In 2019, I stumbled upon a whole new world—apologetics! A fresh book had just been released by Hillary Morgan Ferrer called Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies. I devoured it cover to cover, and before long I was following public apologists on YouTube and social media, soaking in all I could learn.

At the same time, I began praying for a ministry partner among the families I served. I knew the Lord was preparing us for what was ahead, and that equipping families in apologetics would strengthen our faith for the cultural and spiritual choices we’d all soon face as a Body of Christ.

Apologetics simply means offering a thoughtful, reasoned defense of the Christian faith. As 1 Peter 3:15 reminds us: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

In 2020 I attended an online conference on a Friday and Saturday offered by Women in Apologetics and I was energized, continuing to pray fervently for that partner. I’ll never forget how I pounded a TV tray in my bedroom, in tears, shouting praises to the Lord for opening this door after what He’d revealed to me across a screen.

By fall 2021, the Lord answered my prayer and provided that ministry partner. A quiet hallway conversation started an incredible journey. Together we launched a Tuesday-night women’s small group and began weaving apologetics into our Sunday discipleship with 3rd–5th graders and their leaders. God blessed that step of obedience with clarity, excitement, and momentum.

And then last Thursday—what a full-circle moment! Hillary Morgan Ferrer herself came to speak at a nearby church. Six of us enjoyed dinner beforehand and then joined a sanctuary of men and women eager to learn.

I took pages of notes, but four of her insights especially stuck with me:

1. Use apologetics tools—like asking good questions—to lower the temperature of culture and bring back civil dialogue. That’s one way we can shine as set-apart people today.
2. Moms usually get questions first. Mama stands to equip their children for what is true and false in the world, so let us ROAR like a Mother. Our kids (biological, adoptive, spiritual) need to hear us both affirm the truths and reject the lies.
3. “Faith in Jesus saved my life, and apologetics saved my faith,” as a preteen.
4. The “Founder’s Effect”—the first person to introduce new information often becomes the “expert” in the minds of those who heard it. Go back to #2 above.

Oh, how faithful the Lord has been on this journey—from a book in my hands to a fire in my soul to a ministry that equips families with truth and love. And a ministry that equips disciples of Jesus to engage in healthy conversations about a faith in Jesus that is worth defending.

“For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” 1 Peter 3:17

One of the church consultants I follow on social media recently said, “The sabbatical is over. It’s time to put away the resort wear and pick up the clipboards. It’s time to prep for fall.”

He encouraged churches to set a re-entry marker—a clear, exciting moment to help people shift out of summer mode and back into a rhythm of worship and ministry. The key? Name it, hype it, and invite people back with clarity and expectation.

In the past, “Promotion Sunday” filled that role, but we decided to try something new this year: a Tailgate Party on the Sunday evening before the kickoff of college football. It was the perfect re-entry marker for our intentionally multigenerational congregation.

Each ministry hosted a tailgate with games, activities, and ministry info—like a ministry fair, but with all the fun of a tailgate!
Children’s Ministry: decorated megaphones and fan flags with fabric markers
Engage Team: pickleball matches
Youth: face painting with team logos + free popcorn
Family Ministry Dinner Team: a dessert potluck
Men’s Small Group: boiled peanuts
Men’s Ministry: grilled hot dogs
And, of course, corn hole everywhere!

A gifted lay leader shared a great devotion about hydration (timely, since it was HOT!), and we played a game at the volleyball court that our youth had learned while serving at an English Camp in the Czech Republic.

Everyone left with a church-logo drink cup (thanks, Imprint.com!) and plenty of ice water to stay cool. Best of all, folks came dressed in their favorite team gear—hats, shirts, and jerseys—which made for lots of fun conversations. Now we know who’s rooting for who, and new friendships are springing up in hallways and parking lots as people swap football stories.

We learned a few things too:
* We’ll move the microphone and speakers to a better spot under the trees.
* Next year, we’ll add a corn hole tournament (because with that many boards, how could we not?).
* We’ll start 30 minutes later to enjoy more shade.

The following Sunday, I noticed something beautiful—people lingering after worship, chatting about the weekend’s games, and connecting in new ways. Folks who might never have struck up a conversation before now had something in common to share.

That’s what this re-entry marker was all about—connection, community, and coming back together with joy and intention.

So, what did your church do for its re-entry marker this year?

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.” Psalm 47:1

I don’t know how else to say it: Please bring your littles to church—please, pretty please!

When my parents divorced when I was ten (they separated when I was eight), my world was unstable, uncertain, and unreasonably messy. One thing remained steady: the local church.

Every single week at that little cinderblock church—always under construction—God’s people showed up. They smiled with joy, fed me cookies and Kool-Aid, celebrated with a shiny star on the Bible verse chart when I memorized Scripture, and even let me sing the offertory solo from the hymnal. When life was especially hard, someone always slipped an arm around my shoulders to check in, or to pray with me at the altar. By the end of each Sunday, I was ready to face another week.

And that wasn’t even my first experience with the church.

When I was five, my dad suffered a heart attack and had to be hospitalized far away. While he was recovering, a brown paper bag of groceries quietly appeared on our doorstep each week from a nearby church. When Daddy came home, my parents started taking us to that church and even taught Sunday school for a season. Later, life shifted again, but when my parents dropped me and my brothers off at that little cinderblock church after the divorce, the people of God remained the steady, safe place.

Friends, your littles’ world will be rocked one day. That’s just how life goes.

The church gave me something priceless: the liturgy (a set of forms, words, expressions) of faith in a mighty God who created me and would never leave me. Words for grief and disappointment. Habits for hope. Practices that pointed me to God’s goodness when nothing else felt steady. They taught me to be content in whatever circumstance and how to forgive. Week after week, the family of faith helped me know—deep down—that God is great, God is good, and God is faithful.

As much as you want to be the rock-solid model of faith for your kids—and yes, you are their most important teacher—there will come a day when Mama and Daddy aren’t enough. Who else will they turn to? How will they know the language of prayer, the rhythm of worship, the truth of Scripture, the grounding of contentment, the tools to release bitterness, the repeated practice of God’s grace and forgiveness of self and others, unless the whole church helps build that toolbox with you?

So please, bring your kids to church. Not just for Sunday mornings, but for the gift of relationships that will hold steady when life shakes. Start early. Stay steady.

There’s more for your kids at church beyond edu-tainment. And there’s more for you, too.

I’ll save you a seat.

 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:22-25

Mr. Bob and I celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary this year, a few weeks after the actual date, on Hilton Head Island — one of our favorite places in the world. We enjoyed dinner at Charlie’s L’Etoile Verte and soaked up the music at The Jazz Corner, both sweet reminders of our roots in south Louisiana.

We always take two weeks away, because I know myself — it takes at least a week for “the office” to quiet down in my head. By the second week, I finally begin to rest, breathe deeply, and reset. This year’s trip gave me space to step back after a full summer of ministry, a month of school-year calendaring, and the holy work of setting new personal and spiritual priorities for the months ahead.

Vacations are more than time off for me — they are a turning of the page. From one season into the next, I pause with intention and remember: “This is what I prayed for.”

Prayers Answered: I prayed for our whole family to live nearby so that Mr. Bob and I could be available, helpful, and part of our children’s and grandchildren’s stories of faith and life. God has answered that prayer with a resounding YES! I’ve already set aside upcoming time off to line up with school breaks so I can be even more present and available with them.

Ministry Highlights: Ministry outside the church walls takes planning, muscle, and energy. This summer, I was blessed with two high school interns who carried tables, rearranged furniture, jumped into staff meetings, helped lead in worship, and asked all the right questions. They learned the “why” behind the “what,” and I watched holy confidence take root in each of them. Both will continue serving in the fall, though in different ways.

Last summer’s young adult intern is now flourishing on the Women’s Ministry Team, leading a middle school girls’ group, serving as the adult lead for confirmation, and co-leading an Abide Lab on prophetic prayer. Watching these young leaders answer God’s call fills me with excitement for sharing Jesus with neighbors, nations, and the next generation.

Holy Surprises: Not everything this season was weighty and serious. At one of our Driveway Parties, a host offered iced cold brew coffee with half-and-half. This lifelong tea-drinker gave it a try … and now I’m hooked. My daughter calls it “the dark side.” I call it “where has this been all my life?!”

Table Life: Today, I’m back in the office, still debriefing. Our Tuesday staff meeting is offsite this week, which feels like a grace-filled extension of my reset at Hilton Head.

With every new season comes a chance to reflect, recalibrate, and rejoice. I step into this one grateful for 41 years of marriage, the nearness of family, the growth of young leaders, and even the joy of discovering a new tasty beverage in iced cold brew coffee.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

“The local church has adopted the language of our education system, but not the practices,” Rev. Jeremy Bannister shared at the Discipleship Begins at Home online conference.

Think about it: our schools have clear academic standards, sports teams run regular practices with conditioning, and every extracurricular activity has accountability built in. But when it comes to discipleship — the actual following of Jesus — the same clarity, structure, and measurable growth often isn’t there.

As leaders in the local church, we are called to equip the saints — helping followers of Jesus grow strong and reproduce their faith so that the world is transformed through transformed disciples.

And on the front lines? Parents and grandparents.

They know the goal: for their kids to love Jesus with their whole hearts, for their whole lives. It’s our role as Christian educators to give them tools, developmental benchmarks, and a realistic picture of what it takes.

Here’s the truth we have to tell:

• One hour of Sunday School will never be enough to build a resilient faith for the other 167 hours of the week.
• Most curricula focus on “God made you” and “Jesus loves you” — wonderful truths, but repeated without deeper engagement year after year, they don’t prepare kids to face a loud and angry culture.
• Many parents and grandparents haven’t been discipled themselves with clear standards, commitments, or practices that build spiritual confidence for the long haul.
• Our own discipleship must grow stronger. We need to model holy habits: systematic Bible reading, tithing, serving, having meaningful conversations, asking good questions, and staying rooted in Christian community — not just because our jobs require it.

We must ask ourselves: If every disciple of Jesus was just like me, what would God’s kingdom look like on earth?

Here’s the good news: now is the perfect time to restart.

• Find an accountability partner and begin reading the Bible systematically. Once kids can read chapter books, they can read a chapter of the Bible. Begin with Luke — a clear, narrative account from Dr. Luke’s interviews with eyewitnesses. Use an easy-reader Bible and simply read aloud.
• Explore resources from The Next Generation Ministries — their Discipleship for Life plan gives age-by-age holy habit practices from birth onward. There’s also a 5-year plan for older kids, teens, and adults who want to intentionally start (or restart) their discipleship journey. These are in our Family Resource Center.
• Grow into regular, systematic tithing — prayerfully decide together as a family what that looks like.
• Co-lead a small group Bible study — pairing with someone older, younger, or in a different life stage to grow together in relationships, Scripture, and accountability.
• Offer parents and grandparents clear, doable discipleship metrics — daily Bible reading and prayer, weekly fellowship and giving, monthly service — along with conversation prompts to make faith a natural part of life. Launch it with a Parenting with a Purpose class, then follow up with a simple, “How’s it going?”

So, how is it going? The invitation is here. The tools are ready. The time is now. Let’s equip the saints to grow resilient disciples — at home and in community — who robustly follow Jesus for life.

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12

I believe some of the stickiest faith moments happen at home — in familiar spaces, with familiar faces. Me and all the research. While we may get just one hour a week with the littles if they come to church, the family gets nearly 50 together. That’s why equipping families with simple, meaningful tools (not just another thing to do!) is a big part of our discipleship plan for littles, middles, and talls.

We’ve added a wheeled shelf of goodness to a narrow little hallway — right where families check in and check out for programming. It’s packed with faith-forming resources we’ve already been using behind the scenes, and now we’re rolling them out (literally!) to share.

We do have a fabulous church library and it’s one of the most used spaces on campus. This small family resource center gives families easy access and it’s super convenient.

And as items disappear (yay!), we’ll replace them with fresh, thoughtful tools based on the real-life hallway conversations of what are families talking about.

What’s on the shelf for the beginning of this school year?

Clear signage that items are free to take – I gleaned the design from the fabulous Amber Pike of RenewANation which offers the Family Ministry Academy which I can’t say enough great things about. Their new cohort season begins in October.

“Are My Kids on Track?” by Christian family counselors Sissy Goff and David Thomas
Remember those milestone checklists at the pediatrician? This book is like that—but for hearts and minds, not just height and weight. It’s a go-to guide for raising emotionally, socially, and spiritually healthy kids.

Catechism Books — Faith Q&A for the Whole Family
The word “catechism” means to teach with questions and answers—and Christians have used this method for centuries to pass down the truth of the Christian faith. We’ve stocked two favorites:

• Foundational Truths: A Modern Catechism – Beautiful and accessible for parents, grandparents, and older kids.
• The New City Catechism – Pocket-sized, app-available, and great for on-the-go moments like carpool, waiting rooms, or the sidelines of life. These were gifts to all of our elementary families on Promotion Sunday.

Two Discipleship Blueprints — Because Faith Has a Framework
Our faves from Rev. Jeremy Bannister and The Next Generation Ministries:

• Discipleship Begins at Home: For Littles – A year-by-year guide to nurturing holy habits from birth onward.
• 5-Year Plan: For Teens & Adults – A roadmap for walking alongside your middle & high schoolers (or even yourself!) in Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, service, giving, and more.

“Count Yourself Calm” – A Read-Aloud for Big Feelings
This playfully illustrated book helps children breathe, pray, and reflect on God’s goodness—especially when emotions are high. It’s calming, Christ-centered, and a great resource for mental and spiritual health for everyone.

HomePoint Resource Guides for Families with all ages and stages
These straight-talking, grace-filled resources from D6 I first experienced at Children’s Pastors Conference provide wisdom and encouragement for navigating life’s big transitions through a biblical lens.

As these treasures are taken, we’ll keep replenishing with tools that support whole-family discipleship – body, mind, spirit, and soul. Because the One who made us has a plan for helping us flourish, even in this temporary world.

What does your Family Resource Center look like?

“May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.” Psalm 20:2

July is the month that requires both an over abundance of physical and mental energy.

Physically, we’re still deep in summer programming:
Driveway Parties
Movie Nights
Ladies Paint Parties
Woodlands Freestyle Day Camp
National Ice Cream Day
Lunches and tea with new ministry leaders
And lots of calendaring for what’s ahead!

Mentally, we’re switching gears to the new school year—setting school-year calendars for littles, middles, and talls, creating graphics, launching registrations, making online room reservations, ordering supplies, and preparing to train our amazing leaders who jump headfirst into ministry with families of all ages and stages.

Held right after worship (Pastor Judy is not easy to follow!), we tossed the net wide to gather anyone who serves in nursery, kids, youth, young adult, men’s, women’s, and senior adult ministries for a training lunch. Our goal? Cover the essentials clearly, joyfully, and in under an hour to train our returning team and new team members!

Each table was set with clappers, megaphones, and pom-poms to help our leaders “make some noise.” Blue bags and pens with the church logo and the 2025-2026 Kids & Youth School Year Calendars were ready for everyone to take home.

On an index card each leader shared and left on the table:

• Their name and email
• Ministry area (one or more)
• Two church besties
• A prayer request
  These cards help us stay connected and serve as our attendance record.

The Training Focus: The MACLAND Acrostic

We used the letters of our church’s name to hit the majors:

M = Ministry Safe
Ministry Safe is how we set the stage to keep ministry safe. The Global Methodist Church provides free, excellent online training resources for GMC local churches. New leaders will get links this week for background checks and online training. It’s how we beat the devil!

A = Arrival Time
Plan to arrive 20–30 minutes before your service time. Like band leaders say, “If you’re on time, you’re late.” Early arrival gives margin to prepare and pray for a smooth, grace-filled start.

C = Community
It’s in our name! We asked who had participated in the multiple community outreaches this summer—and every single person stood! The room exploded with cheers. This fall, we continue inviting and serving the community with the Tailgate Party, Macland Community Round Up, Friendsgiving, the Christmas Parade, and our Live Nativity. Everyone is invited to prayerfully consider how they can support each through Family Ministry.

L = Learning
Tables shared how they’ve grown in Christ this summer. Then we asked: How will you grow this fall? Consider joining a Life Group, Emmaus Walk, Face to Face Encounter, Chrysalis Flight, or using HomePoint and Family Resource Center tools. I was super grateful they attended this learning opportunity.

A = Assist the Church
From sharing on social media to emptying trash cans, we all serve together, especially as a lay-led church. Everyone has a part in caring for our church spaces and promoting the joy we share here.

N = New Opportunities
So much is starting this fall!
Kids Praise Team & Youth Praise Team (Wednesday nights)
Young Adults studying The Psalms (Thursday evenings)
Young Adult Quarterly Lunch & Learns
Confirmation for 7th & 8th graders
MacSenior’s Legacy Hymn Worship (Last Sundays of each month, 4–5 PM)

D = Departure Times Matter
Guests may not arrive early, but they often linger. Be available, be helpful, and let your presence reflect Jesus. And personally? Linger with Him. Make time for your own personal worship this fall. Don’t quit. Stay the course. Adjust as needed—but stay the course.

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We’re in a month of transition and transformation.
Promotion Sunday is just around the corner! Bags are packed, scripture is written on mirrors and windows in dry-erase markers, rooms are getting decluttered, and databases updated as kids move up a grade. During the worship service, students and those serving them, both on campus and off-campus, will be commissioned as missionaries by the Missions Team to the areas where they’ll be in community this school year. On mission where God is sending them in community.

So keep the iced coffee and sweet tea coming — and let’s use every day of July for His glory!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

The discipleship of our Senior Saints is led by some amazing people. Some who have incredibly floppy Bibles from decades of use and some who have the gift of time to dedicate to serving. Senior Saints are an integral part of Family Ministry.

Because one of our core values is to be intentionally multigenerational, we lean into opportunities where generations learn from one another, grow together, and joyfully share in the life of the church. Here’s what that looks like in real life:

First Thursday Potluck (11am–1pm):
Each month, a team of servant leaders sets the theme and tables for a warm and welcoming potluck on campus. There is incredible food, plenty of sweet and unsweet tea, and a message of encouragement or information. The fellowship is rich, the laughter is real, and everyone leaves full.

Legacy Hymn Worship Service (last Sunday of the month, 4–5pm):
The Legacy Hymn Worship Service is a time to gather and sing the timeless hymns of our faith, accompanied by piano and led by a song leader using My Redeemer’s Praise (Seedbed). A message about the history and meaning of the hymns adds depth to the worship. We share the event with the community via roadside banners which read “Last Sunday of the month” set up and taken down by our youth—another simple act of intergenerational service.

Game Day (3rd Thursday, every other month):
From dominoes to card games, Game Day brings out the fun and friendly competition. This summer, a domino tournament welcomed middle schoolers into the mix, sparking conversations, laughter, and a whole lot of joyful connection. Sharing play across generations builds relationships in the most delightful ways. Even new senior saints attended because they knew middle schoolers would be there.

More multigenerational moments with our senior saints include…

• Face to Face (Walk to Emmaus for 60+):
  We’re honored to host this powerful spiritual retreat for those over 60 this fall. Our Senior Saints support and participate in ways that nurture their faith and uplift others.
• Senior Date Night with the Youth:
  A cherished highlight of our year! Seniors and youth gather to share a meal, swap stories of faith, play games, and build friendships. Themed evenings like Cinco de Mayo and Italian Night—with baked ziti, easy sign-ups, and Etsy game bundles—make these gatherings a favorite of the year.
• Christmas Hospitality:
  Our Senior Saints baked over 80 dozen cookies last year to welcome neighbors to the Live Nativity. They served cider and cocoa with warm smiles, creating sacred, accessible space for all. We intentionally hold this event on level ground so everyone, including those with mobility needs, can fully participate.
• Serving Widows with Love:
  This summer, middle and high school young men met bi-weekly to engage in ‘tough talk’ led by some incredible Titus 2 men and provided yard work and landscaping support for widows in our congregation who otherwise could not take care of it on their own. And if those ladies had a pond or lake? Yes, there was some fishing going on afterwards.

“In not knowing the existential and institutional reasons for church, we have deprived ourselves of an invaluable opportunity to taste and see that the Lord is not only true, but also good and beautiful. Second only to God’s gift of Himself, there simply is no greater blessing in this age, for us as our neighbors, than the body of Christ.” Brad Edwards, The Reason for Church, pg 207

I love our senior saints and the opportunities they leverage for their own faith formation alongside those of us watching how they model loving and serving the Lord with their whole hearts for, indeed, their whole lives. We have Annas in the breezeway. We have Simeons guiding folks to seats. We have Rose, Robin, Donnie, Mary June, Randy, Phil, Carolyn, Mala, David, Billy, Janice, Chris, Kristi, Allen, Emil, Janet, Morris, Barry, and Bob who pour into the littles, middles, and talls. And when I get to witness our senior saints fully engage in the other areas of the Christian community inside and outside the walls of the local church building, this Jesus gal wants to toss confetti all over the place.

“You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.” Titus 2:1-5

Not because the author was trying to stir up frustration, but because they held up a mirror to something you love—and the reflection was hard to see.

That’s how I felt reading the first half of The Reason for Church: Why the Body of Christ Still Matters in an Age of Anxiety, Division, and Radical Individualism (April 2025). Every chapter peeled back the cultural layers that have crept into how we see church—and it made me mad.

A ministry bestie who serves on staff at another church told me their staff was reading it together, so I grabbed a copy, too. We’ve had some great conversations over holy guacamole and queso over previous books. This one will be emotional.

The book begins with this idea: individuality has metastasized into individualism—a deep commitment to self-definition. And now, just like our playlists and social feeds, we expect the local church to be curated and customized to fit me.

Whatever that even means.

The author pulls no punches—starting with the Tower of Babel and moving through the seeker-sensitive movement, the rise of the “sacred self” (my own intuition is my north star and will guide me to what is best for me), and the consumer mindset that’s shaped much of American Christianity. We’ve discipled people to think of church as a spiritual vending machine aka a spiritual non-profit. And yet, we wonder why our discipleship feels shallow and anemic—when we’ve trained ourselves to sip from the well of living water instead of sink deep into the life of the Church.

Here’s what’s worse: in a world where “I feel, therefore it’s true” is a guiding belief, correction and instruction feels like harm. If you make me feel bad about myself or speak God’s truth in love to me, I’ll just cut you out of my life. When a teen calls family devotions “religious trauma,” or every boundary gets labeled “hurt,” we need to ask: are God’s people still open to conviction? Repentance? Growth? Instruction? Sanctification? Healing? Or is the church merely a service-provider?

Yes, real wounds exist. So does spiritual immaturity. Both can show up in the same room.

And counterfeit communities—especially online or on the field—offer quick belonging while slowly unmaking disciples. Algorithms feed our outrage. “Community” gets confused with comment sections. Practices and coaches take priority on the family calendar and finances. It’s all noise, and it’s numbing. It’s lonely, and it’s exhausting.

So yes, I got angry at what we’ve let shape her, the Bride of Christ.

But I kept reading—and the second half of the book makes me want to shout from the back row and toss glory confetti all over the place.

The church is still God’s idea to save the world. A greenhouse for exiles. A place where we learn to ask for help, live in covenant, and drink deeply of Christ’s love together—not in isolation. It’s where we’ll encounter hospitable and kind people of all generations who choose to accept you based on what Christ says about you without judgment of your past experiences. (Ephesians 1:6)

The author offers: If we want resurrection life, we must devote ourselves to the Bride of Christ as fully as He did—to the point of death. (Philippians 2:8) And we can’t claim to carry our cross if we won’t carry each other in sacrifice, through inconvenience, setting aside personal desires, expectations, and preferences.

I’ve got 50 pages left—and a lot more to process. The best part? This is a book which speaks so positively about the church and cheers on God’s plan to redeem the world through her. I love the church and Brad Edwards does an exceptional job of speaking well of her, The Bride of Christ. So very well of her!

Part two is coming. And probably more queso.

“They (all, together) devoted themselves (fully, together) to the apostles’ teaching (receive instruction), the fellowship (spiritual greenhouse), to the breaking of bread (Jesus), and the prayers (actively depending on Him), (Acts 2:42). Whatever metaphor we use, the early church was absolutely not a spiritual buffet from which individual believers picked dis-integrated ingredients. “Awe” is not on the other side of a balanced spiritual diet. That’s individualism talking. Instead, what Luke is describing is individuals called out from every tribe, tongue, and nation to become part of God’s “great nation” (Genesis 12). p. 143

Rev. Jared Lathem may be a newly ordained pastor, but he’s no stranger to church life. Son of the faithful Rev. Dr. Warren Lathem and Jane Baird Lathem, a saint, Jared brings a legacy of ministry into his own calling. So when I saw he had written The Sermon Killing Your Family: When Silence Becomes The Loudest Message, a book about reclaiming spiritual leadership in the home—for parents, grandparents, leaders, and everyday families—I didn’t hesitate. I ordered my first three copies on the spot.

I couldn’t put it down.

For those of us in the kidmin trenches who have spent years waving the banner of family discipleship—cheering for parents to lead at home, in car lines, at ball fields, and around dinner tables—this book is fuel to our fire. Jared doesn’t just talk about it; he lives it. He offers a simple, practical, Spirit-led invitation to turn the dining room table and the bunk bed into sacred spaces for revival.

And he does it with bold clarity:

This is the tragedy of the modern Christian family: fathers who were called to be priests but settled for being providers, and mothers who were called to be intercessors but settled for being schedulers. p. 47

In Chapter 11: Family Altars and Kitchen Table Revivals, Jared paints the hopeful picture of beginning and returning to a time of gathering at the family altar. It’s around the family altar, dining room-living room-beside the bunk bed-on the back porch, when fathers learn to be family priests and mothers learn to be prayer warriors.

Jared lays out simple, uncomplicated elements of the family altar to regularly practice together, starting where you are. He lists the common obstacles, the fruit of faithful altars and the generational impact because “it shapes how children view God, how they approach problems, how they make decisions, how they relate to others.” p. 131

And just when you think the book couldn’t offer more – there it is in the back: a 30-Day Family Devotional Guide: Building A Foundation for Family Faith designed for families who are new to this whole thing of family altar time. Each has scripture and a developmentally appropriate chat question for children, teens, and adults. It’s worth the price of the book.

If you’re ready to play the long game….

If you’re tired of feeling like you’re losing your kids to schedules, screens, and sidelines…

If you’re longing to see revival start right at home… Get this book.

Gather your people.

Light a candle.

Open the Bible.

And get ready to reclaim your family altar.

“The game is not over, but the clock is ticking.” p. 121