“Lord, make me a better dad.”
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8
This is my daily prayer. Literally, it is my prayer every day. Why? Because there have been times when I’ve not been a good dad.
Here’s a painful reality that I’ve had to face: There have been times when I’ve cared more about ministering to other people’s kids while neglecting the needs of my own kids. And as I’ve shared that painful reality I’ve come to realize that I’m not alone in that struggle. It’s a common problem among ministry families and one I think we need to address together.
Your invitation
Kristen and I would like to invite you to join us in an online book club here on my blog where we will be reading, writing about, and wrestling through a brand new book. It’s called, Sticky Faith: Everyday ideas to build lasting faith in your kids by Kara Powell & Chap Clark.
About Sticky Faith
Nearly every Christian parent in America would give anything to find a viable resource for developing within their kids a deep, dynamic faith that ‘sticks’ long term. Sticky Faith delivers. Research shows that almost half of graduating high school seniors struggle deeply with their faith. Recognizing the ramifications of that statistic, the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) conducted the ‘College Transition Project’ in an effort to identify the relationships and best practices that can set young people on a trajectory of lifelong faith and service. Based on FYI findings, this easy-to-read guide presents both a compelling rationale and a powerful strategy to show parents how to actively encourage their children’s spiritual growth so that it will stick to them into adulthood and empower them to develop a living, lasting faith. Written by authors known for the integrity of their research and the intensity of their passion for young people, Sticky Faith is geared to spark a movement that empowers adults to develop robust and long-term faith in kids of all ages.
Each Monday we will write a brief reflection and some questions specifically geared for ministry families. (It’s open to anyone, obviously all Christians are in ministry to some extent, right?)
And then, just like a book club, we’ll open it up for discussion.
How long will it last?
The book is 8 chapters long, each week we will discuss a single chapter. Don’t worry– the chapters are pretty short.
Here’s the schedule:
October 10th – The not-so-sticky faith reality
October 17th – The sticky gospel
October 24th – Sticky identity
October 31st – Stick faith conversations
November 7th – A sticky web of relationships
November 14th – Sticky justice
November 28th – A sticky bridge out of home
December 5th – The ups and downs of the sticky faith journey
Why this book?
- There are a lot of great books out there for parents, but this one is grounded in brand new research conducted by Fuller Youth Institute. Then they took their findings through a series of tests and dry runs to make sure that their learnings correlated. And only then did they boil it down into transferable principles. I think that sets it apart from most.
- Like I shared at the beginning, I think parents in ministry sometimes lose sight of their own kids. I’d like to help bring the focus on learning how to raise our own kids for a bit.
- I want to be a better dad. Kristen and I don’t have it all figured out. And we’d like the opportunity to learn from others so we can parent better.
- Kara Powell, Chap Clark, Brad Griffin, and the folks at FYI are amazing people. They have poured their heart and soul into this project. And I would love to see their hard work benefit families in my life.
How do I join the book club?
- Fill out the form below so we can follow-up with you along the way.
- Buy the book; read the first chapter by October 10th. (It’d be great if couples joined us!)
- Agree to participate in the discussion and contribute to the group. (Guest posts totally encouraged!)
Where do I buy the book?
- Amazon.com – paperback or Kindle (I make 6% commission if you buy it this way)
- DougFields.com – Pretty sure Doug is selling it cheaper than anyone, I don’t make anything from the sale but I did build his store, isn’t that cool?
Have questions? Leave a comment.
Q1: I’m not in ministry, can I be in the book club? Absolutely! Just know that we’ll be gearing the discussion towards ministry families.
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