Family Ministry

The notion that some might have it better than others, for no good reason, offends our sensibilities. Yet, until we talk about privilege, we’ll never fully understand it or find our way forward. Amy Julia Becker welcomes us into her life, from the charm of her privileged southern childhood to her adult experience in the Northeast, and the denials she has faced as the mother of a child with special needs. She tells us how a life behind a white picket fence can restrict even as it protects and how it can prevent us from loving our neighbors well.

Aching Joy is an honest psalm of hope for those walking between pain and promise: the aching of a broken world and the beauty of a loving God. In this place, rather than trying to dodge the pain, we choose to feel it all - and to see where Jesus is in the midst of struggle. And because we make that choice, we feel all the good that comes with it, too.

Life is a pressure cooker, and, more and more, being overwhelmed is just considered normal. Author, blogger, and mother-of-five, Kay Wills Wyma, has learned that if we're going to be overwhelmed by anything, let's have it be truth with all its grace, hope, peace, and love. In this freeing book, she shares how to confront life's pressures we face - at home, online, at work, in our relationships, on our calendars - and replace all those heavy expectations with the liberating truth that we were made for something better.

Enter the Ring takes a fresh, powerful, vulnerable approach to marriage by framing it as the fight that it is. The world uses different assaults and tactics to distract us, tempting us to walk away, in order to destroy our marriages. But there is hope: The constant forgiveness, grace, and intervention of God can preserve and protect us from not only the world but also ourselves. D. A. and Elicia Horton explore the tension of two people becoming one and how spouses often fight over which "one of us" they become.

The Christian viewpoint is desperately needed in the cultural conversations of our day, but Christians have been effectively muted because they are not equipped to engage and combat the aggressive arrogance of those who actively seek to silence all viewpoints but their own. In Speak the Truth, Carmen LaBerge aims to get Christians off the sidelines and back in the conversation.

A good marriage is a strong and sacred foundation upon which a God-loving family may be built. It is between a man and a woman; it is a permanent union; and it is blessed by God. Unfortunately, modern marriage laws no longer reflect true marriage - in fact, today's legal definition of "marriage" bears little resemblance to the institution of traditional marriage many of us still hold dear.

To be human is to long for home. Home is our most fundamental human longing. And for many of us homesickness is a nagging place of grief. This book connects that desire and disappointment with the story of the Bible, helping us to see that there is a homemaking God with wide arms of welcome - and a church commissioned with this same work.

Family is difficult because family - every family - is an echo of the gospel. Family can be the source of some of the most transcendent human joy, and family can leave us crumpled up on the side of the road. Family can make us who we are, and family can break our hearts. Why would this social arrangement have that much power, for good or for ill, over us?

If we are truly honest, most of us don't really know what we're doing as parents. We have good intentions, but daily frustrations and ongoing struggles might be evidence that we were better prepared to drive a car or pursue our career than raise children. To counter the usual trial-and-error method of parenting, Jim Burns offers time-tested advice and strategies for today's busy families.

In the midst of a Christian subculture that idolizes families, an evangelical history of overcelebrating families, and a secular culture that overprograms families, one American family identifies the danger they’re in the midst of and embarks on a radical adventure. Household Gods offers an examination of the culture that spawned family idolatry and the steps we can take to flee this idolatry and escape to the Cross.

There are many families that are separated from their grandchildren, children, nieces, and nephews due to them living in different countries and different states. This heartfelt story bridges the gap between time and space and allows these families to show that true love is never separated. It’s only a word, and in Bryson the Bear’s case, a plane ride away.

How you parent directly impacts who your children are and who they will become. No one is naturally born a good parent. It takes hard work, determination, and passionate intention to raise our kids right. In the end, we can either parent on purpose...or idly sit back and allow everything else in the world to shape our children into the men and women they will become.

Pregnancy books for couples abound, but You Got This, Dad is just for guys. Aaron Sharp, a dad of four, draws from his experiences to help husbands, especially first-time dads, navigate the amazing, uncertain, and sometimes scary process of pregnancy and childbirth. With self-deprecating honesty, plenty of humor, and amusing asides from his lovely wife, Elaina, Aaron steers soon-to-be dads through the complex events and emotions surrounding pregnancy.

Most people think that money is the key to happiness, but when an ecstatic Nina Lawson wins millions in the Powerball lottery, her world is turned upside down. At first, she and her fiance, Rick, are delighted with the unexpected windfall and immediately begin planning their future. Soon, family members and friends begin coming out of the woodwork to claim a piece of Nina's winnings. But the most unexpected request comes from Todd, Nina's ex-husband.

Collins presents a 'mental diet' of 10 negative attitudes to lose during times of hardship that hinder character development, strain relationships with others, and diminish faith.

A novel inspired by the movie Clergy. Piotr Głuchowski not only develops the movie's threads and unveils the resumes of the characters, but also draws from real-life stories to create a new, shocking narrative about the sins of the Church. These are discovered by a journalist, Ludmiła Zakrzewska, the main character of the novel. While conducting her investigation into the ecclesial pedophilia, she has to make a fundamental choice between love and dignity.

Drawing from his leadership and ministry experience as president of Alpha USA and Vineyard Churches USA and from his own life experiences as an ordinary Christian, Hunter calls us to reframe our salvation and discipleship. He believes that God intends us to become cooperative friends of Jesus, living in creative goodness for the sake of others through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Moms have been hoodwinked - tricked into believing lies that keep them from not only enjoying motherhood, but forging friendships with other moms who might tackle the tasks of motherhood differently. Myths such as “Mothering is natural, easy, and instinctive” cause moms to feel like failures if they have questions or apprehensions in raising their kids.

Best-selling author, speaker, and columnist Ronda Rich draws on her rich legacy as an 11th generation Southerner to celebrate the faith heritage of our country's Steel Magnolias.

A Mother's life is often encumbered with numerous daily activities besides the responsibility of caring for and raising her children to be responsible adults and fulfilling her own God given assignments. It is a great asset to any mother when she resigns to the fact that she cannot navigate life's journey all by herself. This place of humble strength enables her to embrace the better and sure way to live victoriously and fulfil her destiny and assignment with no regrets; that is, living from the presence of God; abiding in the secret place of the most high.