"88% of children raised in evangelical homes leave church at the age of 18 never to return." Nothing is more important than where your kids will spend eternity. As a parent, you don't want to suffer the heartache of your children rebelling against their Christian upbringing. In this practical book, noted author/evangelist Ray Comfort counters the unscriptural belief that a child can be saved merely by "asking Jesus into his heart," and shares time-tested principles to help parents (and children's workers) guide their children to experience genuine salvation and avoid the pitfall of rebellion. Filled with creative ideas for family devotions, tips for safeguarding kids from harmful influences, and great suggestions for helping kids learn God's holy standard, the Ten Commandments.
Andrew Murray has done a great service by instructing the saints to understand and perform their parental duties; as well as encouraging parents to model the same qualities we all desire to see our children manifest in their own young lives. This is a treasure-trove of godly insight, wisdom, and advice set forth in 52 concise 3-4 page chapters. Parents can read, discuss and meditate upon each lesson weekly, perhaps as a Lord's Day activity, and grow significantly over the course of the year in godly parenting. Just a few of the many things you'll be instructed in are- How to build your family in the Lord, How to diffuse stressful family situations, How to have faith in God's promises and help your children to as well, How to offer godly counsel to your children, How to present the gospel to your children repeatedly in the course of daily life, and How to trust God for the needs of your children, among so much more. All parents should purchase this book immediately; and grandparents need to make a gift of this book to their own children who are beginning the parenting adventure.
Christian parenting is hard work--and it's getting harder. Parents have a deep desire to pass on their faith, but fear that today's increasingly skeptical and hostile world will eventually lead their kids to reject the truth of Christianity. That leaves many parents feeling overwhelmed--uncertain of what they can do to help their children, given the difficulty and extent of the faith challenges they will face. This practical and timely resource gives parents the confidence of knowing what to discuss with their children and how to discuss it in order to facilitate impactful conversations that will form the basis of a lifelong faith. In a friendly, parent-to-parent voice, Natasha Crain identifies 30 specific conversations about God that parents must have with their children, organizing them under the categories of - the existence of God - science and God - the nature of God - believing in God - the difference God makes Chapters are sequenced in a curriculum-oriented way to provide a cumulative learning experience, making this book a flexible resource for use in multiple settings: homes, church classes, youth groups, small groups, private Christian schools, and homeschools. Every chapter has a step-by-step conversation guide with discussion questions and tips, and content is readily adaptable for use with kids of any age (elementary through high school). Endorsements: "My prayer is that God will use this book to both motivate and equip you to help your kids develop convictions about their faith."--From the foreword by Sean McDowell, PhD, Biola University professor, speaker, and author of more than eighteen books, including A New Kind of Apologist "I can't think of a more relevant or more needed book for parents raising kids in today's culture. This book on apologetics will lead parents in critical conversations that will help grow and guide kids to be lifelong followers of Christ."--Kristen Welch, author of Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World "Hey parents: Do you want to reduce the chances that your child will follow the crowd to the point of rejecting Christ and the values and truths you hold so dearly? Then you need to have the conversations that Natasha Crain so brilliantly describes in this book. Prevent heartbreak later by reading and heeding this book now!"--Frank Turek, PhD, president of CrossExamined Ministries and author of I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist and Stealing from God "May this book lead to thousands more Moms and Dads engaging with their kids through an intelligent faith. And may there be tens of thousands more kids who feel loved because the adults in their lives take their questions seriously."--Jeff Myers, PhD, president, Summit Ministries
Jodie Berndt shows you how to make the Bible a book of prayers that can powerfully influence your children’s lives. You’ll discover how to pray specifically and expectantly for their faith, character, safety, relationships, and future. You’ll gain new, biblical perspectives on God’s purposes for your children. And through the encouragement of the Scriptures and true-life stories, you’ll find out what a huge difference your prayers really make in the lives of those you love most. Discover How to Pray God’s Will for Your Children’s Lives There’s no place like God’s Word to turn to when you want to pray confidently and effectively for your kids. “Prayers permeated with the Word of God bring about changes in our children and keep us in touch with God’s priorities. This is a wonderful resource that you will want to refer to over and over.” Fern Nichols, founder and president of Moms in Touch International “If I could choose only one book to help me pray for my children, this is it! Not only has Jodie given us a rich treasure of true stories, practical prayers, and relevant Scriptures for our children, but a surprise awaits! In reading this I found my own confidence if God growing. RUN and get this book for moms and grandmoms.” Susan Alexander Yates, author of How to Like the Ones You Love “I know of no one who can speak more authoritatively than Jodie Berndt on praying for your children. Every parent who wants their children to grow into godly men and women should read this book.
OVER 500,000 SOLD IN THE PRAYING THE SCRIPTURES SERIES As parents of adult children, we often worry about whether our children will make good choices when they're on their own. Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children provides you with biblically based prayers and encouraging stories to guide you as you pray for your adult children through anything they face. Parent and author Jodie Berndt understands what it's like to release children into the world and still care deeply about them and everything they're up against in life. In Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children, Jodie shares prayers designed with your adult children in mind, whether they're just leaving the nest, flying well on their own, or struggling to take off at all. Jodie shares advice on navigating all aspects of adulthood with encouraging stories from experienced parents who are praying their children through real-life issues like leaving the church, struggling with health concerns, navigating broken marriages, fighting addiction, dealing with financial problems, and more. In Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children, Jodie addresses some of the most difficult questions that confront parents: How can I support my children when they make decisions I disagree with? Is it too late to start praying for my children? What does the Bible teach us about praying for our children? With the grace and wisdom of someone who's been there, Jodie shares the tools and encouragement you need to find the strength to keep praying, even as you doubt yourself and grieve over your children's choices. Whatever you're praying for, Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children will help you find confidence and peace taken straight from Scripture, guiding you to the bedrock of God's promises as you release your children to God's shepherding care.
Winner of the Distinguished Book Award from American Sociology Association Sociology of Religion Section Winner of the Richard Kalish Best Publication Award from the Gerontological Society of America Few things are more likely to cause heartache to devout parents than seeing their child leave the faith. And it seems, from media portrayals, that this is happening more and more frequently. But is religious change between generations common? How does religion get passed down from one generation to the next? How do some families succeed in passing on their faith while others do not? Families and Faith: How Religion is Passed Down across Generations seeks to answer these questions and many more. For almost four decades, Vern Bengtson and his colleagues have been conducting the largest-ever study of religion and family across generations. Through war and social upheaval, depression and technological revolution, they have followed more than 350 families composed of more than 3,500 individuals whose lives span more than a century--the oldest was born in 1881, the youngest in 1988--to find out how religion is, or is not, passed down from one generation to the next. What they found may come as a surprise: despite enormous changes in American society, a child is actually more likely to remain within the fold than leave it, and even the nonreligious are more likely to follow their parents' example than to rebel. And while outside forces do play a role, the crucial factor in whether a child keeps the faith is the presence of a strong fatherly bond. Mixing unprecedented data with gripping interviews and sharp analysis, Families and Faith offers a fascinating exploration of what allows a family to pass on its most deeply-held tradition--its faith.
For centuries, parents have used the ancient method of learning and reciting questions and answers to teach the core doctrines of the faith. This beautifully designed book uses this regular rhythm of asking and answering to introduce children to spiritual truths and spark a hunger within them to know God even more.
A Powerful Approach to Bringing God's Grace to Kids Did you know that the way we deal (or don't deal) with our kids' misbehavior shapes their beliefs about themselves, the world, and God? Therefore it's vital to connect with their hearts--not just their minds--amid the daily behavior battles. With warmth and grace, Jim and Lynne Jackson, founders of Connected Families, offer four tried-and-true keys to handling any behavioral issues with love, truth, and authority. You will learn practical ways to communicate messages of grace and truth, how to discipline in a way that motivates your child, and how to keep your relationship strong, not antagonistic. Discipline is more than just a short-term attempt to modify your child's actions--it's a long-term investment to help them build faith, wisdom, and character for life. When you discover a better path to discipline, you'll find a more well-behaved--and well-believed--kid.
Building and Sustaining a Thriving Leadership Culture Essential to every healthy church is a biblical model of leadership. In the New Testament, church leadership is built around a team of elders working together, each bringing his own unique skills and gifts to the cause of shepherding the flock God entrusted to them. However, in many churches today the principle of plurality in leadership is often misunderstood, mistakenly applied, or completely ignored. Dave Harvey encourages church leaders to prioritize plurality for the surprising ways that it helps churches to flourish. This book not only builds a compelling case for churches to adopt and maintain biblical elder pluralities guided by solid leadership but also supplies practical tools to help elders work together for transformation. Download the free study guide.
