each of them? I am thinking of possibly getting each of them an inexpensive New American Bible (Catholic Bible) and then printing out some tracts to give them as well. What would you recommend?

 

[CalCatholic]

Wow, you have a diverse family! Here is a web site that has a lot of Catholic items which might help you come up with something. Good luck!
www.leafletonline.com/

 

[Joe_5859]

I applaud your efforts to reach out to your family in this way at Easter time.

It’s hard for me to make definitive recommendations without actually knowing the people in question or knowing the level of the relationship between you and each one of them, but I offer a few things to think about before making your final decision.

A Bible is a good gift, but if some (such as your sister and BIL) are practicing another Christian faith, might they question why they need another Bible?

I would think that most people (even atheists or non-practicing Christians) at least have a Bible in the house. You might consider whether or not the gift would be dismissed out of hand by any particular person.

There are some great spiritual works out there (like Thomas a Kempis’ great Imitation of Christ) that you might consider as an alternative. Think about whether something like that (which they likely would have never heard of before) might be more intriguing to them such that they would actually pick it up and read it.

There are some good apologetics books out there, too (such as Peter Kreeft’s Yes or No?: Straight Answers to Tough Questions about Christianity) which are titled provocatively enough to titillate the curiosity of even the most disinterested agnostic. I would definitely encourage some thought before going the apologetics route, though. Depending upon the relationship you have with the person, such a gift might be met with openness, hostility, or an apathetic eyeroll. I wouldn’t give a gift that you think will only provoke the person.

 

[aspirant]

I’d be more inclined to do something like buy some wooden eggs at the craft store, paint them red, then decorate them. Red eggs are a traditional symbol of the resurrection, which we will be celebrating. Such a gift would be inexpensive, hand-made and personalized, and full of religious significance which can be shared.

 

[kage_ar]

I applaud your efforts to reach out to your family in this way at Easter time.

It’s hard for me to make definitive recommendations without actually knowing the people in question or knowing the level of the relationship between you and each one of them, but I offer a few things to think about before making your final decision.

A Bible is a good gift, but if some (such as your sister and BIL) are practicing another Christian faith, might they question why they need another Bible?

I would think that most people (even atheists or non-practicing Christians) at least have a Bible in the house. You might consider whether or not the gift would be dismissed out of hand by any particular person.

There are some great spiritual works out there (like Thomas a Kempis’ great Imitation of Christ) that you might consider as an alternative. Think about whether something like that (which they likely would have never heard of before) might be more intriguing to them such that they would actually pick it up and read it.

There are some good apologetics books out there, too (such as Peter Kreeft’s Yes or No?: Straight Answers to Tough Questions about Christianity) which are titled provocatively enough to titillate the curiosity of even the most disinterested agnostic. I would definitely encourage some thought before going the apologetics route, though. Depending upon the relationship you have with the person, such a gift might be met with openness, hostility, or an apathetic eyeroll. I wouldn’t give a gift that you think will only provoke the person.

Exactly!!

C.S. Lewis’ works are also good choices.