Parent Resources
Jason Helopoulos encourages the church to embrace the important part children play in the life of the church and unfolds the enormous blessings to be found in having them present in the worship services of the congregation. He points out how the struggles are temporary - whereas the blessings can be eternal.
In the history of the church, family worship has been one of the Christian family's strongest characteristics. In A Neglected Grace, Pastor Jason Helopoulos calls parents and church leaders to reclaim the practice of family worship. This indispensable means of grace directs our children to seek Christ daily, preparing them to go out into the world as fully functioning Christian adults, who love Christ and see all of life in relation to Him.
This short book offers parents practical guidance for leading their families in daily worship of God through reading Scripture, praying together, and singing songs. Includes an accessible discussion guide to use with the whole family. (88 pages)
by Bruce A. Ware
Equips parents to guide their young children through all major doctrines in an understandable, chapter-a-day format. Sure, it's easy to teach your children the essentials of Christian theology when you're a theology professor. But what about the rest of us? With Big Truths for Young Hearts, Bruce Ware, (you guessed it!) a theology professor, encourages and enables parents of children 6-14 years of age to teach through the whole of systematic theology at a level their children can understand. Parents can teach their children the great truths of the faith and shape their worldviews early, based on these truths. The book covers ten topics of systematic theology, devoting several brief chapters to each subject, making it possible for parents to read one chapter per day with their children. With this non-intimidating format, parents will be emboldened to be their children's primary faith trainers-and perhaps learn a few things themselves along the way.
by John Kwasny
God's Word teaches us that the home is to be the primary location of the discipleship of children. Parents are charged for teach the Scripture to the next generation, and calling upon their children to love God and embrace Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Yet, the reality is that many parents find it a challenge to have meaningful substantive conversations about the gospel and what it means to follow Jesus.
Established in the Faith will help guide your conversations systematically so that you can help your child build a foundational knowledge of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Church. It also includes prompts to help you share your own faith story. Each of the 12 Conversations are grounded in God's Word and will encourage your child to think deeply about what it means to be a follower of Christ.
by Stephen Smallman
This helpful, practical booklet encourages Christian parents to raise their children in a spirit of faith rather than anxiety, emphasizing the importance of bringing children to Jesus for his blessing. The author goes on to explain the meaning of regeneration and conversion as they relate to children raised in Christian families.
by Robbie Fox Castleman
"Daddy, I'd like you to meet my children." That's Robbie Castleman's attitude about taking her children to church. She believes that Sunday morning isn't a success if she has only managed to keep the kids quiet. And she knows there's more to church for kids than trying out their new coloring books. Children are at church for the same reason as their parents: for the privilege of worshiping God. Worship, Castleman writes, is "the most important thing you can ever train your child to do." So with infectious passion, nitty-gritty advice and a touch of humor, she shows you how to help your children (from toddlers to teenagers) enter into worship. In this significantly revised and updated edition Castleman includes a new preface and two new appendices that provide new perspectives on children's sermon and intergenerational community. She also provides a study guide for personal reflection or group discussion. More than ever, Parenting in the Pew is essential reading for parents and worship leaders who want to help children make joyful noises unto the Lord.
by Karen Mains
From the dawn of creation God designated the Sabbath as a time for worship and spiritual renewal as well as a much needed physical respite from the mundane cares of the world. Yet many Christians spend this holy day as they would any other—scrambling to get ready in the morning, fighting traffic and worrying about parking, coming home exhausted in the afternoon, and spending the evening in front of the television.
In this insightful, encouraging, and delightful book, best-selling author Karen Mains challenges Christians to celebrate Sunday with a sabbath heart—to make the Lord’s Day so special that there are three days of anticipation … and so meaningful that it continues to nurture for three days afterward.
by Paul David Tripp
This book by Paul David Tripp sets forth fourteen practical and gospel-centered principles that help parents view their role through the lens of God's grace, radically changing the way they think about every interaction with their children.
by Tony Reinke
Do You Control Your Phone—Or Does Your Phone Control You? Within a few years of its unveiling, the smartphone had become part of us, fully integrated into the daily patterns of our lives. Never offline, always within reach, we now wield in our hands a magic wand of technological power we have only begun to grasp. But it raises new enigmas, too. Never more connected, we seem to be growing more distant. Never more efficient, we have never been more distracted.
Drawing from the insights of numerous thinkers, published studies, and his own research, writer Tony Reinke identifies twelve potent ways our smartphones have changed us—for good and bad. Reinke calls us to cultivate wise thinking and healthy habits in the digital age, encouraging us to maximize the many blessings, to avoid the various pitfalls, and to wisely wield the most powerful gadget of human connection ever unleashed.
by Kara E. Powell
The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family addresses one of the top current concerns about youth and the church: the reality that nearly half of all young people raised in Christian families walk away from their faith when they graduate from high school. That’s the bad news. But here’s the good news: research also shows that parents are one of the primary influences on their child’s faith. What can you do to help them establish a lasting spiritual foundation? Drawing on the field-tested "Sticky Faith" action plan, Powell shares 100 practical, biblically based ideas to help you equip young adults with the tools they need to remain---and flourish---in Christ. 239 pages.
by Leslie Vernick
Moms want to be close to their daughters. Daughters (for the most part) want a good relationship with their moms. But when that relationship is strained by one person s attempt to control and manipulate, closeness is replaced by hurt, disappointment, anger, and fear. Leslie Vernick shares two stories of moms and daughters who learned how to move beyond the cycle of manipulation and control and give and share love honestly and without fear. By revealing how Christ calls and empowers us to love, she offers hope and practical help in breaking these destructive patterns of relating. 24 pages.
by Timothy A. Sisemore
Are you bringing up your children the way God wants you to? Of Such is the Kingdom re-examines the tasks of parenting and care of children in the church from a Biblical and theological point of view. This foundation is seriously lacking in current Christian literature - too often books skirt around difficult questions as the spiritual nature of children and the place of children in the church. Timothy Sisemore here builds a practical approach to parenting and children's ministry. He also reviews biblical guidelines on discipline and control yet goes beyond this to how to train up children to be godly. He suggests ways in which this can be done in both family and church settings. Subjects covered include - Christian parenting in a hostile world, educating children spiritually and academically, Cultivating godliness, disciplining and discipling, how are children saved? The Church's responsibility towards its children, children's involvement in worship and sacraments, how to develop a biblical / theological base to minister to children in all aspects of family and church life.
by Andy Crouch
Making conscientious choices about technology in our families is more than just using internet filters and determining screen time limits for our children. It's about developing wisdom, character, and courage in the way we use digital media rather than accepting technology's promises of ease, instant gratification, and the world's knowledge at our fingertips. And it's definitely not just about the kids.
Alongside in-depth research from Barna Group that shows how families are wrestling with technology's new realities, Andy Crouch takes parents beyond the typical questions of what, where, and when to show us that in a world full of devices, there's a way to choose a better life than we've imagined.