Family Ministry Resource . . . everyday talk!

As I've been saying, if we are serious about equipping, encouraging and supporting the parents and grandparents in our church and community, we also need to be serious about finding, and getting the word out about, excellent resources to help them be more effective in passing on a legacy of faith to their children and grandchildren. I am happy to review one such excellent resource . . . 

everyday talk
Author - John A. Younts
Publisher - Shepherd Press

Favorite Features -

• Provides "talking points" so parents/grandparents will know how to guide everyday conversations about everyday life to opportunities to point children to God.
• Challenges parents/grandparents to consider what kind of thoughts "live in their hearts" - to think about what they think about.
• Challenges parents/grandparents to use everyday events to talk with their children/grandchildren about God's world, what He is doing in the world and how they can respond to God.
• Outlines how to "impress" God's Word on their children/grandchildren.
• Each chapter ends with application questions to help you think about the focus on the chapter and how to implement the concepts in your life.
• Excellent info on challenging parents/grandparents to be sure their "talk" does NOT communicate to children God will only be happy with them if they are "good".
• Focus on helping parents/grandparents understand their everyday talk needs to communicate grace to children - God's grace - rather than "performance".
• Author says to "delight in your children simply because God gave them to you and you love them"! - I LOVE this!!!
• The author says the purpose of this book is to help parents/grandparents "reflect the power of gospel grace in their everyday talk"! - I LOVE this, too!
• Powerful information on helping your child learn to pray by teaching them word-for-word how/what/when to pray, like Jesus did with the Lord's prayer!
• Challenges parents/grandparents to be good listeners - so they do not miss opportunities to tell their children/grandchildren about God's faithfulness!
• Excellent reminder, the Bible says, "pleasant words promote instruction" - we all need to remember this! Anger will NOT get the job done!
• Challenge to make your everyday talk "holy" and not "ordinary" by being talk which points to God and His holiness and not us.
• Helps you understand the role of your home to prepare, protect, and cultivate your children/grandchildren to help them grow in God's way.
• Wisdom about how to respond to the world, entertainment, and how to talk to your children/grandchildren about sex and music.

As you can see, there are a lot of things I really like about this book! It is an excellent tool and resource for you to recommend for the parents and grandparents in your church. Consider using it as a book for a parenting or grandparenting class to work through and give them opportunity to practice specific talk in small groups. If all the parents/grandparents in your ministry are learning to use everyday talk with their children, just think how much more effective they will be - and this everyday talk will overflow into your church and Children's Ministry as well! 

As the author says, "The challenge is great. The power of God is even greater. His power can make your everyday talk what He wants it to be - talk which reflects where your heart is, where your treasure is."