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great book from Kara Powell! As a parent of teens, I felt this book was informative and full of ideas to use with my family.
I like how the research is woven throughout the book, I also like that this research sheds light on the young adult group sometimes backing up my beliefs of this group while at other times offering a different perspective that helps me to understand them better.
It provides encouragement for parents in the midst of the teen/young adult stage by offering ideas on how to be a better parent but it's not preachy either.
Both Kara and Steven share personal stories where they have succeeded and also where they have failed, It provides hope for parents, We are all on a journey with our children and we need to be growing alongside of them! I really liked the ideas of "withing", "faithing" and "adulting" opening my eyes to seeing things in a new way.
I As a parent, I'm really grateful for this book,
As a pastor, I'm relieved that parents can have this book in their arsenal,
Here's what I love:
, The book is incredibly informative,
Backed by Fuller Theological Seminary, the book is full of original and published research, It's not "fluffy" what they write is what the best data would tell you, It can get stuffy, sometimes, so if you don't care about the research, skip it the authors give you permission in the book,
. It's incredibly practical.
The authors Kara amp Steven give incredible examples, both personal and learned, that are really easily implemented into family life, Every chapter has applications. Some of them are revolutionary, But, I imagine, if you're reading a parenting book, some of the tips won't be that surprising, And honestly, that was okay with me, because it made me realize I wasn't alone!
, It's the perfect combination of depth, length, and levity,
I've readother books for parents this year leave me alone, it's for research, This book said more, more clearly and with more detail, And it was a good time, It's a nobrainer. One of the most reliable and respected voices in youth ministry over the past couple of decades has been the work of Fuller Seminary and its most recent iteration as the Fuller Youth Institute FYI.
Anyone seriously involved in youth ministry particularly in congregational settings would do well to keep a watchful eye on their work, After undertaking some major research initiatives aimed at learning more about young people, the churchs ministry to young people, and the overall trends shaping faith development in young people, FYI and their staff have been hard at work examining and interpreting their findings.
Kara Powell made a big splash in the youth ministry world coauthoring the book Sticky Faith inalongside youth ministry pioneer Chap Clark a widely respected book.
More recently in thebook, Growing Young, the authors all FYI staff presented trends within churches they identified as successfully engaging young people,
Next week available Marcha subsequent volume focuses on parents and their roles in “helping teenagers and young adults in their faith, family, and future” as the subtitle reads.
While I found Growing Young a solid resource for helping spur honest discussions among fellow church leaders about how we can effectively engage young people in our ministry, Growing With hit me more between the eyes in its practicality and directness.
I have read few books that had a more direct bearing on my stage of life and the realities of everyday life, It isnt often that I read something and find myself referring to it or recommending it so often and so quickly after I have been reading it, but the stuff that Kara Powell and Steven Argue talk about are the lifeshaping, faithforming issues of the every day life of young people.
The first part of the book presents a highly readable and entirely accessible description of the nuances at play in the broadening category known as “young people” including the broad spectrum of teenagers, adolescents, emerging adults, and young adults On the surface, it seems a bit of a stretch to address parenting insights of children fromto, but the first section sets the course for how it makes perfect sense.
They adeptly highlight the paradox of todays youth culture that faces mounting pressure and expectations at younger ages leading to a “growing up earlier” dynamic, while at the same time prolonging life choices that once were looked at as initiating a person into adulthood marriage, having children, and determining careers.
As these broader sociological realities have elicited a great deal of attention in recent years, Powell and Argue tackle the dramatically important topic of the dynamics of faith development throughout this changing stage of life.
They present three “dynamic verbs” which provide the backbone for the book: withing, faithing, and adulting, They explore the evolution of these verbs through the young adult development from “learners”toyear olds, “explorers” mid teens to, and “focusers” most of thes.
While I found the language a tad clunky at times, the picture they draw of what it is like to navigate through this time of life from both sides as a young adult and as a parent really brings to life the issues at hand in faith development.
They emphasize an often neglected point for parents that parents and their relationship and role is changing just as the child is experiencing dramatic changes.
The authors dedicate one section to each of the verbs withing, faithing, and adulting, and do a wonderful job of integrating statisticallyvalidated insights, parenting stories from their own families, wisdom from others, and practical suggestions for implementing the ideas they propose.
At the end of of the each of these chapters there are several suggestions for experimenting with “withing” philosophies see what I mean about the clunky play of the words!
I found myself nodding my head often as they talked about the unique challenges and needs of the “learners” currently where my own children are.
Powell and Argue come across as transparent and authentic as they discuss their own challenges as parents sometimes looking back at mistakes theyve made in the past while at other times confessing the challenges of their current life setting.
There is nothing trite about their proposals, They tackle head on many of the complexities facing families today including: economic challenges facing young adults starting out on their own, increasing complexities in romantic relationships online relationships, having a gay or transgendered child, and the call for parents to say something about their faith.
Christianity Today ran an article adapted from this book highlighting this very point, I especially appreciated their acknowledging that faith discussions can seem forced, awkward, and challenging even for ministers talking to their own children but they remind the readers how essential it is to have these intentional conversations.
This discussion alone is worth the time and money of the book,
There are few voices within youth ministry that speak with the authority and respect of FYI, and this book will do nothing but further their reputation.
I cant recommend this book enough to any parent of young people or to anyone who cares about the faith we are passing on to young people in the church today.
Each chapter ends with a series of questions that will help facilitate deep and meaningful conversations about a very important topic, and I hope to lead a class at our church using them very soon.
Do yourself a favor and pick this book up soon! Find a group of parents that you can read and discuss this book with you wont regret it!/stars! Maybe more!!!
This is the new gold standard for parents who desire to raise their teenagers and young adults to love and follow Jesus while they face the many challenges of growing up.
From the thesis statement that basically says life is a mutual journey of transformation for parents and their kids to the countless examples and stories shared throughout the pages, this book is perfect.
For the nextyears there wont be a more essential book for parents of teens and young adults, Any parent hoping to learn
and grow needs to read and apply this NOW, An entire generation of young people deserve it, Growing With: Every Parent's Guide to Helping Teenagers and Young Adults Thrive in Their Faith, Family, and Future by Kara Powell and Steven Argue.
Powell and Argue acknowledge that parenting, once considered an eighteen year endeavor, really stretches far beyond that, Most children growing up in the Millennial and iGen generations are not fully launching into their marriages, careers, and new households until closer to the age of.
With that in mind, Powell and Argue in collaboration with a series of interviews with parents, have divided the teen and young adult years into three stages.
These stages begin with learning, exploration, and focusing, As their children traverse through these stages, it should be the goal of adults to go through the stages of teaching, guiding and becoming a resource to their children.
With that mind, Powell and Argue develop both general guidelines and some specific ideas of how to interact with teens and young adults along the way.
I think that this book is a veritable treasure trove in parenting the modern teen and young adult, More than anything, this a book of advice in how to let go of control over your child, letting go without becoming overly distant.
It's a difficult balancing act, and as my oldest child just turned fourteen this week, it is something that I expect will heavily figure into my next ten to twenty years of relationship with my children.
Powell and Argue give much advice on how to build your relationship with your children and how to love and support, even when you disagree with their decisions and lifestyle choices.
This was truly helpful. bookofMy husband and I listened to this book on audio as part of a virtual Sunday School class at our church and we are so thankful that we did.
It's an amazing book for families with children aroundyears old or older, including the years after your children have moved out on their own.
Although the book is faithbased, it would be helpful to anyone hoping their children share their ideals, keep in relationship with the family, and live happy successful lives.
This book is filled with insights for parents at all stages of the process of growing with our children, As the mom of two young adults and grandmother of two toddlers, I can relate to the joys and struggles reflected in the book and love how the authors honest and sometimes humorous examples from their own experience illustrate the principles they present.
With our only child moving away to college this year, I wanted some help navigating the necessary changes in our relationship with him, Jumping in to do things for him before he had a chance to try for himself has never been a great strategy, so now that that's physically impossible it's a good opportunity to curb that impulse.
But what to replace it with
Powell and Argue offer plenty of practical suggestions for parenting children in their late teens and twenties, but for me the biggest help is just their perspective on maintaining relationships and having that be the biggest priority.
As my son moves from absorbing knowledge to exploring his options and ultimately focusing on a vocation, Powell and Argue challenge me to step back and let him do more on his own while also reaffirming my instinct to keep the relationship warm and open.
FABULOUS resource!!!
These prayers are bookends in the first and last chapter of the book and are really helping me frame this stage of parenting as I am growing with my kids.
We are all on a journey!
"Jesus, our kids are growing us and we are growing older, These truths weigh heavily on us, some days more than others, There are moments when it feels like were growing together and other times when we fear were growing apart, By your grace, please grant us faith to trust you with our kids as well as courage to grow with them through our parenting.
Spark in us a more expansive vision for this journey a vision not only about who they might become, but also about who we might become.
" Growing With, page
"Jesus, we thank you that in the midst of the ups and downs of parenting, we can place our hope in you.
We are grateful for how you use parenting to prune us and shape us more and more into your image, Please help us abide in you so that we may bear great fruit in our families and in our world, Thank you that you love our kids even more than we do, Thank you that you want the very best for them and for us, Please help us rest in your powerful grace that continues to transform us all, Amen. " Growing With, page
A helpful guidebook for parents or youth workers needing a game plan for parenting and leading teens, Provides super helpful research info and ideas for practically doing what they suggest, It is a systematic approach and is very detailed and exhaustive, If bought into, I imagine its very helpful for families and groups to have shared language and vision, Many parents of a teenager or young adult feel as though they're guessing about what to do nextwith mixed results, We want to stay connected with our maturing child, but we're not sure how, And deep down, we fear our child doesn't want or need us,
Based on brandnew research and interviews with remarkable families, Growing With equips parents to take steps toward their teenagers and young adults in a mutual journey of intentional growth that trusts God to transform them all.
By highlighting three groundbreaking family strategies, authors Kara Powell and Steven Argue show parents that it's never too early or too late to
accept the child you have, not the child you wish you had
work toward solutions rather than only identifying problems
develop empathy that nudges rather than judges
fight for your child, not against them
connect your children with a faith and church big enough to handle their doubts and struggles
dive into tough discussions about dating, career, and finances
and unleash your child's passions and talents to change our world
For any parent who longs for their kids to keep their roots even as they spread their wings, Growing With offers practical help and hope for the daysand yearsahead.
.