Family Ministry

Many parents want to see positive character traits in their children but wonder how to instill them. As stars of the hit reality TV show Duck Dynasty, Korie and Willie Robertson receive loads of letters and messages from fans asking how they've raised such good kids. As they will tell you, "It isn't always easy, but raising kids with good character is possible".

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.

Adopting or fostering a child brings its own unique set of challenges only another parent facing the same uphill climb could possibly understand. From parenting children with traumatic pasts, to dealing with attachment issues, to raising a children with special needs, it can sometimes be a struggle just getting through the day. Mike Berry knows the loneliness and isolation you can easily feel in your particular parenting role - because he's been there.

For parents who are concerned that their child is pulling away, following poor role models, or making choices that will lead to pain and difficulty, Mike Berry has good news: It's not too late. He offers parents six keys to maximizing and leveraging their influence to help their children through these difficult years and develop a relationship with them that can weather any storm.

In a world where men and women are constantly told they are not different, His Brain, Her Brain shows couples what they instinctively know - men and women are different, and these divinely designed differences, when understood, make a marriage stronger and happier.

For many, friends now play the role of family, but often our friendships don't turn out quite as we envisioned or hoped. Bible teacher Kelly Needham debunks our world's constricted, small view of friendship and casts a richer, more life-giving, biblical vision for friendship. In Friend-ish, Kelly Needham takes a close look at what scripture says about friendship. She reveals the distorted view most of us have of it and recasts a glorious vision for a Christian understanding.

While parents long to better influence and express love to their children, they often have no clear plan of action. As a result, daily hopes turn into years of missed opportunities. The Love Dare for Parents helps busy moms and dads more fully cherish, enjoy, and impact each of their children during each season of their lives. From the writers of the original Love Dare (over five million copies sold), this new 40-day journey will help you to daily demonstrate love to your sons and daughters and keep your relationships respectful and close...long-term.

Amoris Laetitia (Latin for The Joy of Love) is the postsynodal apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis. Dated March 19, 2016, and released on April 8, 2016. It follows the Synods on the Family held in 2014 and 2015. Its introduction and nine chapters comprise 325 numbered paragraphs. Quotations are drawn from earlier popes, documents of the Second Vatican Council and regional bishops' conferences, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In Take Back Your Joy, Nicole Jacobsmeyer tells how she felt defeated and ill-prepared for a decade of relentless trials, from assault and depression to miscarriage and cancer. With a heart full of questions about the God she was raised to love, Nicole began to doubt. Had God given her more than she could handle? But there is always more to the story with Christ. Through trial after trial, Nicole allowed God to strengthen her faith, and now she shares biblical strategies that carried her through.

Wrapped around an extended parable about a child, lost from his real parents and found and raised by a couple completely at odds with his heritage (his real family are renowned acrobats), this book shows us that the Gospel Jesus shared maybe different from the one we have heard. Each of us is born separated from our true Father and suffers from the ingrained habits of our "false parents" and even when we come into God's family, we often find barriers stand in the way of us becoming who God intends us to be. Bob Hamp encourages us to look and think again about everything we thought we knew.

Many parents of teenagers or young adults feel as though they're guessing about what to do next-with mixed results. We want to stay connected with our maturing child, but we're not sure how. And deep down, we fear our child doesn't want or need us. But growing up doesn't have to mean growing apart. Based on brand-new research and interviews with remarkable families, Growing With equips parents to take steps toward their teenagers and young adults in a mutual journey of intentional growth that trusts God to transform them all.

After 30 years of parenting five children and 20 years of working with teens, Connie Albers has witnessed the negative impact of well-intentioned but misguided parenting styles, all focused on managing teens rather than guiding them. But through learning to focus on the hearts of your teens, you can avoid those pitfalls and build relationships that last beyond the transition years as you intentionally learn about, connect with, and listen to your teens. In a world filled with distractions and devices, it is possible to guide their hearts and remain the primary influence in their lives.

As parents face the difficult reality of a broken home, a sense of being completely overwhelmed can shut down the perspective they need to find restoration. Parents need to know that they can choose to define this season of their lives, instead of becoming defined by circumstances. They can deliberately look toward God and come to a deeper understanding of His true nature, power, and intimate care.

Using kings of the Old Testament as character studies, Steve Farrar examines the critical role a father plays in preparing his son to become a godly man. What separated the good kings from the bad kings was a father who made time commitments to mentor his son, by modeling biblical manhood. Do you want your son to become a man of regal character? Then this book is for you!

In Long-Distance Grandparenting, you'll learn how to make the most of the opportunities you do have to connect with your grandchildren. You will also learn - how to pray for your grandkids more effectively - ways to use technology to keep your relationship strong - great ideas for grandkid visits, holidays, and special occasions. More important, you'll find practical tools and encouragement to connect with your grandchildren so that you can share God's love and invest in their faith like never before!

What do you do when someone you love leaves? And how do you pursue someone who has hurt you, who has sinned against you? In Letting Go, pastors Dave Harvey and Paul Gilbert share stories of pain and stories of hope as they reveal how to care for the prodigal who has strayed. Whether you are dealing with an unfaithful marriage partner, a rebellious child, or a wayward friend, the counsel they offer will help you to pursue a gospel-rooted approach, grounded in truth and practiced in the midst of Christian community.

Strengthen your marriage and reconnect with God with this simple guided system...Are you struggling to prioritize your marriage in a world that demands more than ever from your time and attention? You're not alone. In the busy modern world, it's easier than ever to feel stressed, overwhelmed, disconnected from God, your spouse, and your family. Most marital problems stem from a lack of communication. It’s never too early or too late to experience more love and fulfillment in your relationship with God, your spouse, and your family.

No matter our age, God intended for us to feel loved and have a deep inner knowledge of who we are and where we are headed in life. Many of us will never truly fulfill our God-given identity and destiny until we rediscover...the ancient paths.

Throughout Keep Showing Up, Karen includes ideas to implement in your marriage right now, such as powerful statements to speak to your spouse, date-night-on-a-shoestring suggestions, and discussion starters. Discover how your "incompatibility" can become the strength of your marital team in this real-life guide to both living with and loving your spouse - differences and all.

God uses people to help others; can he use you? Can God use you to make a difference in the lives of your children? Do you know what to pray and how to pray? First, you must pray for them because intercession touches the heart of God.