Building the Christian Family You Never Had: A Practical Guide for Pioneer Parents

By Mary E. DeMuth

Book Overview

You're willing to do whatever it takes to ground your children in a faith your parents never embraced. Or maybe you grew up in an outwardly religious home that lacked a foundation of Christian grace... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400070317
• ISBN13: 9781400070312
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Prh Christian Publishing
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.6" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Hope for the Future!

This is so much more than a Christian parenting book...you will have to read this book more than once! It is definitely one you will want to read more carefully with a highlighter in hand. DeMuth offers truly practical advice to 'Pioneer Parents' who may not have had the best model for raising Godly children and fostering faith in their home. She walks each pioneer through her own journey and offers guidance based on Biblical teaching for, as the title says, givng your children the spiritual heritage you wish you'd had. The discussion questions are invaluable!

help for any parent

This is such a helpful book! I recommend it to all parents, no matter what kind of home they grew up in. Mary shares her difficult journey of trying to make sense of the painful story of her childhood and trying to craft a new story-one of a healthy Christian family-for her own children. If you grew up in a non-Christian home, you may have a strong desire to raise your children in the Christian faith. But you didn't have that modeled for you, so you're what Mary refers to as a "pioneer parent." Even if your home was basically pretty good but just void of faith, you still need some help because you didn't have a model to follow. You're not sure what a Christian family looks like, exactly. You are sure you don't want to do it the way your family did, but Mary points out that just deciding what not to do is not enough. Mary had a very difficult childhood-full of abuse and loss. But she has found God in the story of her life, and her book will be an encouragement to those who grew up in non-Christian homes and want a to craft a different type of story for their families. Her book addresses practical concerns ranging from the process (it's not a one-time thing) of forgiving your parents to ways to increase gratitude and laughter (important ingredients of a Christian family) in your home. I highly recommend this book to all parents, not just "pioneer" parents. Even those who grew up in good Christian homes know that no home is perfect. Mary's insights into the spiritual growth that comes from examining the story of our lives, inviting Jesus into the process of parenting and learning to do things better as a result, is helpful for anyone. I also recommend it for anyone who ministers to children, as a Sunday School teacher or youth leader.

Heartfelt Encouragement

Are you a first generation Christian? Perhaps you know someone who is. Chances are that you, or they, very likely struggle with issues of insecurity in their parenting-insecurity over their past, their unsaved relatives, their fear of not "doing it right." In Building the Christian Family You Never Had, Mary DeMuth offers heartfelt encouragement and timeless truths for those parenting on a new path--pioneering a family with God at its core. DeMuth does not claim to be a parenting expert. In fact, this book is less about the nuts and bolts of parenting than it is about allowing the Lord to redeem your past and then moving forward in light of your relationship with Him. A first-generation Christian herself, Mary DeMuth speaks specifically to those who were raised in homes where Christ was not revered, glorified, or sometimes even acknowledged. With her own story woven into the words of encouragement, the conversational style reads like having coffee with a friend who has and is walking the obstacle-filled road of trying to raise Christian children without any practical understanding of what that looks like. The picture she paints within these pages are of a woman who parents from weakness and humility, running to Jesus with her hurts and insecurities and failures. Mary's exhortations are backed up by scripture as well as experience. And even though this book is geared toward "pioneer parents," that is, first generation Christians who are now parents themselves, the truths she tells will encourage anyone on the journey of parenting.

A gripping read full of wisdom and encouragement

Mary E. Demuth weaves gripping stories with practical advice in this wise, encouraging and heartfelt book. Mary is a tremendous storyteller and boy does she have a story to tell. Instead of sitting high on a podium dispensing advice, Mary comes alongside the reader like a guide in the woods who knows how to hack her way through confusion with a machete. For anyone who has been wounded by imperfect parents, or any young parent who fears she or he may be too wounded to be anything but a bad example as mom or dad a themselves, I can't recommend this book highly enough. Mary is not afraid to be transparent, and it's that willingness to expose her weaknesses and hardwon lessons that she witnesses to the power of God in Jesus Christ. This is a powerful, beautifully-written book. Deborah Gyapong www.deborahgyapong.com

Grace-Based Parenting

Wow! This is the book I wish I'd had many years ago, before I wore myself out with "formulas" for parenting. Mary DeMuth writes with authenticity and sensitivity. Whether you came from a family of origin of abuse and neglect, or simply don't want to repeat some of the milder dsyfunctions of your past, this book is a valuable resource on issues of faith, forgiveness, mentors, boundaries,and overcoming fears. Every parent who wants to blaze a new trail needs this book.