Kris Loomis, our director of Kidspointe North, has been a good friend for a long time. She and her husband, Dave, have been an essential part of our children's ministry. So, we have been involved in all kinds of situations together. It has been a blast having them on our volunteer team and now having Kris on our staff. I can't tell you how valuable they both are to Crosspointe Church. Besides investing in the lives of tons of kids around here, they are the parents of three great kids of their own. I really have so much respect for them as parents. We often bounce parenting issues off of one another and I am always thankful for their insight. Recently, I was talking to Kris about the book, Revolutionary Parenting. She was very interesting in reading it. Well, she finished and so I asked her to give us a book review of it. I think we can all benefit from her thoughts. . .
Revolutionary Parenting by George Barna
Book review
I am a mother of three kids and have been on this parenting journey for 16 ½ years. I still remember the overwhelming feeling when we left the hospital with our first child – the nurse just handed me a tiny baby as I got in the car, and she waved us off. I thought, “That’s it? Aren’t there any instructions? You’re going to trust me with this thing?” We quickly realized that it was up to us to figure out how to care for this brand new human being, and her well-being was our responsibility. Unlike our new electronics, appliances, or even landscaping plants, there are no care instructions that come with children! But there is an amazing assortment of parenting resources in books and seminars that we can choose from. Just one step into the parenting section of any bookstore can be overwhelming. Over the years I have read a multitude of parenting books, some which are full of practical advice, others with a few nuggets of wisdom, and still others that are just a waste of my precious time – considering what little time I have to read while being a parent.
Recently I borrowed Revolutionary Parenting from a friend. I was intrigued by the sub-title: “Want to raise a spiritual champion? What the research shows really works.” By the end of the introduction, I was hooked. And this is, hands down, one of the best parenting books I have ever read.
First, let me explain that this book is for readers who desire to raise their children to know, love and serve God with all their hearts, souls and minds. Revolutionary Parenting is the result of research done by the Barna Group, surveying 10,000 young adults and singling out those who would be categorized as “spiritual champions”. Once these individuals were identified, they were interviewed further, and their parents were also interviewed.
The revolutionary families varied across the socio-economic and church denomination spectrums; yet there were some clear, common denominators in how they raised their children. While explaining his findings, Barna challenges readers to assess their own ideas toward raising a “spiritual champion.”
Below are just a few of the findings that stood out to me:
• Parenting was job #1 for revolutionary parents – they sacrificed time and personal interest, even career advancement sometimes, to make a plan, invest in and train their children.
• Parenting principles were gleaned from biblical truths, not the social norms. Their standard for success was not based on comparing their children to the norm among their peers.
• Revolutionary parents saw themselves as the primary spiritual developers of their young ones, and only saw the church and other faith-based activities as re-inforcement.
• Revolutionary parents set boundaries and stuck to them. They did not hesitate to correct character flaws or rebellion. They taught respect for authority inside and outside the home.
• Revolutionary parents were willing to evaluate and readjust their strategies if necessary.
• Revolutionary parents continued to deepen their own relationship with God, and included their children in worship and service.
Barna closes his book with this encouragement about parenting: “As emphasized by both the Scripture and Revolutionary Parents, this job is never easy. Given the trajectory of our culture, it’s not likely to get any easier. But it is probably the single most important thing you will ever do in your life. May you do it with wisdom and passion for the glory of God, your partner in the process.”
I love a book that is not cumbersome to read, but challenges me to think. This book is a great read for any parent, especially if your kids are still living at home. In fact, anyone preparing for parenthood would benefit from this book. It is formatted with discussion questions at the end of each chapter, so it would be appropriate to do in a group setting
