As a young, newly-married man with no children yet, I listened intently to what sounded like a helpful idea for the small congregation where I served at the time. “I really want to see our church minister to families,” my pastor declared, “and I want my family to connect with families as well!” To meet…
1. You are a seminary professor, theologian, and the author of many scholarly articles and books; why did you choose to write a children’s book? Because I love my kids and I love the Bible! The project started out as something that my oldest son and I were doing together. I would tell him about something…
Brian H. Cosby. Reclaiming Youth Ministry From an Entertainment Culture. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2012, 160 pp., $12.99. For years the model in youth ministry was to pursue the shock effect, eat copious amounts of greasy pizza, play games, and if possible connect Jesus through that with a simple message. Attendance in youth ministries was…
Reggie Joiner, Think Orange: Imagine the Impact When Church and Family Collide (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2009), 261pp. $21.99. A Landmark Book on Family Ministry Around the time Reggie Joiner was drafting copies of his second book (his first was a co-authored effort entitled, Seven Practices of Effective Ministry), a noticeable trend was taking…
“Family worship” is an archaic phrase—and an increasingly archaic practice. It sounds austere and intimidating, like an outdated tradition for über-conservative, tightly sheltered, hyper-Christian families who care more about spiritual solemnity than family warmth. Pastor Jason Helopoulos, assistant pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan, puts the lie to these misconceptions and seeks…
This article originally appeared at The Gospel Coalition. Used by permission. I was enjoying brunch at a local café with my wife after church. It was before we had kids, so it was just the two of us. Across the room I spotted one of the students in my youth ministry, sitting with his parents.…
This article originally appeared at TheBlazingCenter.com. Used by permission. Is it just me or is there a lot of pressure on parents to provide their children with the absolute perfect environment for growth? We are told that our children need to be breast fed, need listen to classical music, need to be able to read…
“You’re so young,” my anesthesiologist commented as he prepped my back for the ever-so-long epidural needle. I was in the delivery room preparing to give birth to our second daughter, Evangeline. “I just can’t believe you are already having your second child and you’re only twenty-six,” he continued. “Yes,” was all I could utter through…
Last month, Time ran a cover story on “The Childfree Life.” It raised the question: Are children necessary for having a full and meaningful life? This month, Emily Timbol has picked up that question and stirred the pot again. In her article, “The Fruitful Callings of Childless By Choice,” she makes the case that she…
You have read the books, been to the conferences, favorited the latest tweets, and perhaps even received a degree declaring that you are a “certified” expert on how to minister to families. Now, if the parents in your ministry will just follow your advice, their home will be overflowing with Bible studies and wonderful times…
This article originally appeared at DesiringGod.org. Used by permission. In the months leading up to my daughter’s birth, I contemplated what it would be like to raise a child. I thought, if I can barely remember to put deodorant on in the mornings, how could I possibly steward another life? More importantly, how will I…
This article originally appeared at DesiringGod.org. Used by permission. “Adoption is greater than the universe.” So says John Piper, and as sweeping as the statement may sound, it is absolutely true. Because the eternal communion of our triune God is behind, beneath, beside, and above the universe and is the ultimate reason and cause for our…
This article originally appeared at AlbertMohler.com. Used by permission. We are fast becoming a pornographic society. Over the course of the last decade, explicitly sexual images have crept into advertising, marketing, and virtually every niche of American life. This ambient pornography is now almost everywhere, from the local shopping mall to prime-time television. By some…
The new narcotic. Morgan Bennett just published an article by this title. The thesis: Neurological research has revealed that the effect of internet pornography on the human brain is just as potent — if not more so — than addictive chemical substances such as cocaine or heroin. To make matters worse, there are 1.9 million cocaine users,…
Portions of this essay are taken from Jason G. Duesing, ed., Adoniram Judson: A Bicentennial Appreciation of the Pioneer American Missionary (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2012). Originally presented at the Annual Meeting of the Andrew Fuller Center, 21 September 2012, Louisville, Kentucky. To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the…
This essay is to be published in Allen Yeh and Chris Chun, eds., Expect Great Things, Attempt Great Things: William Carey and Adoniram Judson, Baptist Mission Pioneers (Studies in World Christianity, Vol. 1; Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, forthcoming). Used by permission. The embrace of Baptist principles by Adoniram and Ann Judson in 1812 is…
Two hundred years ago in 1810, a young man named Adoniram Judson composed an extraordinary letter to the father of the young woman he wanted to marry. He wrote as follows: I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this…
What happens when missionaries are repeatedly faced with illness, kidnappings, difficult teammates and a myriad of unexpected and painful trials? To whom do they turn for help when the Hand of Providence brings a cloud of grief and confusion that momentarily shatters their Christ-centered perspective on the purpose of life and their call to take…
