Family Ministry

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.

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".

Quite a few dads spend time with their kids. However, many have no clue what their kids really need. Enter author Jay Payleitner, veteran dad of five. His book combines straightforward features with step-up-to-the-mark challenges men will appreciate: NO exhaustive (and exhausting) lists of things you should do. NO criticism of dads for being men and acting like men. Dads will feel respected and empowered, and gain confidence to initiate activities that build lifelong positives into their kids.

How would heavenly Father handle this situation with my child? Raising the next generation is a responsibility that parents take seriously and want to do their best at, but they can be overwhelmed and bombarded by advice from all sides. However, those struggling to become better parents will take heart in the reality that we already have an example of the perfect parent - our own Father in heaven.

Drawing from the deep tradition of the Catholic faith, Lisa Hendey coaches Catholic moms how to care for themselves - heart, mind, body, and soul - so that they can better love and care for their families, their neighbors, and their Church. With warmth and wisdom, Hendey creates an environment where Catholic moms can reflect peacefully upon often-competitive topics like parenting style, types of schooling, and working outside the home. By sharing her own story, Hendey inspires listeners to better balance their own needs with the demands of family life and faith commitment.

Instead of trying harder to change your boy's behavior or worrying about his future, enjoy the peace that comes when you pray specific prayers for him straight from the Bible. This encouraging book helps you target your prayers on what your son needs most - from patience and self-control to having a pure heart and making wise decisions. Written for moms but great for dads (and grandparents), too, this easy-to-use book is filled with uplifting stories and biblical wisdom that will equip you on your journey to raising a godly man.

In The Pathway to Powerful, Danny Silk - author of Culture of Honor and Keep Your Love On - teams up with Carla Chud to offer a practical road map for becoming a more powerful, healthy leader. Drawing from the journey Carla and her leadership team have taken to transform themselves and their organization, she and Danny lay out the steps to overcome fear-driven, dysfunctional leadership and establish the core values and practices of honor in their lives, team dynamics, and organizational culture.

The modern family is under spiritual attack! In an increasingly hostile culture, traditional family life is mocked and marginalized. Children are bombarded with evil, dysfunction, and death. Too many homes have become a spiritual battleground where the sins of the parents morally pollute the next generation.

Since the very beginning, God's design for marriage is for husbands and wives to be ambassadors of holy love to a hurting world. Still, so many couples stop short at happy and wonder why they feel unsatisfied. Rather than "you and me against the world", God calls each couple to the rich and meaningful mission of "you and me for the world".

Empty-nesting can be a disorienting time, but it can also become the best season of your life if you'll let it. Jill Savage is an empty-nest mom who will guide you through this unpredictable time of life. You'll learn to let go of mixed emotions and grab hold of your full life here and now.

In the age of fingertip access to answers and a limitless supply of ambitions, where do we find the God who was birthed in dirt and straw? Sara Hagerty found him when life stopped working for her. She found him when she was a young adult mired in spiritual busyness and when she was a new bride with doubts about whether her fledgling marriage would survive. She found him alone in the night as she cradled her longing for babies who did not come. She found him as she kissed the faces of children on another continent who had lived years without a mommy’s touch. In Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet, Hagerty masterfully draws from the narrative of her life to craft a mosaic of a God who leans into broken stories. Here readers see a God who is present in every changing circumstance. Most significantly, they see a God who is present in every unchanging circumstance as well.

Males look to be served. Men look to be of service. Emmy Award - nominated actor best known for his role on Queen Sugar and transformational speaker Dondré Whitfield challenges us to be real men in this provocative look at the power found in serving others.

Moms today have a lot to handle! It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of raising a family, especially in a culture that’s spiraling away from Christianity at an alarming speed. Yet our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The battle belongs to him, and his strength shines bright when we bring our weaknesses to Him and simply say, “Here. I can’t, but You can.” Prayers for the Battlefield is a collection of prayers and reflections to help you stay strong through the daily challenges of motherhood.

Get tools for renovating your relational space in this new book from Gary Chapman and Shannon Warden.

Caring for elderly parents is challenging. It's a season of life requiring strength that comes only from God. In The Caregiving Season, Jane Daly openly shares her stories from the front lines of battling guilt, negotiating new boundaries, and dealing with exhaustion. Her message of grace and hope will help you honor your aging parents well, and deepen your personal relationship with Christ along the way.

These are the faces that call me "mom", the three children who made me a mother. When I started my journey into parenthood I never thought it would look like this. I never planned on having three adopted children, and I certainly never imagined that two of them would have Down syndrome. But like most of the things God does, once we stepped into the craziness and confusion of the unknown and unplanned, we quickly realized that we were indeed among the lucky few.

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.

As a mom in the throes of parenting, Courtney DeFeo believes that instilling virtues in children starts with laughter, not lecture. That perspective propelled her to create this idea-packed audiobook, in which she offers motivating reflections, real-life stories, and a sandbox full of inventive ways to help you turn your kids' hearts toward God.

The Goyer home - made up of two parents, eight kids, and one grandmother with dementia - is never without noise, mess, and, often, complaining. And it's not just the kids grumbling. Adopting seven children in less than six years has been an adjustment, but it's time to move out of survival-mode and into growth-mode. So, the family decides to tackle the impossible: a grumble-free year. What could possibly go awry? The Grumble-Free Year follows the Goyers as they go complaint-free and discover what it looks like to develop hearts of gratitude.

If you're like many Christian moms today, you've been reading the headlines and watching the rapid-fire changes in our culture with frustration and fear. Let's face it: Moms today are facing questions that previous generations didn't even see coming, and even our right to determine what is best for our own children is under fire. Popular speaker and blogger Heidi St. John ("The Busy Mom") believes that today's mothers need a special kind of strength. We need to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.