Christian Coloring Pages

• Crosses: a plain wooden cross, a cross with lilies, a cross made of flowers and a Celtic cross with knotwork
• Symbols: a dove with an olive branch, the fish symbol, a lamb, an anchor and a candle
• Churches: a white chapel with a steeple and a stone church with a bell tower
• Prayer: praying hands, a child kneeling by a bed, a family saying grace and the Lord's Prayer in outline letters (Matthew 6)
• Stained glass: a rose window to fill with color
• Church life: a children's choir and an open Bible on a lectern
• Teaching pages: the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22 to 23) and the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10 to 18)

Children color with more interest when they know what a picture stands for. Here are short explanations you can read aloud.

• Cross. The central symbol of Christianity, recalling the death and resurrection of Jesus.
• Dove. A sign of the Holy Spirit and of peace. A dove brings Noah an olive leaf in Genesis 8, and the Spirit descends like a dove at the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3.
• Fish. One of the earliest Christian symbols. The letters of the Greek word for fish, ichthys, stand for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior."
• Lamb. A symbol for Jesus, who is called the Lamb of God in John 1:29.
• Anchor. A sign of hope, drawn from Hebrews 6:19.
• Candle or lamp. Light, as in "the light of the world" in John 8:12.

Many churches change the color of their cloths and banners with the season, and children can use the same colors on their pages. Purple is used in Advent and Lent, white or gold at Christmas and Easter, red at Pentecost, and green for the long stretches of Ordinary Time in between. Some churches use blue in Advent. Practices differ between denominations, so check with your own.

Tuck a page and a few crayons into a bulletin for children who sit through the service. Use the fruit of the Spirit page across nine weeks, coloring one fruit at a time: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. For a bulletin board, color the rose window with markers and rub the back lightly with cooking oil so light shines through.