Becoming a Spiritually Healthy Family
Overcoming
spiritually dysfunctional parenting
Let
God direct your family’s story and show your children a truly abundant life
No one who starts a family plans on falling into
patterns of dysfunction, but between the baggage of the past and the pressures
of the world today, developing destructive parenting patterns is all too easy. Family
ministry leader Dr. Michelle Anthony has now brought hope and practical help to
parents in her new book, Becoming a Spiritually Healthy Family: Avoiding
the 6 Dysfunctional Parenting Styles (David
C Cook/January 1, 2015/ISBN: 978-0781411394/$15.99).
Becoming a Spiritually Healthy Family was made for
that “freak-out” moment nearly all parents have when they realize their child’s
view of God largely comes from what he or she learns at home. While the task is
intimidating, parents can avoid the temptation to ignore, outsource or
overcompensate and find balance in letting the Lord become the Director of their
family’s story.
Anthony
points out that while some dysfunction is simply the reality of living in an
imperfect world, truly painful dysfunction comes when we choose to sit in the Director’s
chair of our life — pursuing abundant life instead of pursuing Christ. By surrendering
the pen and allowing God to write the script as He sees fit, parents can guide
their children into the abundant life Jesus offers, even in the midst of day-to-day
living. This inspiring guide offers practical ideas to get parents unstuck in
their family journey of faith.
Outlining
the six most common dysfunctional parenting styles, such as the “I-Can’t-Say-No
Parent,” the “Criticizing Parent” and the “Double-Minded Parent”, Anthony
offers grace to parents who fall short, while providing practical tips, advice,
activities and reflective questions at the end of each chapter that will help
parents envision what it looks like for a family to follow Jesus and not the
seductive alternatives the world offers.
Many
Christian families are pursuing the “abundant life” by trying to achieve more
and better. But when families pursue the abundant life in their own
strength, their spiritual health suffers. Whether it’s creating rites-of-passage
events for your children or writing a family mission statement, Becoming a Spiritually Healthy Family will
help families pursue Christ, the only way they will find the truly abundant
life — as a family.
If
you long to show your children Jesus but don’t know how to do it, you’ll find
hope in this practical guide to creating a relentlessly grace-filled home that
is focused on God as first in charge.
David
C Cook also has a monthly magazine available addressing spiritually healthy
parenting. HomeFront is the
perfect resource to help equip parents to be the spiritual leaders of their
children. Complete with family tradition ideas, recipes, articles for everyone
in the family, and more, the magazine can be sent to the subscriber’s inbox or
home each month. HomeFront highlights
one of the ten environments from the book Spiritual
Parenting (also written by Anthony) each month as a practical way to make
those truths come alive in each family member’s lives.
About
the author
Dr.
Michelle Anthony is the vice president of Learning Resources at David C Cook
and the author of Spiritual Parenting, Dreaming of More for the Next
Generation, A Theology of Family Ministry and The Big God Story. Anthony has graduate degrees in
Christian education, theology and leadership and more than 25 years of church
ministry experience as a children’s and family pastor. She has written more
than a dozen Christian education and family/youth ministry resources, including
David C Cook’s TRU Curriculum.
Anthony
and her husband, Michael, have two children and currently live in Colorado
Springs, where she loves a good book and a cup of coffee.
Learn
more about Michelle Anthony and Becoming a Spiritually Healthy Family at www.michelleanthony.org, on Facebook or by following her on Twitter (@truinspiration).
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