The Fruitful Home: Creating a gospel culture for family life

by Ann Benton

The book of Titus establishes a biblical precedent for older women to teach younger women the importance of gospel living.

Writing as a Christian ‘grandmother’ to a rising generation of parents, Ann Benton shows the value of creating a gospel culture at home so that children grow up experiencing true Christian living and learning to love and honour God.
The book of Titus establishes a biblical precedent for older women to teach younger women the importance of gospel living.

Writing as a Christian ‘grandmother’ to a rising generation of parents, Ann Benton shows the value of creating a gospel culture at home so that children grow up experiencing true Christian living and learning to love and honour God.

Based on years of experience and wisdom, The Fruitful Home is a book for parents who want to allow their faith to impact the routines of everyday family life.

Genres: Christian, Parenting, Nonfiction

136 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

Ann Benton is a graduate in Developmental Psychology and has been involved in schools both as a teacher and chair of governors. She and her husband John have raised four children. Ann is the author of a number of successful books dealing with family issues and frequently speaks at conferences and runs parenting courses. She lives in Guildford, Surrey, where John has been pastor of Chertsey St Baptist Church for over thirty years.

Reviews

[Madison Fulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short little book- truly felt like a faithful grandmother was talking about her observations of a godly home. Nothing ground breaking, but deeply encouraging to press on in faithfulness to God as I trust him with my home and family.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think about the soil in which your children grow.

A fruitful home is a happy home. It is a house of structure, a house of substance, a house of story, a house of sorrow, a house of singing, a house of sympathy, a house of service, a house of sharing and a house of sojourn. By God’s Grace, it will also be a house of salvation.

[Adam Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rich book of Bible-based encouragement for parents. This isn't a book of burdensome tips; instead, Ann Benton offers a vision for the kind of soil in which a Christ-honouring family will grow. She offers a nine-part description of this soil, with particularly striking chapters including "A House of Sorrow," "A House of Service," and "A House of Sojourn" (note the unnecessary alliteration). You may disagree with bits here and there, but overall it's an encouraging biblical vision, worth returning to periodically to reflect on one's own family atmosphere.

Perhaps the main weakness of this book is that it assumes a fairly traditional (middle-class?) family set-up, where both parents are Christians. This is true of the Thomas household, but it wouldn't necessarily be the best gift for all parents.

[Sadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read, filled with practical advice from a seasoned mother that points towards the truly important things that are found in Christian homes. I think this is a great starter book for new parents who are thinking about what it means to be a Christian family. I’d recommend Edith Schaefer’s book What Is A Family for a more in depth look at the subject.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books on family life that I’ve ever read. With almost every page, I found myself wanting to share a quote with my wife and discuss how can we implement this in our family. It’s a rich blend of principle and practice, all bathed in a gospel-centered perspective. We’ve already decided we want to re-read this slower and think through it more deeply. Highly recommended book!

[Michal Crum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book which lays out a clear foundation for a home that fosters spiritual growth and beckons to souls for the kingdom of God. I particularly enjoyed the “House of Song” and “House of sojourn” chapters.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, straightforward, helpful.

[Joshua Chatman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! I was challenged and encouraged.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ good quick read

[Tina Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little volume is an easy read with plenty of practical advice for parents. While there is not much of originality, Ann Benton gives us important reminders of the focus and activity of a Christian home.

[Thomas Creedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seem to be making an annual habit of reading a book by a Benton at the start of the year! I was privileged to sit under the inistry of JOhn Benton for many years at Chertsey Street Baptist church, and was also blessed by his wife Anne. This book is one that, knowing them and their family, was a joy to read, but also one that I would widely recommend.

Read the rest of my review on my blog: https://www.thomascreedy.co.uk/book-r...

[Pam Cummins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have become more interested in Christianity and I am attempting to read more on the subject. What always puts me off though as in this book ‘Draw attention to the beauty of heterosexual marriage’. It states through this that this type of marriage is the only acceptable one. No room for same sex marriages, unmarried couples, trans couples. I would love to see books with more inclusiveness.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and succinct book with lots of pertinent advice to building a God fearing household. It is particularly relevant in this age where the foundations of the gospel are actively attacked by secular culture. This book reminds all Christians to practice the timeless biblical principles and that in all things we should do it out of love

[Kayley Jordan van Wingerden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet little book. It does not necessarily have any groundbreaking information, but it has a sweet, grandmotherly way of describing what a biblical life & home should look like. I really appreciated her use of scripture throughout each chapter. It’s very down-to-earth and encouraging to read.

[Tina Williams]

Even though the author gives credit to one of my top 10 or 15 books, What is a family, by Edith Schaeffer, I am not certain it conveys the depth of love for people and the gospel.

Maybe it is just the presentation. It feels a bit more like a prescription. I did take away some good points.

[Iain Hamill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendous, encouraging and helpful, full of practical advice and spiritual counsel.

[Fay Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put this down. Such a helpful book for the growing family.

[Ana De Penning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read that contains a lot of helpful, practical tips for how to make your home a place that points your kids to the love of Christ.

[Bobbi Geosling · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5. Loved it. A very quick and easy read about the culture of your home. Planning on using this one as the Mother’s Day gift at our church this May.

[Erin Luttrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to pursing a gospel centered home. I would highly recommend Edith schaefers “what is a family” book for further reading!

[Melanie Ballew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, easy and encouraging read for parents!

[Kathryn Deinum · Rating 5 out of 5]

So lovely and well written! Cannot tell you how refreshing it was to read a book like this from perspective other than Christian America. More books out of England please !

[Chin Hwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely little book about creating beautiful family routines in the home.

[Nicholas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good items in here, but this is a bullet point book, touching on various topics and doing deep in nothing.

[Christy Gould · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little extreme, in the trad-wife sense, but some good nuggets along the way. I wish I’d taken better notes of the things I’d like to keep in mind.

[Kathleen C · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read but a good one - I'll probably reread in a couple years. Benton writes about why the "subculture of your home" matters and then some practical tips on how to create a godly subculture in your home. She uses Psalm 128 as inspiration and occasionally refers back to it in the book.

[Hoi Lam H Cheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fruitful Home is a warm, wise, and deeply encouraging read that I would recommend to every parent. The author is refreshingly down to earth, honest, and full of practical wisdom—I found myself wishing I could meet her in real life. One of the things I loved most was her reminder to truly appreciate what a blessing it is to be a Christian and to raise children in a Christian home, and that a personal, God-fearing walk with the Lord, both individually and within marriage, is the cornerstone of family life. She beautifully explains that Bible reading and prayer are not just routines, but means God uses to shape and transform us. The book helped me see afresh that my role is to teach my children about God, to help them see His creation, and also to understand sin and the brokenness of the world so that the hope of the gospel becomes even more beautiful and necessary. I was especially challenged by her encouragement to manage discipline prayerfully, praying that sorrow for wrongdoing would lead to true repentance, and to model humility and grief over sin in our own lives. Her emphasis on singing truth, serving one another, cultivating generosity in both small and big ways, and delighting in the ordinary gifts of life from God was both practical and inspiring. Above all, the book calls parents to persevere—continuing to pray, trust, and faithfully sow, knowing that God is at work even when we do not see immediate fruit.