If you work with children, whether as a parent, caregiver, or Bible teacher, you may be interested in Sedrick and the Shepherd, a delightfully told parable that imparts deep spiritual truths in words a child can understand.
A small wild sheep named Sedrick looks into the eyes of the Shepherd one day and knows that he wants to be a part of the Shepherd’s flock. But how can he get there? Trying to sneak over the wall into the fold, taking his own trail to get to the sweet meadows, and washing his wool to make himself attractive to the Shepherd all yield disastrous results. At long last, Sedrick knows what he must do.
Soft watercolor illustrations by Hannah Lehigh capture the emotion of the story in a beautiful way, and a small mouse companion on every page adds a touch of whimsy to Sedrick’s narrative. Children will love to look for that mouse.
I went to a week of missions training done by Northern Youth Programs with Samantha Bender, the author of Sedrick and the Shepherd, and got to know her as a person full of life and with a passion to share the gospel. “Many children’s books talk about being ‘good,’ with little of the actual Gospel intertwined,” Samantha said when she reached out to me through email. “I desired to share a simple word picture of salvation to help children better understand the Gospel and to better know the Shepherd of our souls.”
Sedrick and the Shepherd makes an excellent read-aloud books for parents or grandparents–the words roll off the tongue in a very storytelling kind way. It would make a nice addition to Sunday School or Bible class for elementary children or be used in kids’ ministry for children who may not receive a clear understanding of the gospel at home.
You will be interested to know that 100% of the profits from every purchase will go to Gospel-centered ministries and missions. Visit www.lulu.com/shop to order your own copy (or many copies!) of Sedrick and the Shepherd and to support the spread of the gospel in more ways than one. You can also order directly from Samantha at writesamanthabender@gmail.com.
And here’s a strange fact that might also interest you: when I was walking down the street of Kalona, Iowa, the other week during a visit to Grandma Dorothy’s house, Samanth messaged me: Odd question, but where are you? I just saw a lady walk down the sidewalk that I almost hollered at because she looks just like you! You may or may not have a twin in Kalona, IA.
Turns out Samantha lives in Kalona, and the next evening Annalise and I sat on the floor with Samantha and her bright-eyed, auburn-haired, ten-month-old daughter Susan, chatting and playing. (The experience was enjoyable for me and harrowing for Annalise because she was NOT impressed with Susan and did NOT want to share toys.)
Ah well. When she gets older, she may change her mind. When she gets older, she may even think it’s cool that Susan’s mom wrote a book that she loves.
Such things take time.
P.S. Samantha gave me a copy of Sedrick and the Shepherd to review, but the opinions expressed here are my own.
I too am a friend of Samantha’s and think she did a great job with this book! I also live in Kalona and would like to meet you sometime, if you’re feeling up to it and have time for it. 🤩
That would be fun!
Well done Samantha! Glad i could visit you in Kalona
Samantha, I had a similar situation to yours. I saw someone walk past the window at work. I wasn’t quite sure who it was but she looked an awfully lot like a casual acquaintance from Pennsylvania. I waited till she was past then stepped out and called, “Salome.” She responded to her name, turned around, and came back, and we chatted. My hunch was right. If I had been wrong she may have never caught on.
I certainly didn’t have her cell number, so your strategy wouldn’t have worked for me. But it worked fine for you.
Linda Rose