Family Ministry

Parenting isn't rocket science, it's just brain surgery. And Dr. Joshua Straub has good news for you: You can do it! You don't need to do all the "right" things as a parent. Both science and the Bible show us that the most important thing we can provide for our kids is a place of emotional safety. In other words, the posture from which we parent matters infinitely more than the techniques of parenting. Emotional safety - more than any other factor - is scientifically linked to raising kids who live, love, and lead well.

Well-known Christian moms and dads reveal the words that have mattered most for their family. Whether it’s a crying baby or a rebellious teenager, every parent has moments with their kids that they wish they’d been better prepared to handle - if only they’d known. This audiobook, published in conjunction with Focus on the Family, shares heartwarming and valuable experiences from well-known moms and dads. Their surprising, sometimes humorous, and always relatable stories of raising kids - and their warm accounts of the advice that got them through - will put your heart at ease as you learn to embrace one of life’s most important assignments.

Your household is not just a shelter from a war zone; it is the command center from where you launch your attacks. It's this vision of the world with the Christian family at the heart that modern parents desperately need to recover.

Mary Katherine Backstrom spends her days mending booboos, conquering the boogie man, comforting heartaches, laughing at knock-knock jokes, cooking pancakes, throwing baseballs, and mopping muddy floors. In other words she spends her days relishing in the beautiful, constant noise that is a life with children. In Mom Babble, Mary Katherine (MK) Backstrom, founder and personality behind the Mom Babble online community, offers up hope, humor, and spiritual inspiration to families in the trenches of parenthood.

Gary Chapman, The New York Times number one best-selling author of The Five Love Languages®, and Clarence Shuler met when Clarence was still a teen. Gary mentored Clarence and helped him make wise decisions during his tumultuous teen years. Together, they reveal the reasons why some teens thrive as adults while others struggle and what makes the difference.

There is so much everyday wisdom packed into the book of Proverbs, written more than 2,900 years ago, but they are often intimidating and hard to understand. Wisdom of the Proverbs Explained reveals the meaning of the proverbs in terms a child can understand. Every parent or grandparent should listen to one proverb a day with his or her child or grandchild. In one month, all of you will gain the knowledge of the proverbs as you learn from King Solomon, the wisest man in the world.

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?

Do you read or listen to The Chronicles of Narnia sensing that the stories are full of biblical parallels, even if you're not always sure what they are or where to find them? This user-friendly companion to The Chronicles of Narnia is written for C. S. Lewis audiences like you who want to discover the books' biblical and Christian roots. Listen to it, and you'll find that this chapter-by-chapter, book-by-book examination of The Chronicles will widen your spiritual vision.

Dr. Kathy Koch (pronounced “cook”), author of Screens and Teens and 8 Great Smarts, will teach you proven strategies for training your child’s heart and parenting in a way that honors God. She’ll help you move your child from “I can’t, I won’t" to “I can, I will, and I did”.

Boys will be boys - always. And no one has a more powerful impact on them than you, Mom. Surprise! Your boy wants to please you, and he cares deeply about what you think. Those driving needs will stay with him throughout his lifetime. That gives you, Mom, a lot of influence over your son. You can set him up for success in life. In What a Difference a Mom Makes, the New York Times best-selling author Dr. Kevin Leman reveals how you can make a positive imprint on your son - from the moment you first hold him in your arms until the moment he leaves for college. And the best news? It's never too late to start.

Anxiety among Catholic mothers is sky high. How do we teach our sons to be chaste when a sex-obsessed culture is ready to drag our boys into the pit at every turn? All we want to do is protect the innocence of our little ones and the honor of our teens, yet the snares of ubiquitous porn, hook-up sex, the LGBTQ juggernaut, and the devaluing of true manhood appear unavoidable. What's a mother to do?

In this 52-week devotional, Bruce Gordon challenges the idea that youth is the best part of life. He asserts that we make too little of our opportunities in later life - we were made for more than the golf course or the rocking chair! These practical devotionals, steeped in Scripture, will help you transition to a time of life that can be rich with purpose, significance, and hope as you serve God. You’ll be encouraged and empowered to build a life that matters now and for eternity. Discover for yourself that the best years, the most impactful years of your life, are still to come.

How to Teach Kids Theology by Sam Luce and Hunter Williams takes the deep truths of the Christian faith and gives practical, actionable direction for sharing them with children.

God’s people are called to a togetherness and commitment that transcends all natural boundaries ― whether ethnic, generational, or economic. But such a community can be enjoyed only when it relies on the power of God in the gospel. In The Compelling Community, pastors Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop cast a captivating vision for authentic fellowship in the local church that goes beyond small groups.

Many feel bombarded by images and experiences of broken families. This is not how God intended families to be! So often we examine the traits of unhealthy families, but Gary Chapman paints a biblical portrait of what a loving, stable family looks like. Chapman details five timeless characteristics that create a healthy family environment.

This book is for everyone who has a father. And for all those who know what it's like to long for a father's blessing: his approval, affection, and attention. It's for anyone who's ever longed to hear your dad say, "I love you. I'm so proud of you." You may already know what it's like to live in the rays of such a blessing, to flourish in the marvelous light of a father's love. Yet, in this "fatherless generation", it's also likely you've never known the blessing of your earthly dad.

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!

USA Today and New York Times best-selling author Karen Kingsbury is beloved across the nation for her moving tales of faith and redemption. In A Treasury of Miracles for Women, Kingsbury recounts uplifting true stories in which mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters are touched by God’s presence in extraordinary ways.

Although he holds a doctorate in depression, author Greg L. Russ chose to create this audiobook from a patient's point of view. Having suffered five clinical bouts, Russ offers a graphic look inside the dark abyss while chronicling the insights he learned when his depression intersected God's mercy. The audiobook extends an invitation to families, friends, churches, and their pastors to become part of the comforting process.

This short but wacky collection of 18 fairy tales by Peter Leithart is perfect for bedtime, each tale invoking the imagery, plots, and themes of the book of Proverbs. Whether its the story of the fairies that live in walnuts or of the man who never got out of bed, these stories will make you laugh. Though you may be tempted to read deep theological meaning into each story, in reality, they owe their origin to Peter Leithart telling his kids stories before bed. Perfect for the family.