In my ministry career, I have had numerous conversations with parents about the “how-tos” of parenting. The reality is all parents want to do the best they can for their children, but many have not grown up in a healthy or Christian home so they lack the example from their own childhood. Given the right tools, parents will engage in a new way, equipped for the monumental task of raising a child! Spiritual Parenting is one of those tools I would recommend for any parent.
Spiritual Parenting helps parents create a framework for making God-centered conversations and decisions part of a child’s everyday life. Too often spirituality is left to special events or church on Sundays and there is little integration of personal faith into the parenting process—the ten environments discussed by Michelle Anthony in the book create intentional points for parents to use to make God a daily focus.
The book is not merely a parenting guide, it is a philosophy shift that challenges families to raise children who are more than morally obedient. We can teach children to obey rules and policies, but more importantly if we want children to deepen in their faith, we need to create a new lens for them to look through when evaluating life. What does God have to say? How is this decision informed by the Bible? Where am I in the big God story? These questions help parents shape the lives of their children in a new way.
There are two other resources that are exceptionally helpful with this book. There is a parenting curriculum DVD and the book’s ten environments are incorporated in My Healthy Church’s Tru Fire curriculum. As a family pastor, this helps me shape a parenting model to share with my church family. It is a great help to be able to give parents some tangible “handles” to hold onto in their journey of raising children.
