Parent Driven Discipleship

As many Christians bemoan the deterioration of "family values" in our society, have we, as Christian parents, abdicated our responsibility by spiritually abandoning our children?Although the church has a part in our children's spiritual education are we not accountable before God for the spiritual development of our children? Statistics reveal that Christian parents are rarely involved in the spiritual lives of their children. Scripture, however, paints a very different picture of what this relationship should look like. As parents, we have the responsibility to "drive" the discipleship process in the home. We must keep our hands on the wheel and take responsibility to guide our children as they journey through life. This includes purposefully sharing the gospel with them, teaching them the ways of the Lord, and modeling for them a Great Commission focused lifestyle. The purpose of this book is to examine the biblical responsibility parents have to be involved in their children's spiritual lives and help equip them to take an active role. - Michael Kennedy Besides laying out a clear study of the biblical foundation for his call to parents, author Michael Kennedy supplies a parent and church questionnaire to give the reader an assessment of their starting place and then proceeds to give practical stepping stones to begin raising their children in the admonition of the Lord.

More teens are turning away from the faith than ever before: it is estimated that 75 to 88 percent of Christian teens walk away from Christianity by the end of their freshman year of college. Something must be done. Family Driven Faith equips Christian parents with the tools they need to raise children biblically in a post-Christian, anti-family society. Voddie Baucham, who with his wife has overcome a multi-generational legacy of broken and dysfunctional homes, shows that God has not left us alone in raising godly children. In his Word he has given us timeless precepts and principles for multi-generational faithfulness. Baucham’s celebrated guide for godly, healthy families is now available in paperback, with study questions added. Parents will find this a critical resource for the spiritual nourishment and protection of the next generation.

The most important disciple a parent will make is within their own home, and yet this is the most difficult disciple to make. Family Discipleship by Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin helps readers develop a sustainable rhythm of gospel-centered discipleship through a guided framework focusing on moments of discipleship in 3 key areas: time (intentional time gathering your family around gospel activities or conversations), moments (leveraging opportunities throughout the day), and milestones (celebrating significant life events). Each section provides parents with Scriptures to consider, questions to answer, structures to implement, and ideas to try out as they seek to see Christ formed in their children. Here is a book that begins with the end in mind, offering ideas and examples of what gospel-centered family discipleship looks like, helping parents design their own discipleship plan as they seek to raise children in the love and fear of the Lord.

There are literally thousands of books available on how to live various aspects of the Christian life. Of these, at least a couple of dozen pertaining to family life and child training are well worth reading. This is not one of those books. This book is designed to help you take those other books, as well as all the sermons, teachings, and exhortations you have received on child training and leadership in the home, and make sense of it all. Pastor Tad Thompson has assembled a biblical approach to effective family discipleship. Let him share it with you in this clear, encouraging, accessible book. This is not another book of tactics and techniques. It is a book of strategy for parents who want to be intentional about discipleship in the home.

As Catholic parents, we have one fundamental mission: to raise children who know and love God, and who are so in love with Christ that they can't help but share his message. We are called not only to be disciples ourselves, but to be discipleship parents, evangelizing our children so they become disciples, too. That sounds great, but we know this is not always easy. The culture often stands in the way of our raising whole and holy children. Sometimes our own failures, wounds, and weaknesses make it difficult to pour ourselves fully into the mission. Even if we are working to plant the seeds of faith, how can we ensure that the soil is cultivated so the seeds can grow and flourish? In Discipleship Parenting, Kim Cameron-Smith provides tools and insights to help parents foster seven ideal growing conditions in the home: Love Balance Play Merciful Discipline Empathy Radiant Faith A Strong Marriage Raising children to know and love Christ, and to share that love with others, is the most important work we will ever do. Let's join together in Discipleship Parenting and respond to God's call and mission for all our families. Click here to register for the related webcast ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kim Cameron-Smith is the founder of the Intentional Catholic Parenting online ministry and the host of the Gentle Catholic Parenting Podcast, where she explores the intersection between Catholicism and the science of parenting. She is a licensed attorney and a member of the California state bar. She holds a B.A. from Wellesley College, an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University, and a J.D. from U.C. Berkeley. Kim lives in Northern California with her husband and four children.

Children and youth will just “catch” the faith of their parents, right? Not necessarily. Talking with kids about Jesus no longer comes naturally to many Christian parents. In Raising Disciples, pastor Natalie Frisk helps us reconnect faith and parenting, equipping parents to model what following Jesus looks like in daily life. Filled with authenticity, flexibility, humor, and prayer, Frisk outlines how parents can make openings for their children to experience God in their daily lives. As curriculum pastor at The Meeting House, one of the largest churches in Canada, Frisk calls parents who follow Christ to ask the big questions about the spiritual formation of children and teens. In practical and thoughtful ways, she equips parents to disciple their kids in various stages of childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Raising Disciples will awaken parents to the possibly of Jesus-centered parenting and encourage us to engage in the lost art of discipling our own kids.

"Chock full of biblical wisdom - you'll find yourself underlining line after line, page after page. -- Marty Machowski, Author, Long Story Short and The Gospel Story Bible. Your children will either live forever with Jesus or apart from him. Too many growing up in Christian homes will not follow Christ as adults. Do you have a strategy for parenting in today's hostile culture? The Disciple-Making Parent will give you confidence in your journey. In the Disciple-Making Parent you will learn: The North Star to Guide Your Parenting The Process Second-Generation Christians Go Through The Reasons Young People Walk Away from the Faith Nine Powerful Influences Found in Wise Families How Your Example Can Commend the Gospel What Your Children are Watching at Home How to Explain Hypocrisy to Them Why the Heart is the Most Important Part of Them (and How to Stay Connected How Discipline Prepares Them for the Gospel How To Clearly Explain the Gospel to Little Children How to Nourish Them with the Word of God Different Ways to Have Family Devotions (and When to Stop) How to Cast a Vision of the World How to Pray for Your Children (and for Yourself) The Doubts Your Children Will Experience and What You Can Do How to Deal with the Electronics and Media Tsunami And Much More So comprehensive that I could remove all the parenting books I have and place only The Disciple-Making Parent on the shelf! - Jackie Kendall, President, Power to Grow, Author, Lady in Waiting.

It's no secret that parenting is tricky business. With advice flooding in from all sides, strong-willed children pushing against boundaries, and our own human flaws, it's easy to get bogged down in every how-to that we're not doing well. But maybe that isn't the right approach. Maybe the first step is not to ask "how" but to ask "why." Like most parents, when Shelly Wildman had children, she consulted books, sermons, and lectures on how to raise the best children possible. Yet every resource focused on how to get external results: children who behave the way others expected them to. For Shelly and her husband, the turning point happened when they started asking why instead--shifting their focus to internal change. That's when their purpose as parents became clear: parents are called to do their best to show kids how to know and love Jesus, to love others, and to make a difference in the world. There are no rules here, no inflexible series of steps that lead to perfect parenting. Instead, Shelly encourages parents to think about their unique family and why each child's needs for spiritual growth might look different. She walks you through intentional questioning, focusing on building a firm foundation for lasting discipleship. And in the end, you'll discover that God wants the same outcome you do: a child who knows Christ intimately, loves him deeply, and has a heart to serve him fully.