We review two recent publications concerned with building up young believers.
Maureen Trowbridge reviews ‘Raising Faith’ by Katharine Hill and Andy Frost (2018, Care for the Family/Essential Christian, Foreword by Rob Parsons).
This book is full of heart-warming, moving stories about bringing up children and brims full of brilliant ideas for encouraging them to grow in their personal faith. It will certainly strike a chord with parents who are needing help and guidance in teaching their children to know Jesus for themselves – but will also be relevant to grandparents and indeed anyone involved in raising children to follow the Lord.
Katharine Hill is UK Director of Care for the Family, while Andy Frost is Director of Share Jesus International. Both are parents who know what they are doing – but far from being another brow-beating parenting manual, this is an uplifting, accessible read which will encourage and inspire, often in an entertaining way.
Written conversationally and in a series of short chunks, the book is ideal for dipping in and out of as well as reading all the way through.
In the Foreword, Rob Parsons says: “Raising Faith is incredible because of its simplicity and its determination to help parents of the under-tens plant seeds of faith in their children’s lives. Full of practical ideas, it is all about giving children the opportunity to know about God and have a relationship with Jesus.”
I strongly recommend ‘Raising Faith’ for its down-to-earth wisdom and helpful ideas – it will inspire, bless and challenge you.
‘Raising Faith: Helping our children find a faith that lasts’ (103pp, paperback) is available from the publisher for £4.99.
Paul Luckraft reviews ‘Millennial Leaders: Research Findings’ (2018, Forge Leadership Consultancy).
This short booklet presents findings from recent research (undertaken between 2017 and 2018) into the opinions of Christian millennials - people born between 1984 and 2000 - in leadership positions across all sectors of UK society.
The project takes a very positive approach towards the millennial generation, seeking to give them a voice and to help organisations and churches understand and appreciate them more. The research took the form of 50 interviews and 442 online surveys covering areas including identity, culture, leadership development, opportunities and challenges, and spirituality. The results are revealing and will be most useful to older leaders seeking to bridge the ‘culture gap’ between the generations.
The results show, for instance, that millennial leaders are most negatively impacted by a fear of failure, and often struggle to strike a healthy work-life balance. They tend to view technology as both a challenge and an opportunity, and prefer ‘on the job’ mentoring to conferences, books and courses. They place a premium on integrity and humility in leadership, and prize strong relationships highly.
As well as statistics and analysis, the booklet also includes personal stories and concludes with recommendations for both young leaders seeking to develop their skills and organisations and churches desiring to support millennials better.
Overall, this is a well-produced piece of research and although the conclusions may not be unexpected, there will be something to be learnt here for everyone.
Click here and scroll down to download the report or to order a paper copy (£5). Find out more at millennial-leader.com.
