What do you think?
Rate this book
Visionary Parenting: Capture a God-Sized Vision for Your Family
Readers will capture a fresh, God-sized vision for their family. It begins with understanding God's purpose for the family and taking an honest look at the current state of the home. The author shares foundational truth that God created the family to ensure that the next generation grows up to know, love, and serve Him. He reminds readers of the instructions from God given to parents in Deuteronomy 6:5-7 that will transform your home. Considering using Visionary Parenting in your church or small group? Get the 8 part DVD Video series here on Amazon!
208 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2009
32 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 15, 2024
Exceptional parenting book. Biblical and practical throughout. The Rienows are a family we look up to a great deal. Rob and Amy share with humility and candor from their own experience in this book. Highly recommend it.
April 12, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It was a short/quick read that packed a big punch with much food for thought and application. Excellent book for family discipleship. I wrote a full review of the book here: https://www.justbringithome.com/singl...
January 4, 2020
Great book with absolutely great ideas. I will be rereading it and implementing what I've learned.
November 18, 2018
Rienow, R. (Dr.). (2009). Visionary parenting: Capture a God-sized vision for your family. Singapore: Sower Publishing.
As our physical power over our children decreases, our influence over their hearts should increase. - p. 5
God’s primary position of evangelism and discipleship is parent to child; only 23% of American Christians became so after 21. - p. 6-7
Family is the most authentic small group. - p. 9
4 God-filled moments:
1. Sitting at home together
2. Transition times
3. Start of day
4. End of day
- p. 13
Man affects marriage, affects family, affects church, affects nation; adult children can disciple parents too. - p. 15
Generational influence is undermined by the industrial revolution taking men away, followed by women going to the workplace; we also no longer know our neighbours. If families aren’t close, how can they be close with other church families? - p. 17-18
Unlike the biblical genealogies, many today are first-generation Christians. - p. 19-20
When the Bible says ‘the God of Abraham’, it emphasises the power of spiritual legacy. - p. 21
When we sin, we don’t hurt merely ourselves; destructive legacies are passed down too. Conversely, your children may reap what you sow. - p. 22-23
Honouring your parents doesn’t mean liking nor trusting them; it’s the first commandment with a promise. - p. 26-27
Only 2% of Europe is Christian. - p. 28
Honour your parents, and your children will honour you. - p. 28
Ideas for cultivating honour:
•place grandparents at places of honour
•ask grandparents to share wisdom with children
•declare that children will be faithful parents one day
•do family tree with spaces for future children
- p. 29-30
Rank these parenting issues by how much time is spent on it:
•academics
•faith
•social life
•athletics
- p. 33
Reason doesn’t work with young children. - p. 35
Principles for a God-filled life:
1. Who we are at home is who we really are; private & public are in sync
2. Children’s hearts are impressed through parents’ character; what we do trumps what we say
3. Children’s view of God is transferred from parents’ character
4. Children learn what’s important through the family schedule; the Sabbath is sacrosanct
- p. 35-43
Signs of a God-filled life:
•talk about life from a spiritual perspective
•encourage family to pray for one another
•kids should see parents praying and reading the Bible
•pray spontaneously, quickly for injuries
•talk about media from God’s POV
•bring decisions back to the Bible
- p. 43-45
Adolescence is the time for parents to get close, not for them to drift apart. - p. 47-48
How to create security in your child:
1. Unconditional acceptance
2. Defending him
3. Love God, then your spouse, then your child
4. Parental blessing
- p. 51-58
Role of father to the wife:
•love: patient, kind, unenvious, humble, polite, selfless, happy, forgetful of records, truthful, protective, trusting, hopeful, persevering
•serve: lay down your life
•lead: make her holy through prayer
- p. 65-69
Pray at ‘collision time’ - when you both get home. - p. 69
Chesterton: “If something is worth doing, it is worth doing poorly.” - p. 71
‘Do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training (action) and instruction (words) of the Lord.’ - p. 72-73
Father’s words are powerful as supply is low and demand is high. - p. 74
Do not arrive to heaven without your own children. - p. 75
Do not expect to raise perfect children; they will disappoint you, just as we have disappointed God. - p. 80
The caricature of the bumbling father is funny because it’s rooted in some truth, as is all humour, but makes it too easy to be disrespectful of the leader of the family, partly due to female attitudes. The love and respect God demands of husband and wife is meant to be given first, just as God gave it to us undeserved, but it creates a feedback loop where more love garners more respect, and vice versa. - p. 85-87
The wife most suitably helps the husband in a similar way to how the Holy Spirit helps. - p. 87
Appreciation for husbands does not breed complacency. - p. 89
Love God first, then spouse, then children; you won’t burn out. After all, God always wants to be with us. - p. 90-91
Ministers would visit homes to assess of family worship was neglected. The following measures were taken on the head of the family if so - admonishment, reproving, suspension from communion. - p. 98
Principles of family worship:
1. Reflects right relationships with God and one another
2. Sets foundation for church worship
3. Is targeted by enemy
- p. 100-101
Practice of family worship:
1. Start reasonably
2. Mix up word, prayer, worship, catechism, experiences/object lessons e.g. running race for God, Father has to come down stairs to bring up kids to heaven, fire of Spirit that sucks egg into pitcher, Bible charades
- p. 101-111
Create a family worship room. - p. 112
Discipline comes from discipleship, which is to create a devoted follower of Jesus. - p. 116
Discipline corrects actions; discipleship corrects the heart. - p. 119-120
Seek God’s will regarding how many children to have and how soon; (many) children are a blessing from God. - p. 137
As our physical power over our children decreases, our influence over their hearts should increase. - p. 5
God’s primary position of evangelism and discipleship is parent to child; only 23% of American Christians became so after 21. - p. 6-7
Family is the most authentic small group. - p. 9
4 God-filled moments:
1. Sitting at home together
2. Transition times
3. Start of day
4. End of day
- p. 13
Man affects marriage, affects family, affects church, affects nation; adult children can disciple parents too. - p. 15
Generational influence is undermined by the industrial revolution taking men away, followed by women going to the workplace; we also no longer know our neighbours. If families aren’t close, how can they be close with other church families? - p. 17-18
Unlike the biblical genealogies, many today are first-generation Christians. - p. 19-20
When the Bible says ‘the God of Abraham’, it emphasises the power of spiritual legacy. - p. 21
When we sin, we don’t hurt merely ourselves; destructive legacies are passed down too. Conversely, your children may reap what you sow. - p. 22-23
Honouring your parents doesn’t mean liking nor trusting them; it’s the first commandment with a promise. - p. 26-27
Only 2% of Europe is Christian. - p. 28
Honour your parents, and your children will honour you. - p. 28
Ideas for cultivating honour:
•place grandparents at places of honour
•ask grandparents to share wisdom with children
•declare that children will be faithful parents one day
•do family tree with spaces for future children
- p. 29-30
Rank these parenting issues by how much time is spent on it:
•academics
•faith
•social life
•athletics
- p. 33
Reason doesn’t work with young children. - p. 35
Principles for a God-filled life:
1. Who we are at home is who we really are; private & public are in sync
2. Children’s hearts are impressed through parents’ character; what we do trumps what we say
3. Children’s view of God is transferred from parents’ character
4. Children learn what’s important through the family schedule; the Sabbath is sacrosanct
- p. 35-43
Signs of a God-filled life:
•talk about life from a spiritual perspective
•encourage family to pray for one another
•kids should see parents praying and reading the Bible
•pray spontaneously, quickly for injuries
•talk about media from God’s POV
•bring decisions back to the Bible
- p. 43-45
Adolescence is the time for parents to get close, not for them to drift apart. - p. 47-48
How to create security in your child:
1. Unconditional acceptance
2. Defending him
3. Love God, then your spouse, then your child
4. Parental blessing
- p. 51-58
Role of father to the wife:
•love: patient, kind, unenvious, humble, polite, selfless, happy, forgetful of records, truthful, protective, trusting, hopeful, persevering
•serve: lay down your life
•lead: make her holy through prayer
- p. 65-69
Pray at ‘collision time’ - when you both get home. - p. 69
Chesterton: “If something is worth doing, it is worth doing poorly.” - p. 71
‘Do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training (action) and instruction (words) of the Lord.’ - p. 72-73
Father’s words are powerful as supply is low and demand is high. - p. 74
Do not arrive to heaven without your own children. - p. 75
Do not expect to raise perfect children; they will disappoint you, just as we have disappointed God. - p. 80
The caricature of the bumbling father is funny because it’s rooted in some truth, as is all humour, but makes it too easy to be disrespectful of the leader of the family, partly due to female attitudes. The love and respect God demands of husband and wife is meant to be given first, just as God gave it to us undeserved, but it creates a feedback loop where more love garners more respect, and vice versa. - p. 85-87
The wife most suitably helps the husband in a similar way to how the Holy Spirit helps. - p. 87
Appreciation for husbands does not breed complacency. - p. 89
Love God first, then spouse, then children; you won’t burn out. After all, God always wants to be with us. - p. 90-91
Ministers would visit homes to assess of family worship was neglected. The following measures were taken on the head of the family if so - admonishment, reproving, suspension from communion. - p. 98
Principles of family worship:
1. Reflects right relationships with God and one another
2. Sets foundation for church worship
3. Is targeted by enemy
- p. 100-101
Practice of family worship:
1. Start reasonably
2. Mix up word, prayer, worship, catechism, experiences/object lessons e.g. running race for God, Father has to come down stairs to bring up kids to heaven, fire of Spirit that sucks egg into pitcher, Bible charades
- p. 101-111
Create a family worship room. - p. 112
Discipline comes from discipleship, which is to create a devoted follower of Jesus. - p. 116
Discipline corrects actions; discipleship corrects the heart. - p. 119-120
Seek God’s will regarding how many children to have and how soon; (many) children are a blessing from God. - p. 137
August 8, 2022
In the book, Visionary Parenting, author Dr. Rob Rienow answers the question: “Have you ever wondered why God gave you children? Here is the answer. He entrusted them to you so that you might do all in your power to lead them to know and love Him. He gave you your children so that you would help them get safely home to their Father in Heaven.” In taking at this topic, Rienow argues that having vision for one’s parenting, for understanding that the parent-child relationship is “…God’s primary plan of evangelism and discipleship.” Since that is God’s primary plan, Satan attacks many different ways. Rienow leans heavy upon fathers pointing out that “As the man goes, so goes the marriage. As the marriage goes, so goes the family. As the family goes, so goes the church. And as the church goes, so goes the nation.” The totality of the book revolves around the role of the parents in the discipleship process for their children. Key passages highlighted are Deuteronomy 6:1-9 and Ephesians 6:2-3.
Strengths of the book are: 1) the applicational nature of the writing, 2) the Scripture referenced to bolster some points, and 3) the challenge put forward to fathers and mothers in their parenting endeavors.
Weaknesses of the book can be found in, 1) the author venturing so close to embracing the doctrine of generational sins. Rienow seems to try to avoid this by using the key word, “influence” in various points: 2) Rienow tries to make an argument for a Sabbath day which Biblically is hard to support since the Sabbath has, and always will be Saturday.
Weaknesses aside, Rienow’s clarion call to parents to have vision for parenting, to work hard at the marital relationship, given the influence of parents on children, and to work hard at passing truth along to the children, building an environment in which love is demonstrated.
Strengths of the book are: 1) the applicational nature of the writing, 2) the Scripture referenced to bolster some points, and 3) the challenge put forward to fathers and mothers in their parenting endeavors.
Weaknesses of the book can be found in, 1) the author venturing so close to embracing the doctrine of generational sins. Rienow seems to try to avoid this by using the key word, “influence” in various points: 2) Rienow tries to make an argument for a Sabbath day which Biblically is hard to support since the Sabbath has, and always will be Saturday.
Weaknesses aside, Rienow’s clarion call to parents to have vision for parenting, to work hard at the marital relationship, given the influence of parents on children, and to work hard at passing truth along to the children, building an environment in which love is demonstrated.
January 23, 2022
This book describes the Biblical mission of parents and how that mission stretches far, wide and for many generations. It’s a powerful book about what it means to be a Godly parent and it gives very practical examples of how you can parent in a way that incorporates worshipping God into your family’s daily lives.
June 20, 2019
The importance of and some "how-to" for discipling your children. Start somewhere; it does not have to be perfect.
November 17, 2020
This was okay... some good ideas and good philosophies sandwiched in between some things that made me squirm, like saying that it would be more biblical to discipline our kids with a wooden spoon.
November 22, 2020
Read this book as a refresher from the course we did in small group. Good reminders with practical actions on how to disciple your children.
November 21, 2011
Great book for individuals or for group study. Rienow has such a conversational style that is easy to read and relate to. In fact, when I heard him speak in person, it felt the same as reading his work. He is engaging either way. Good ideas to get parents thinking about the bigger picture of parenting. The slim size of the book and short chapters make it less intimidating for busy parents.
December 25, 2013
This book delivers, giving me a clarified and stronger vision of what God has in mind for my family. Lots of helpful Scripture, practical application and advice, as well as in the trenches honesty. The last two chapters in Family Worship and Discipline that Disciples are worth the price if admission.
November 7, 2014
I am not a big fan of parenting books. I like traditional parenting methods and see no need to reinvent the wheel. I thought this book was very helpful in that it only talks about the most vital aspects of being a Christian parent, and leaves the less important things for other books. (It would make a great baby shower gift, even if it's not baby #1.)
May 1, 2016
The was our Bible study curriculum for this semester at church. It gave some very good points and different methods for parenting that were helpful at times. Some things just didn't apply or fit but overall it was a good way to get more aligned with God on being a parent.
April 5, 2013
This is a great parenting book, very down to earth, practical, and inspiring! A must read for any Christian parent.
May 6, 2014
This book casts a vision for God-centered committed parenting, and has a lot of practical ideas that will be valuable for Christian parents
May 27, 2021
This book is a game changer. It’s made me rethink my parenting style and has practical advice on how to disciple my children. This is a terrific resource.
July 13, 2023
My greatest takeaways -
1. "Say 'I love you too much to argue' and walk away."
2. You don't get to choose your child's passions. "What matters to you, matters to me."
1. "Say 'I love you too much to argue' and walk away."
2. You don't get to choose your child's passions. "What matters to you, matters to me."
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews