Check out these books, and other resources that we recommend. These resources are here to challenge and encourage you as parents and also your families!

Smart Stepfamily, The: Seven Steps to a Healthy Family
Author:Ron Deal
Description: Ron Deal provides seven effective, achievable steps toward building a healthy marriage and a workable and peaceful stepfamily. Exploding the myth of achieving a “blended family” he helps parents recognize the unique personality and place of each family member, honor the families of origin while establishing new traditions, and much more. Developed from Deal’s nationwide seminars on the topic, this material is equally useful for individuals, families, small groups, pastors, and counselors.

 

Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions
Author: George Barna
Description: No one can deny that our culture is opposed to Christian values, and the influences bombarding our children’s moral development can be deadly. But few parents and church leaders realize how critical it is to start developing a child’s biblical worldview from the very earliest years of life. The problem is complex: parents who themselves did not receive early spiritual training leave their children’s training to the church. Yet the church often focuses on older children-not realizing that a child’s moral development is set by the age of nine. The answer is for churches to recognize the need to come alongside parents to provide them biblical worldview training, parenting information, counseling, etc., that will equip them to help their children become the spiritually mature Church of tomorrow.

 

Oikos
Author: Tom Mercer
Description: Oikos is a simple biblical principle that will impact your life by providing purpose, focus and energy. It can also exponentially grow your church by reaching hundreds, or even thousands of the unchurched for Christ. It gives you and the believers around you a unifying purpose, a common goal and a sharpened focus for doing what Christians are called to do.

Discover the simplicity of worldchange, 8-15 people at a time. The beauty of this book is that it actually shows you how to see what you’ve always wanted…

Your World, Delivered.

 

Crown Financial Ministries
URL: www.crown.org
Description: A variety of articles to help your family honor God with what He has given you. Also includes creative resources and ways to teach your children how to manage the gifts God has given them.

 

 

Amber Sky Records
URL: www.AmberSkyRecords.com
Description: Amber Sky Records is a network of leaders who believe in the power of music to connect with families and kids. We know that there’s no better way to impact kids than day by day and lesson by lesson. We want to help you, the parent, be able to teach your kids the relevant truth that is in the Bible. Here on Amber Sky, you will find Bible story songs to teach your kids the stories found in God’s Word. We have worship songs that will help your child express their love to their Creator. We have a variety of virtue songs that will reinforce the moral compass you are trying to instill in your children. There’s also lots of fun, high-energy songs filled with positive lyrics that you and your kids will enjoy for many listens to come.

 

Age of Opportunity
Author: Paul David Tripp
Description: Are you hoping to merely survive your teenagers? With compassion, wit, and wisdom, Tripp uncovers the heart issues affecting families during the often-chaotic adolescent years. Gain assurance of God’s provision for parenting success, and discover ways to seize the countless opportunities to deepen communication, learn, and grow with your teens.

 

 

 

Shepherding a Child’s Heart
Author: Ted Tripp
Description: Grounded in the Bible’s divine plan for parenting, this guide defines your goals as a parent and provides the scriptural methods for accomplishing them. There is also a leader’s guide with discussion questions if you wanted to use this for your small group.

 

 

 

The New Strong – Willed Child
Author: James Dobson
Description: Dr. James Dobson has completely rewritten, updated, and expanded his classic best seller The Strong-Willed Child for a new generation of parents and teachers. It offers practical how-to advice on raising difficult-to-handle children and incorporates the latest research with Dr. Dobson’s legendary wit and wisdom. The New Strong-Willed Child is being rushed to press for parents needing help dealing with sibling rivalry, adhd, low self-esteem, and other important issues. This book is a must-read for parents and teachers struggling to raise and teach children who are convinced they should be able to live by their own rules!

 

Sacred Parenting: How Raising Children Shapes our Souls
Author: Gary Thomas
Description: Sacred Parenting is unlike any other parenting book you have ever read. This is not a “how-to” book that teaches you ways to discipline your kids or help them achieve their full potential. Instead of discussing how parents can change their kids, Sacred Parenting turns the tables and demonstrates how God uses our kids to change us.

You’ve read all the method books. Now take a step back and receive some much-needed inspiration. You’ll be encouraged by stories that tell how other parents handled the challenges and difficulties of being a parent—and how their children transformed their relationship with God. Sacred Parenting affirms the spiritual value of being a parent, showing you the holy potential of the parent-child relationship.

 

FamilyTimes Virtue Pack
Description: Virtue Packs are designed to help equip parents with easy to use tools to make the most of everyday moments with their children. This tool is based on the biblical model that teaches that the home should be the primary place where a child learns about God.

Here’s what the bible says to parents about teaching virtues to their children…

“Impress them upon your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up,” (Deuteronomy 6:7).

FamilyTimes™ Virtue Packs provide activities to be used once a week during each of these four family times–MealTime, DriveTime, BedTime, and MorningTime. All of this is designed to give parents simple ways to help their kids grow in faith and character. In addition to these activities, an audio parenting news magazine is included on the DriveTime CD. Virtue Packs can be purchased for $12 in the Island each month!