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The Ministry of Motherhood: Following Christ's Example in Reaching the Hearts of Our Children
Because Motherhood Isn’t Just a Job. It’s a Calling.
A mother’s day is packed with a multitude of tasks that require energy and preparing meals, washing clothes, straightening and cleaning the house, and caring for children. These jobs all are necessary and crucially important. But in the dailyness of providing for a child’ s physical, emotional, and social needs, vital opportunities for spiritual nurture and training can be overlooked.
This doesn’t have to be the case. You can focus your energy on what matters most. Learn how you
• Make Life’s Mundane and Nitty-Gritty Moments Work for You and Not Against You.
• Discover Ways to Make Character-Building a Natural Part of Live.
• Teach Your Child in the Same Way Jesus Taught the Disciples.
• Pass on Crucial Gifts that Will Serve Your Family for a Lifetime.
Using biblical wisdom and practical teachings, Sally Clarkson shows how you can make a lasting difference in your child’s life by following the pattern Christ set with his own disciples–a model that will inspire and equip you to intentionally embrace the rewarding, desperately needed, and immeasurably valuable Ministry of Motherhood.
A mother’s day is packed with a multitude of tasks that require energy and preparing meals, washing clothes, straightening and cleaning the house, and caring for children. These jobs all are necessary and crucially important. But in the dailyness of providing for a child’ s physical, emotional, and social needs, vital opportunities for spiritual nurture and training can be overlooked.
This doesn’t have to be the case. You can focus your energy on what matters most. Learn how you
• Make Life’s Mundane and Nitty-Gritty Moments Work for You and Not Against You.
• Discover Ways to Make Character-Building a Natural Part of Live.
• Teach Your Child in the Same Way Jesus Taught the Disciples.
• Pass on Crucial Gifts that Will Serve Your Family for a Lifetime.
Using biblical wisdom and practical teachings, Sally Clarkson shows how you can make a lasting difference in your child’s life by following the pattern Christ set with his own disciples–a model that will inspire and equip you to intentionally embrace the rewarding, desperately needed, and immeasurably valuable Ministry of Motherhood.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 20, 2004
335 people are currently reading
4516 people want to read
About the author
Sally Clarkson
58 books1,695 followersFrom working on college campuses, to sharing the Gospel behind the Iron Curtain as a missionary, traveling around the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia to speak on discipleship, Sally Clarkson has tenaciously sought after God's kingdom, and has used her ministry to encourage others to do the same. From her best-selling books such as Own Your Life, Desperate (with Sarah Mae), and her latest, The Lifegiving Home, Sally has shared from her heart and home about the value of motherhood and the potential for home to cultivate life, love, and faith. In 1995, She and her husband Clay founded Whole Heart Ministries, which has encouraged thousands of families around the world in discipling their children
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
September 16, 2014
"The Ministry of Motherhood", by Sally Clarkson, is a gift. A pure gift. I'm so grateful for this book.
Now here, full disclosure, before I go on with the gushing, let me tell you what I didn't like about this book. Each section starts with an imaginative retelling of part of the gospels, and I disliked that part. But I think it's primarily a stylistic preference. I only mention it in case someone else like me picks this up and also dislikes that feature. Don't worry about it. Skip it if you like. Consider it a drawing illustrating the title page of each section and just flip past it. Do not let it stop you from reading the book. Because the rest of this book is so, so good.
This book is amazing. In each chapter, it felt like the author takes my face by the chin, and turns me 'round so I can see things from a different angle, and I go "ohhhh. I get it now." It's like she says, "look at it this way. See?" And then I see, and I am so, so glad.
This book is a gift.
Sally Clarkson talks honestly and earnestly about her experience of motherhood, and easily segues into giving advice and even commands that don't sound at all presumptuous, they just sound right. Here are a few samples to give you an idea of the way she writes - things I particularly liked:
“Through his Word, God had given me all I needed to live productively through the challenging circumstances he brought my way. He will do that for my children, too, which is why the Bible must be at the center of all we do as parents. One of the central ways we give our children the gift of faith is to base everything we do on the Word of God.” – pages 124-125.
Such a good way of reminding me of the way I need to be an example to my kids. And that even before I look to how things might be affecting my kids, I need to be looking to the Lord.
And then this part - this amazing part - where she reminds me about how my children are really in the Lord's hands, not mine:
“To me as a parent, this ‘vine’ reality has two implications. First I must do what I can to stay connected to Jesus at all costs. Only when he lives through me will I have the patience, love, faith, strength, perspective, and understanding I need to raise godly, faithful children. Spiritual fruit in the lives of our children even depends – up to a point – on my staying connected to the Lord.
“But the other side of this truth is that eventually my children must attach themselves to the Vine, not to me. Only the Lord can draw our children to himself. Only he can give salvation to our children. And only he can convict them of their sins. I can and must love my children, nurture them, comfort them, teach them. I can and must model for them what a life as a ‘branch’ looks like and show them ways to stay ‘attached’ through prayer, Bible reading, fellowship with other believers, and so on. But I cannot be their ‘vine,’ and I cannot play the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives.” – pages 131-132.
That truth is so terrifying to me, and yet so reassuring. I can't tell you how many times I've prayed over my children at night, and come to the conclusion, "Lord, you love them so much more than I ever could. May they be yours. May they always be yours."
Because He does. And because He can.
This book reminded me of that. I loved it.
And I really want to spend some time rereading it, and journaling through the study questions Clarkson provides at the end of the first section.
Really worth reading. And rereading, I think. Highly recommended.
Now here, full disclosure, before I go on with the gushing, let me tell you what I didn't like about this book. Each section starts with an imaginative retelling of part of the gospels, and I disliked that part. But I think it's primarily a stylistic preference. I only mention it in case someone else like me picks this up and also dislikes that feature. Don't worry about it. Skip it if you like. Consider it a drawing illustrating the title page of each section and just flip past it. Do not let it stop you from reading the book. Because the rest of this book is so, so good.
This book is amazing. In each chapter, it felt like the author takes my face by the chin, and turns me 'round so I can see things from a different angle, and I go "ohhhh. I get it now." It's like she says, "look at it this way. See?" And then I see, and I am so, so glad.
This book is a gift.
Sally Clarkson talks honestly and earnestly about her experience of motherhood, and easily segues into giving advice and even commands that don't sound at all presumptuous, they just sound right. Here are a few samples to give you an idea of the way she writes - things I particularly liked:
“Through his Word, God had given me all I needed to live productively through the challenging circumstances he brought my way. He will do that for my children, too, which is why the Bible must be at the center of all we do as parents. One of the central ways we give our children the gift of faith is to base everything we do on the Word of God.” – pages 124-125.
Such a good way of reminding me of the way I need to be an example to my kids. And that even before I look to how things might be affecting my kids, I need to be looking to the Lord.
And then this part - this amazing part - where she reminds me about how my children are really in the Lord's hands, not mine:
“To me as a parent, this ‘vine’ reality has two implications. First I must do what I can to stay connected to Jesus at all costs. Only when he lives through me will I have the patience, love, faith, strength, perspective, and understanding I need to raise godly, faithful children. Spiritual fruit in the lives of our children even depends – up to a point – on my staying connected to the Lord.
“But the other side of this truth is that eventually my children must attach themselves to the Vine, not to me. Only the Lord can draw our children to himself. Only he can give salvation to our children. And only he can convict them of their sins. I can and must love my children, nurture them, comfort them, teach them. I can and must model for them what a life as a ‘branch’ looks like and show them ways to stay ‘attached’ through prayer, Bible reading, fellowship with other believers, and so on. But I cannot be their ‘vine,’ and I cannot play the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives.” – pages 131-132.
That truth is so terrifying to me, and yet so reassuring. I can't tell you how many times I've prayed over my children at night, and come to the conclusion, "Lord, you love them so much more than I ever could. May they be yours. May they always be yours."
Because He does. And because He can.
This book reminded me of that. I loved it.
And I really want to spend some time rereading it, and journaling through the study questions Clarkson provides at the end of the first section.
Really worth reading. And rereading, I think. Highly recommended.
May 31, 2019
I know there are many awesome moms that are Sally Clarkson super-fans. (I even know a few personally and can testify that they are, indeed, awesome moms.) I am neither. Her style is just too sweet and scented-candle-and-lace-tableclothish. You can very much tell that her family is full of "creatives and dreamers". I like candles and lace, but she just isn't there for me in the mud and screaming. (Rachel Jankovic is, though!) Worth reading once, but doesn't need to live at my house. 3.5 stars.
June 12, 2012
If you're looking for a step-by-step approach to parenting, this isn't the book you are looking for. Sally Clarkson's "The Ministry of Motherhood" is a book of encouragement for mother's designed to show them ways to reach their children's hearts. There are plenty of Christian books out there giving us specifics on how to dole out the discipline and keep our kids in line, but far too often, imo, these books focus mainly on outward behavior, and pay only lip service to the core of the matter, namely, the heart. I for one enjoy books like this one that remind us that there is something far more important than first time obedience and outward respectfulness. Mrs. Clarkson's stories from her own family accompanied by the insights she gained through the experiences help the reader to look at child rearing in a positive way.
November 21, 2024
4.5🌟
I learned so much from this book. I went through it slowly taking notes underlining and highlighting. I premise was giving children gifts as she was raising them. The word gifts being an acronym for: Grace, inspiration, faith, training, and service.My one small quibble with it would be that some of the dramatic retellings of what she imagined happened in the lives of Jesus disciples were a bit wordy and overdone.
This paragraph kind of summarizes her goal for this book.
"Our children don't need sweet platitudes of faith that will momentarily placate their emotions. They need the authentic strength that comes from the true foundation of a biblical worldview and a proper understanding of the real Christ who is worthy of their worship. They need an unwavering, internal moral and spiritual compass that will help them weather today's storms and tomorrows and will guide them for the rest of their lives. They also need to see what real faith looks like and lived day in day out so that they will have a pattern to follow. The process of providing such gifts to my children is what I've come to think of as the ministry of motherhood."
Some favorite thought provoking quotes
"I try to be mindful that, to God, relationships are always a top priority "
"One of the central ways we give our children the gift of faith is to base everything we do on the word of God. "
"Giving our children the gift of inspiration-helping them understand their spiritual purpose, which is to glorify God and to make him known-is one of the most crucial tasks of Christian parenting."
"That's really the secret to the Christian life-to learn to yield our lives and-our emotions and our actions moment by moment to him. This is what Galatians 5:16 means 'Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.' "
I learned so much from this book. I went through it slowly taking notes underlining and highlighting. I premise was giving children gifts as she was raising them. The word gifts being an acronym for: Grace, inspiration, faith, training, and service.My one small quibble with it would be that some of the dramatic retellings of what she imagined happened in the lives of Jesus disciples were a bit wordy and overdone.
This paragraph kind of summarizes her goal for this book.
"Our children don't need sweet platitudes of faith that will momentarily placate their emotions. They need the authentic strength that comes from the true foundation of a biblical worldview and a proper understanding of the real Christ who is worthy of their worship. They need an unwavering, internal moral and spiritual compass that will help them weather today's storms and tomorrows and will guide them for the rest of their lives. They also need to see what real faith looks like and lived day in day out so that they will have a pattern to follow. The process of providing such gifts to my children is what I've come to think of as the ministry of motherhood."
Some favorite thought provoking quotes
"I try to be mindful that, to God, relationships are always a top priority "
"One of the central ways we give our children the gift of faith is to base everything we do on the word of God. "
"Giving our children the gift of inspiration-helping them understand their spiritual purpose, which is to glorify God and to make him known-is one of the most crucial tasks of Christian parenting."
"That's really the secret to the Christian life-to learn to yield our lives and-our emotions and our actions moment by moment to him. This is what Galatians 5:16 means 'Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.' "
May 24, 2018
This book really had so much potential and I want to say I enjoyed it overall. I like the overarching theme of her position in advocating parents as ministers for their children for the purpose of God's glory and showing others who Christ is. There were definitely good reminders and insights that I took away. But here is what I didn't like:
1. The literary re-telling of the Bible stories before each chapter: ....but why?? It was a waste of time on both the author and reader's part. Should have just referenced the reader to the passage in the Bible and let the reader read it and left it at that (which the book does). Or if Clarkson was afraid the reader wouldn't read it, then just type out the actual Bible story from the Bible instead of typing out a dramatic, superfluous recount of it.
2. Her children's experiences were too picture perfect. It was to the point that it felt fake. There were a lot of times I kept thinking: "But did her son really that...?" I mean it seemed highly edited and I can't imagine a child/parent dialogue being that sweet and scripted. It sounds skeptical and cynical, but it was almost like I felt guilty if my interactions with my children weren't the way she exampled them.
3. It irks me when authors write "I almost didn't finish this book because (insert busy reason)". We get it, you're a mom of 4 and trying to publish books while serving in a ministry. But why write a book if you're going to mention many times that you were not about to finish it? I don't see how that adds depth to the book at all.
Ok, now that I sound like a pious book critic (I really didn't mean to, just want to give a warning to those who are about to read the book), let me say that I still finished the book. I did the discussion questions in my journal and it was a good time of reflection. Though, I couldn't really apply too much of the book because my child is still a small baby (so disciplining, training with prayer, teaching acts of service, etc. wasn't something I could practically do). But it was good for me to practice for my own self so that when my child does get older, it will just be a normal habit. Perhaps this book will come in more handy when I have multiple kids or when the kid(s) are older, but for now, it was more of a book that I had to really push myself to get through. All this to say, I really do appreciate Clarkson giving her time and energy to help mothers pursue holiness in themselves and in their children. Just wasn't my cup of tea in terms of style of writing and the examples/stories (which there were a lot of) to support her points. Will try and read another book of hers to see if sentiments are the same.
1. The literary re-telling of the Bible stories before each chapter: ....but why?? It was a waste of time on both the author and reader's part. Should have just referenced the reader to the passage in the Bible and let the reader read it and left it at that (which the book does). Or if Clarkson was afraid the reader wouldn't read it, then just type out the actual Bible story from the Bible instead of typing out a dramatic, superfluous recount of it.
2. Her children's experiences were too picture perfect. It was to the point that it felt fake. There were a lot of times I kept thinking: "But did her son really that...?" I mean it seemed highly edited and I can't imagine a child/parent dialogue being that sweet and scripted. It sounds skeptical and cynical, but it was almost like I felt guilty if my interactions with my children weren't the way she exampled them.
3. It irks me when authors write "I almost didn't finish this book because (insert busy reason)". We get it, you're a mom of 4 and trying to publish books while serving in a ministry. But why write a book if you're going to mention many times that you were not about to finish it? I don't see how that adds depth to the book at all.
Ok, now that I sound like a pious book critic (I really didn't mean to, just want to give a warning to those who are about to read the book), let me say that I still finished the book. I did the discussion questions in my journal and it was a good time of reflection. Though, I couldn't really apply too much of the book because my child is still a small baby (so disciplining, training with prayer, teaching acts of service, etc. wasn't something I could practically do). But it was good for me to practice for my own self so that when my child does get older, it will just be a normal habit. Perhaps this book will come in more handy when I have multiple kids or when the kid(s) are older, but for now, it was more of a book that I had to really push myself to get through. All this to say, I really do appreciate Clarkson giving her time and energy to help mothers pursue holiness in themselves and in their children. Just wasn't my cup of tea in terms of style of writing and the examples/stories (which there were a lot of) to support her points. Will try and read another book of hers to see if sentiments are the same.
April 26, 2019
“Perfection is not a standard he requires of me as a mother, for his grace extends to me as well as to my children. My heartfelt trust in him will be the fuel that energizes my days as I see him draw my children through this gift that will serve them their whole lives.”
•
I recently finished The Ministry of Motherhood by @sally.clarkson and it was just what I needed to read. It’s not a formulaic prescription for how to make the perfect kid. It doesn’t give you five steps to being the perfect mom.
•
Instead, Sally looks to the life of Christ to walk us through the challenges and heartbreaks and joys of parenting. It’s amazing to view Jesus’ relationship with his disciples as a pattern for motherhood, because isn’t that what Christian parenting is about?
•
My home has two little “disciples”, and I have the amazing task of shepherding them towards a heart that loves Jesus and a life that serves him, all while working through my own failures and flaws. Her journaling questions and ideas for implementing the principles also help connect her stories with real life. This is definitely book I want to return to in the years to come.
•
What books have encouraged you in your role as parent?
•
I recently finished The Ministry of Motherhood by @sally.clarkson and it was just what I needed to read. It’s not a formulaic prescription for how to make the perfect kid. It doesn’t give you five steps to being the perfect mom.
•
Instead, Sally looks to the life of Christ to walk us through the challenges and heartbreaks and joys of parenting. It’s amazing to view Jesus’ relationship with his disciples as a pattern for motherhood, because isn’t that what Christian parenting is about?
•
My home has two little “disciples”, and I have the amazing task of shepherding them towards a heart that loves Jesus and a life that serves him, all while working through my own failures and flaws. Her journaling questions and ideas for implementing the principles also help connect her stories with real life. This is definitely book I want to return to in the years to come.
•
What books have encouraged you in your role as parent?
May 17, 2011
It's not that I want to complain about this book, because there's certainly nothing worthy of that. It just wasn't my cup of tea. There were some very encouraging thoughts, and a few real gems, but the narrative license in the Scriptural retellings made me a little uncomfortable, and much of the book was episodes of the author's family. No doubt many of the vignettes from the Clarkson home were more illustrative of the author's intended point than just a theoretical/practical explanation would have been, but if you're looking for a more generally applicable and encouraging book, this one may not be the one for you.
April 7, 2018
I loved this book. Caring for a sick toddler this past week, it was maybe just what I needed- a reminder that motherhood is a calling. I appreciated the anecdotes from the author’s personal life and especially liked the idea that as moms, we gift our children GIFTS (acronym stands for: gift of grace, inspiration, faith, training and service). As a mom, I often lose sight of what I am actually doing and the value of it but this book provided a framework around what we should aim to do. The author constantly referenced Christ as our model and used the Gospels as the foundation of what we are called to do.
February 8, 2023
This book may work for an evangelical audience, but I would not recommend it for Catholics. Clarkson is missing the fundamental truths of the Church (the example of the saints, the idea of vocation, the truth of the Theology of the Body) in a way that makes the end result feel unfinished. Perhaps the most egregious flaw in this book is Clarkson’s view of herself and her family as nearly perfect. Motherhood is hard. By focusing only on the easy parts, or the proud moments, you are doing something worse than omission, you are outright lying.
Again, I found this to be significant to another flaw of evangelicalism. When Christians focus almost exclusively on the resurrection and joy of salvation, without digging into the pain and suffering of the gospels and Christian life, it is alienating. A far better metaphor for parenthood would be the carrying of the cross, followed by the resurrection. This would appropriately balance the joy and pain of following Christ and teaching His way to children growing up in an increasingly secular society. Clarkson’s deepest problems seem to be that her children are too faithful, sometimes they get the flu, etc. And if she does speak of suffering, it is always someone else’s. When her children face hardship, it is always the other child’s fault and her child responds with a perfect quip about the Bible or with charity and grace. Any parent can see right through this façade.
Extremely cringy biblical fan fiction makes this even worse, as Clarkson imagines what John and James and Jesus felt in different moments of the gospels. I would have never finished this book if my small group was not reading it, and the group can barely discuss it when we meet. I would never recommend this book to anyone I care about.
Again, I found this to be significant to another flaw of evangelicalism. When Christians focus almost exclusively on the resurrection and joy of salvation, without digging into the pain and suffering of the gospels and Christian life, it is alienating. A far better metaphor for parenthood would be the carrying of the cross, followed by the resurrection. This would appropriately balance the joy and pain of following Christ and teaching His way to children growing up in an increasingly secular society. Clarkson’s deepest problems seem to be that her children are too faithful, sometimes they get the flu, etc. And if she does speak of suffering, it is always someone else’s. When her children face hardship, it is always the other child’s fault and her child responds with a perfect quip about the Bible or with charity and grace. Any parent can see right through this façade.
Extremely cringy biblical fan fiction makes this even worse, as Clarkson imagines what John and James and Jesus felt in different moments of the gospels. I would have never finished this book if my small group was not reading it, and the group can barely discuss it when we meet. I would never recommend this book to anyone I care about.
January 12, 2019
This was just a good reminder of how we can turn to Jesus’ life and example for how to guide and train our children. One reviewer said that the authors life and interactions with her children seemed too perfect and scripted and I have to agree. My life does not look like this! But I liked the re-telling of the Bible stories (even if they were embellished). It made them easy to imagine and I was able to see how Jesus relating to the disciples is similar to how I relate to my kids.
October 1, 2021
This started out as not my favorite, but Sally drew me in and by the end, I was really enjoying the wisdom that came with her stories. She does a great job leading me through truths of motherhood that I wouldn’t necessarily think of on myself own. I like the way she navigated motherhood with her kids and it’s so inspiring to know that they are serving God as adults. I would love to read more from this author.
January 1, 2019
This book spoke to me in the season where I was raising 3 kids below the age of 3. When you are adjusting to the demands of motherhood you need to mentally focus on what is important and find purpose in the everyday drudgery. Sally Clarkson's encouragement refreshed me.
February 28, 2022
I love Sally’s personal stories on parenting. But as many others mentioned, the Biblical retellings were a lot. I skimmed over these. I much more preferred the Mission of Motherhood book.
August 2, 2023
I adore Sally Clarkson and this book was a balm to the mother's soul. Every thought is soaked in the grace of Christ and I am spurred on to continue to grow in my own motherhood journey the Lord has put me on. Highly recommend.
July 25, 2017
What a wonderful and encouraging book. I loved the examples of how Sally Clarkson handled situations in her family. The scriptures and prayers in each chapter were so perfect...krb 7/24/17
May 10, 2024
I picked up this book looking for encouragement in my motherhood journey, and this book offered me just that. I love how Sally examines the life of Jesus and shared how we can look this his teaching as we teach our kids. This book has encouraged and challenged me to look for more ways I can intentionally integrate discipleship into family’s daily rhythms.
May 19, 2009
Clarkson writes about motherhood as a season of life where the mother intentionally plans out how to train and disciple her children. She writes about giving children a foundation of a biblical world-view, proper understanding of the real Christ, showing them what real faith looks like and giving them a pattern to follow. She describes her personal experience raising four children in the Lord outlining the acronym GIFT, in the book as: Gift of Grace, Gift of Inspiration, Gift of Faith, Gift of Training, and Gift of Service.
I enjoyed the lovely, down-to-earth narrative writing style. The story of her and her children on p. 85 pointing to God's presence, glory and power displayed in the rainbow and ocean is one of my favorite parts.
Easy, light, and enjoyable to read.
I enjoyed the lovely, down-to-earth narrative writing style. The story of her and her children on p. 85 pointing to God's presence, glory and power displayed in the rainbow and ocean is one of my favorite parts.
Easy, light, and enjoyable to read.
February 17, 2016
This is a thoughtful and inspirational book for mother's looking to learn more about how to lovingly communicate with their children, fostering maturity and encouraging a relationship with Christ. Like other reviewers, "the narrative license of the scriptural retellings" bothered me. Things similar to "It was a hot day and the wind was blowing in Peter's hair as he walked on the dusty road." I imagine some find this helpful, but I found myself noting the Scripture reference and then skipping (sometimes pages and pages) ahead to get to her point. I probably wouldn't have made it through this book if it weren't for the women's bible study I was reading it for. It did make for a good discussion starter for the group.
June 7, 2008
This was not quite what I expected. It was a bit too spiritual for my taste and not at all practical, in my opinion, which is something I look for in parenting materials-practical application. I didn't give this book a mere one star for the reason that the author has good points and good intentions, but the book itself isn't written particularly well and the way she presents her points truly annoyed me- she presented her family in such an idealistic way, it seemed almost fake. It's hard to imagine a family truly acting and speaking the way she says that hers does. Furthermore, in her colorful re-telling of a few choice moments in Jesus' life, I believe she got a detail or two wrong...
January 1, 2015
I read this via an online book club and found it wasn't what I was looking for. This book is geared toward mothers of young children and not for mothers of teens and adult children. I abandoned the book at the midway point as it did not meet my needs in this stage of my life. This would be beneficial to mothers of young children who are interested in homeschooling.
April 8, 2016
This book was thoroughly encouraging to me in regards to motherhood. There are so many factors to parenting and I believe Sally has given me a lot to consider. My children are young but its never to soon to began training them in the ways of ministry. Thank you for challenging me to be a more hands on parent...because lets face it its exactly what the Lord has designed me to be. God Bless You!
May 4, 2018
I've now read this and Sally Clarkson's The Mission of Motherhood. The Ministry tends to be a bit more about conversations with our kids and all the things we should be teaching them. The Mission tends to be a bit more all-encompassing. While both are beneficial, I highly recommend The Mission of Motherhood if you are looking for a challenging and encouraging book for your mother heart.
March 30, 2012
Good book with reminders and tips of how to encourage the gifts of: grace, inspiration, faith, training, and service in our children. As another reviewer stated "the narrative licence of the scriptural retellings" at the beginning of each section bothered me.
Read
May 12, 2014I'm giving up on this one. However, I love the prologue and the title!
August 3, 2017
Going to read this again!
June 20, 2014
I just finished re-reading this book again. So much in here that I could re-read it every month and still come away with some new insight. So real, so practical, so good!
February 11, 2016
This book really gave me a vision for what I wanted for my family.
March 29, 2024
Sally Clarkson draws mixed reactions in my circle of friends. Some people love her and want to model everything about her. Others (including myself, in the past!) cock their heads to one side, wondering if the vision of motherhood she gives us in her books is unrealistic or romanticized, filled with one too many steaming cups of tea and saccharine heart-to-heart conversations.
Sally Clarkson IS a sweeter mom than I am, seemingly with more emotional energy for long heartfelt conversations than I feel. But that's not a weakness; that's a strength. I can learn from her. I don't need to find a mom who's just like me--who plays video games, regularly tells her children they need to "chill out," and yells "HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW" to houseflies she kills--in order to benefit from counsel. In fact, could I not learn more from a wise woman who's NOT exactly like me?
My husband went away on a business trip recently during a tiring season, and I felt my incapacity. I thought, "I would benefit from Sally Clarkson whispering in my ear today." I picked up this book from my shelf, and let me tell you, it delivered.
This book gave me what I hoped Missional Motherhood by Gloria Furman would give me--but Furman's book was almost unreadable to me, more manifesto than guide. This gave careful instruction, balancing inspiration from Jesus' life with practicals of how it might be lived out. And the practicals here feel more doable than in Life-Giving Home, where I could often feel overwhelmed. Here, Clarkson first takes us to Jesus as our model for discipling our children. But the end result is that I was discipled by our Lord, too: by what Clarkson draws out from his life and commends to our attention. First I was refreshed in Jesus, then I was guided into how to deliver that same hope to my kids.
I have found my conversations with my kids to be, on the whole, more patient and fruitful for having read this book. I'm able to see day-to-day parenting moments with a different lens, more apt to see an opportunity for connection and instruction than "yet another problem" to be quickly nipped in the bud. Yes, a mom who struggles with comparison and competition with other moms may feel condemned or stressed by Clarkson's example. But our reactions to her example don't mean she's not a great mom--and a wonderful source of Titus 2 counsel. This one's a keeper.
Sally Clarkson IS a sweeter mom than I am, seemingly with more emotional energy for long heartfelt conversations than I feel. But that's not a weakness; that's a strength. I can learn from her. I don't need to find a mom who's just like me--who plays video games, regularly tells her children they need to "chill out," and yells "HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW" to houseflies she kills--in order to benefit from counsel. In fact, could I not learn more from a wise woman who's NOT exactly like me?
My husband went away on a business trip recently during a tiring season, and I felt my incapacity. I thought, "I would benefit from Sally Clarkson whispering in my ear today." I picked up this book from my shelf, and let me tell you, it delivered.
This book gave me what I hoped Missional Motherhood by Gloria Furman would give me--but Furman's book was almost unreadable to me, more manifesto than guide. This gave careful instruction, balancing inspiration from Jesus' life with practicals of how it might be lived out. And the practicals here feel more doable than in Life-Giving Home, where I could often feel overwhelmed. Here, Clarkson first takes us to Jesus as our model for discipling our children. But the end result is that I was discipled by our Lord, too: by what Clarkson draws out from his life and commends to our attention. First I was refreshed in Jesus, then I was guided into how to deliver that same hope to my kids.
I have found my conversations with my kids to be, on the whole, more patient and fruitful for having read this book. I'm able to see day-to-day parenting moments with a different lens, more apt to see an opportunity for connection and instruction than "yet another problem" to be quickly nipped in the bud. Yes, a mom who struggles with comparison and competition with other moms may feel condemned or stressed by Clarkson's example. But our reactions to her example don't mean she's not a great mom--and a wonderful source of Titus 2 counsel. This one's a keeper.
June 15, 2019
Parenting books can sometimes really make you feel awful about yourself. I feel like this book, however, was encouraging, with me wanting to do better in certain areas, without feeling that weight of condemnation.
The author has 4 kids who are now grown adults, so all these stories and examples are over years of parenting. This book felt like getting great advice from an older mom who has been where you are right now.
She breaks down ministering to your kids in 5 different gifts. The gift of Grace, Inspiration, Faith, Training and finally the Gift of Service.
It’s about parenting intentionally. All throughout the book she took examples of Jesus, with how he spoke or treated his disciples or different people in the Bible and how we can use that as a model for how we should speak and train our children.
After reading this book, I feel motivated to try new things and attempt to be more intentional with how I speak to and love on my kids.
Definitely a great book for moms...I might recommend for moms with elementary to teenage kids but really any mom would be blessed by this book.
The author has 4 kids who are now grown adults, so all these stories and examples are over years of parenting. This book felt like getting great advice from an older mom who has been where you are right now.
She breaks down ministering to your kids in 5 different gifts. The gift of Grace, Inspiration, Faith, Training and finally the Gift of Service.
It’s about parenting intentionally. All throughout the book she took examples of Jesus, with how he spoke or treated his disciples or different people in the Bible and how we can use that as a model for how we should speak and train our children.
After reading this book, I feel motivated to try new things and attempt to be more intentional with how I speak to and love on my kids.
Definitely a great book for moms...I might recommend for moms with elementary to teenage kids but really any mom would be blessed by this book.
February 15, 2018
This book will change the way you look at being a mother, because motherhood is not only a calling, but it is your ministry during this season of life. Sarah Clarkson uses personal experiences, her own family's triumphs and struggles, to paint a picture of the importance of raising faithful children and our task as their leader through five gifts; she calls readers to give the gifts of grace, inspiration, faith, training and service. The book uses scripture with practical application, written in the style of a friend discussing parenting techniques over a cup of coffee. She includes the tough questions at the end of each part to challenge us to personal growth and help us on our mission to raise faithful, productive children. If you are a mother struggling to feel like you are making a difference for good, if you are trying to find your place in God's plans, or if you just want some encouragement that you are doing okay, this book is for you.
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