Epic Families, Equipping Parents to Inspire Their Children to Know God


Book Description

“Epic Families not only identifies a problem within today’s church but presents suggestions that equip parents to raise kids who are passionate for Jesus and offers ways that churches can partner with and empower parents in this mission. Definitely well worth the read!” — Rev. Allen Perdue Lead Pastor, Jersey Life Church Today’s children are not raised in a bubble. Daily, they are bombarded with worldly wisdom and are tempted at earlier ages with things that would have stunned parents of previous generations. Epic Families strives to help parents reclaim their God-given mandate to raise their children to know and love Him. Developed through more than a decade of ministry experience as well as one-on-one coaching with parents and church staff, this book identifies ways that the church has taken over a role that was designed for parents. It offers suggestions to parents to help them confidently teach their children about the God who made them, loves them, and wants a relationship with them, while also suggesting ways that churches can partner with parents, while not usurping the parents’ role. Epic Families can empower parents to inspire their children to trust God and make wise choices. In the busy and sometimes scary world we live in, parents need to intentionally showcase God’s presence to their children and let Him permeate their lives; this book offers them a valuable resource to do that.




A Theology for Family Ministry


Book Description

The times are definitely changing. What was once simply referred to as a Nuclear Family in North America has morphed into labels such as Non-Traditional Families, Fragmented Families, Single-Parent Families, Gay-Partner Families, Blended Families, and beyond. "It may not always be pretty, but it is reality, and that's the intersection between biblical ideal and ministry practice," writes editor Michael J. Anthony in A Theology for Family Ministry. With thoroughly researched input from a broad team of family experts, the book advises church and ministry leaders on how to make biblically and philosophically informed choices when reaching out to adults and children within these shifting paradigms. Emphasis is placed on what the Scriptures teach about the composition of the home, followed by discerning and hopefilled strategies for helping all families live out their God-given mandates. "While the family may continue to change into models that bring discomfort and angst to some of us, we rest in the assurance that God has a plan for those who live in any of these new configurations of what we now call family," explains Anthony. Other contributors include Ken Canfield, Michelle D. Anthony, Karen E. Jones, Freddy Cardoza, Michael S. Lawson, Richard Melick Jr., Curt Hamner, Leon Blanchette, Gordon R. Coulter, James W. Thompson, Timothy Paul Jones, Randy Stinson, Kit Rae, and David Keehn.




Extraordinary Hospitality (for Ordinary People)


Book Description

How to offer Christian hospitality without becoming exhausted and overburdened. Generous hospitality is a significant way in which God works through our lives to bring life to others, yet many of us feel ill-equipped and overwhelmed at the prospect, especially if we don’t have big houses and we are not wonderful cooks! Carolyn Lacey encourages us to focus on the goal of hospitality, which is to reflect God’s welcoming heart, and shows us how we can all do that, regardless of our bank balance or living situation. She explores seven ways in which we can reflect God’s character in the way we welcome others into our homes and into our lives, and so point people ultimately to Christ. This practical and realistic book explores how to make generous hospitality part of everyday life without becoming exhausted and overburdened.




Sex Matters


Book Description

The Unedited Truth About Sex · Is hooking up really wrong? · What about living together if you fall in love? · If the Bible bans sex before marriage . . . is everything else fair game? · What about same-sex relationships? Since when does God deny any kind of true love? Great questions . . . but who has the answers? Our culture creates a lot of confusion about sex. Honestly, sometimes it's difficult to know who's telling the truth. On one hand, when we read our Bibles or go to church, we hear how God's design is to wait for sex and save that kind of intimacy for marriage. But on the other hand, when we go to school, turn on the TV, or listen to many of the songs on our favorite playlists . . . they say quite the opposite. Naturally, this makes many of us wonder. Who's right? Sex seems fun. How can something so natural be off-limits? In Sex Matters, Jonathan McKee tackles all of these questions, giving you the frank, unvarnished truth about sex--regardless how awkward or embarrassing. "Sex Matters provides super-helpful, truthful answers to the big questions you've wondered about, but never asked. Way better than anything you'll find through a web search."--Scott Rubin, junior high pastor, Willow Creek Community Church "'Just don't do it' isn't enough. Let's face it. Today's young people chronically encounter sexually charged images and messages, but rarely hear the whole story. They are looking for real answers to tough questions, and Sex Matters isn't afraid to tell them the unedited truth. Every teenager with an Internet connection or a phone in their pocket needs to read this book!"--Doug Fields, youth pastor for thirty years at Saddleback & Mariners Church "This isn't a sanitized, Christianized, moralized 'just say no' tactic, but a practical approach to what's really pressuring kids today, with biblical wisdom for how to succeed."--Pete Sutton, director of student ministry and middle school pastor, Christ Community Church, St. Charles, Illinois "This could be the most honest and relevant book available for teenagers in your ministry. I wish I had something this honest and helpful in my hands when I was a teenager."--Brooklyn Lindsey, youth minister, Nazarene Youth International and ReThink Group "There are a lot of potentially embarrassing questions that rattle around the minds of many Christian teenagers when it comes to sex (How far is too far? Is masturbation a sin? stuff like that). Using powerful stories, eye-opening facts, and surprisingly blunt biblical truth, Jonathan McKee answers these kinds of tough questions with the right mix of truth and grace. He gives teenagers a clear path to living a pure life in a sex-saturated world. Get it, read it, and learn how to let your life and light shine in the darkness."--Greg Stier, president, Dare 2 Share (www.dare2share.org) "Every great adventure starts with preparation. Sex is a great adventure! But it requires thoughtful preparation. Jonathan McKee's Sex Matters is the perfect tool to prepare you for that journey. Do yourself a favor and spend some time thinking, processing, and preparing for the great adventure of sex."--Josh Griffin, Founder of DownloadYouthMinistry.com and high school pastor at Saddleback Church




Your Teenager Is Not Crazy


Book Description

As God allows us to understand the mystery and marvel of brain science, we have the exciting opportunity to reexamine our assumptions about human behavior. Perhaps nowhere does this impact our lives more profoundly than when we think about raising children--especially teenagers. Where parents often see a sweet boy or girl who has morphed into an incomprehensible bundle of hormones and angst, what we really ought to be seeing is an amazing young adult whose brain is under heavy construction. And changing the way we see our teens will revolutionize our relationships with them. Organized by what we hear teens say--things like I'm bored, You just don't understand, Why are you freaking out?, I hate my life!, or Hold on . . . I just have to send this--this book helps parents develop compassion for their teens and discernment in parenting them as their brains are progressively remodeled. Rather than seeing the teen years as a time to simply hold on for dear life, Dr. Jeramy and Jerusha Clark show that they can be an amazing season of cultivating creativity, self-awareness, and passion for the things that really matter.




Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible


Book Description

As parents, we deeply desire the best for our kids. We look for the right preschool, teach them to read, and get them involved in extracurriculars. We take our job as parents seriously. But are we also putting our time and energy into teaching them the Bible? Leading our kids to life through Scripture is not only doable, it's an essential part of parenting kids for Jesus. And the good news is studying God's Word as a family doesn't have to be hard or overly time-consuming. This book will give you the tools and confidence to study the Bible as a family. It will help you identify and overcome your objections and fears, give you a crash course in what the Bible is all about and how to teach it, and provide the tools and techniques to set up a family Bible-study habit. You will finish this book feeling encouraged and empowered to initiate and strengthen your child's relationship with the Lord through his Word.




The Bible for Me


Book Description

The Bible for Me: Bible Stories and Prayers is a new Bible storybook and the first title in The Bible for Me brand of related products for kids ages 4-8 from the team at Brentwood Studios and authors Amy Parker and Mike Nawrocki. The 50 stories are written and designed to share the story of God's people and His love for each child, in a way that it is relevant and relatable to the reader. Each story ends with a prayer where the reader can easily insert the child's name, making the stories uniquely personal. The book features fresh, colorful illustrations from Taylor Thompson Lynch. This Bible storybook was written specifically to show God's love and purpose for each unique child, making it clear that these timeless stories are meant for each and every one of us, here and now, today.




The Church History ABCs


Book Description

Dramatically converted on the stormy seas, a slave-trader-turned-abolitionist penned the best-loved hymn of the Christian faith. A church father was arrested and martyred for teaching the truth about Christ's incarnation. Captured by pirates and shipped off to Ireland, a priest baptized thousands of pagans, from paupers to princes. Now who ever said church history was boring? The Church History ABCs is a fun way for kids to learn about great figures in Christian history. Twenty-six heroes of the faith march through the alphabet, boldly telling their stories in language children can understand. This wide range of characters—men and women from across the centuries, from all over the globe—reflects the breadth of church history and reminds children that these great figures of the past were living, breathing people who lived and died for the glory of God.







The Dad's Edge


Book Description

If you could improve one area in your dad journey...what would it be? What would it be like if you mastered not one, but several aspects of your dad journey all at once? What would life be like if you improved your level of patience, had better and deeper connections with your wife and kids, improved your relationships outside the immediate family, and all while mastering a good work/life balance? How would life be different if you did this?Hello, I'm Larry Hagner and I'm a dad. I love being a dad. And I believe that being a dad is one of the most rewarding aspects of a man's life. However, being a father can humble you like nothing else can. There really is no roadmap. With so few resources out there for dads like us, I decided to create The Dad Edge to help YOU as a dad to give you easy to implement techniques you can use to be your very best and enjoy your journey of fatherhood.The Dad's Edge will help you:* Master work/life balance* Discover three techniques to improve and maintain a great connection with your kids* Improve your connection & intimacy with your spouse, no matter how busy you are* Improve your relationships outside the immediately family* Uncover three easy ways to improve your patience short term and long term* Discover simple ways to show up big for your kids and be present in the moment* Thrive (Not Survive) your journey of fatherhoodIf you can identify with one or more of these issues, I understand first hand. Every one of us struggles with these issues on our dad journey and now I've empowered you with some great strategies and a solid roadmap in The Dad's Edge so you can relax and feel confident you are "good dad focused" and nothing will stand in your way!