Parenting Children for a Life of Faith

by Rachel Turner

Nurturing children in the Christian faith is a privilege given to all of us whose prime job it is to raise children. God's desire is that our parenting should guide each child to meet and know him, and to live with him every day through to eternity. Parenting Children for a Life of Faith explores how the home can become the primary place in which children are nurtured into the reality of God's presence and love, equipped to access him themselves and encouraged to grow in a two-way relationship with him that will last a lifetime. The basic principle behind the ideas explored is that we need to model for our children what it means to be in a relationship with God rather than just equipping them to know about him - helping our children to be God-connected rather than just God-smart. The material is organised into three parts, which progressively Discipling our children proactively Modelling the reality of being in a relationship with God Tying together truth and experience Connecting children to God's heart Implementing a plan Each chapter includes encouraging true stories and questions to help us reflect on our own experience as we journey together with our children.

Genres: Christian, Parenting, Nonfiction

162 pages, Paperback

First published June 18, 2010

Reviews

[Helen Waring · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hugely readable book for Christian parents wanting to nurture their children’s faith in a positive and affirming way. Rachel’s book is well structured to lead you through the stages of developing and growing faith and an active prayer life, steering away from clichés and traditional structures to breath fresh life into developing our children’s personal encounters with God. Stories from her own children and ministry help to cement her advice and she gives biblical reasoning and every day examples that make her words accessible and memorable. I have revisited this book a number of times, always taking away something new, and know that I will continue to refer to it in whatever capacity I have influence over children’s faith.

[Tanya Marlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Rachel Turner’s beautiful devotional, Comfort in the Darkness, so I wanted to try her parenting book. Rather than a typical ‘do and don’t’ book for parenting in general, it’s about teaching your child to pray. Rachel’s philosophy is that it’s better to create an environment where a child can talk authentically to God, which means modelling that ourselves. She gives great practical guidance on how to do that whilst respecting the child’s own autonomy and spirituality. Recommended especially for people comfortable with charismatic spirituality.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good, thought-provoking book. It is all about getting your children to connect with God and developing their ability to hear Him. I'd recommend it to any Christian parent, no matter what age their children are. I found it extremely practical and helpful. My children are very young (a toddler and a baby). It had a chapter for under 5s, with how to adjust what she's taught to work for them.


A surprising outcome of reading the book was that it challenged me to go deeper with God and inspired me with ways I could do this. Overall, a fantastic book.