Family Man Family Leader

"What this country needs is a few good men-husbands and fathers who are willing to love and lead their households with manly resolve and godly vision. Frankly, the Church needs these men every bit as much as the rest of the country. For more than ten years, Philip Lancaster has been instilling hope, and calling fathers to their rightful duties as family prophets, priests, protectors, and providers. Through his magazine Patriarch, Phil has reached thousands with both the vision and the tools necessary for family revival. Now, in his first book, Phil lays-in simple, easy-to-understand concepts-the biblical foundation necessary for men to turn their hearts to home and change the world. Soundly reasoned and biblically supported, Family Man, Family Leader is appropriate for any man, old or young."

The typical American family has changed dramatically since the days of "Ozzie and Harriet" and "Father Knows Best." Double-income families are now the rule, and fathers are much more involved in raising the children and cleaning house. Reactions to these changes have been diverse, ranging from grave misgivings to a sense of liberation and new possibility. Groups as diverse as Promise Keepers, the Million Man March, and Robert Bly's mythopoetic men's movement tell us that fathers are important. From the fundamentalist right to the feminist left, opinions about the changing nature of the family--and the consequent rethinking of gender roles--have been vehement, if not always very well-founded. In Family Man, sociologist Scott Coltrane brings a wealth of compelling evidence to this debate over the American family. Drawing on his own extensive research and many fascinating interviews, Coltrane explodes many of the common myths about shared parenting, provides first-hand accounts of men's and women's feelings in two-job families, and reveals some innovative solutions that couples have developed to balance job and family commitments. Readers will find an insightful discussion of precisely how and why family life has changed, what forms it may take in the future, and what new kinds of fathers may be on the horizon. The author firmly places these questions within a broad contextual framework. He provides, for instance, an illuminating history of the family that shows that, far from being a fixed structure, the family has always adapted to changing economic, social, and ideological pressures. And by examining how families operate in a variety of non-industrial societies, he demonstrates that our own notions of gender-specific work and parenting roles are culturally rather than biologically determined, and thus inherently flexible. And indeed these roles are changing. While contemporary American women still perform the bulk of domestic tasks, Family Man gives us decisive evidence that men are becoming increasingly involved in both housework and childrearing. Coltrane argues convincingly that this trend will continue. Given the current economic situation--with two-job households now the norm--and the gradual ideological shift away from restrictive gender roles, more and more couples will find it both necessary and desirable to share the workload. More important, Coltrane suggests that as fathers participate more fully in raising their children and performing traditionally female household tasks, men will themselves be transformed by the experience in profoundly positive ways and American society as a whole will move closer to true gender equity. Family Man succeeds brilliantly in bringing clarity, perspective, and above all hope to a discussion that is too often shrill, chaotic, and beset with the rhetoric of nostalgia. It shows us not only exactly where the family is today, but where it has been and what it may become.

Ivor A. Stevens was an uncommon human being and an even more uncommon politician. He was born on St. Kitts, but grew up in the sister island of Nevis. He later served in the Canadian military, during World War 11. Upon his return to St. Kitts-Nevis in the late 1940s, Stevens soon found himself in the center of a developing political confl ict between the two islands. In time, he settled on Nevis and took that islands side. Eventually, Stevens became embroiled in a political love-hate relationships with two Nevisians, Eugene Walwyn and Simeon Daniel. Each of the three men was destined to leave his mark on the islands politics and history. Walwyn was soon labeled a traitor to Nevis. Later, despite the fact that Stevens and Daniel worked together in the same political party for many years, the two men came to mistrust the vision and intent of each others politics. The Caribbean does have a long history of authoritarian and forever leadership. However, Stevens was careful to focus on empowering younger Nevisians to become future leaders and politicians. He was interested in preserving the environment and the islands traditional culture. Often, Mr. Stevens stood in defense of the common citizens rights, against wealthy elites. He also played a critical role in encouraging a less combative relationship between the people of St. Kitts and Nevis. This is his story:

It is believed that most of men have a strong passion for their families. They love their family and certainly care for their family. The most important thing for them in the world is their family. They want to do as much as they can for their family (although there are exceptions). They work hard for nothing else but their family. If they can give, they will give everything they can for the sake of their family. Many of them want to try their best, but they found it so difficult to do so because of the demand and stress from work and society and not knowing how to care for their family.Leadership in Family: Men's Relationship with Family is not a book with theories about the leadership in family. It is a book of a man sharing of experiences, mistakes, and struggles to other men who are willing to commit themselves to be a good leader of their family. It is written to exemplify profound encouragement and direction for men to be a family builder, trust builder, initiator, encourager and faith builder with some practical ideas to help them to build up their family and to build the community. This is a book to guide and support men define their personal meaning of true leadership; it also speaks to the hearts of women in understanding the importance of supporting men to be the leader of their family.

What does it take to be a “real” man? You don’t have to be perfect to be a man of God. As Dr. Charles Stanley writes, a man of God is a maturing man, a striving man, a knowledgeable man. And the first step in real manhood is spiritual rebirth. In Man of God, Dr. Stanley asks and answers questions such as these: What can we learn about manhood from Jesus’s example?How does a true leader allow God to lead him?Why is a godly man “both velvet and steel”?What does it look like to be a provider?What does it mean to lead with sensitivity? Man of God will challenge and equip you to become a better leader, teacher, father, and husband. What makes a man? The answer starts here. Includes study guide for individuals or groups.

American evangelicals are known for focusing on the family, but the Quiverfull movement intensifies that focus in a significant way. Often called "Quiverfull" due to an emphasis on filling their "quivers" with as many children as possible (Psalm 127:5), such families are distinguishable by their practices of male-only leadership, homeschooling, and prolific childbirth. Their primary aim is "multigenerational faithfulness" - ensuring their descendants maintain Christian faith for many generations. Many believe this focus will lead to the Christianization of America in the centuries to come. Quivering Families is a first of its kind project that employs history, ethnography, and theology to explore the Quiverfull movement in America. The book considers a study of the movement's origins, its major leaders and institutions, and the daily lives of its families. Quivering Families argues that despite the apparent strangeness of their practice, Quiverfull is a thoroughly evangelical and American phenomenon. Far from offering a countercultural vision of the family, Quiverfull represents an intensification of longstanding tendencies. The movement reveals the weakness of evangelical theology of the family and underlines the need for more critical and creative approaches.

Do You Want to Be a Spiritual Leader? Start Here Have the day-to-day realities of being a dad and husband left you frustrated or just plain worn out? You’re not alone. Jerrad Lopes felt that way too…until he started blogging about his struggles and discovered thousands of other men who want to be good husbands and fathers but don’t know where to start. You will learn that spiritual leaders realize their story isn’t the story—it’s all about Jesus point their wives, children, community, and world toward God stumble their way through spiritual leadership rather than doing nothing seek humility rather than striving for perfection refuse to let their sin and shame stop them from leading their family look for adventure in the kingdom of God, not in the world create gospel-centered memories with their wife and children When you begin to understand the bigger picture of God’s purpose for you in your marriage and family, you’ll see that the good news of Jesus makes it possible for you to love and lead without fear and discouragement. Get equipped and encouraged as you become the man God is calling you to be—even when you’re dad tired.

The twelve steps used in the twelve steps devotional reading plan in this Bible have been adapted from the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.