Raising Disciples: How to Make Faith Matter for Our Kids

by Natalie Frisk, Marv Penner (Foreword by)

Overview

Children and youth will just “catch” the faith of their parents, right?

Not necessarily. Talking with kids about Jesus no longer comes naturally to many Christian parents. In Raising Disciples, pastor Natalie Frisk helps us reconnect faith and parenting, equipping parents to model what following Jesus looks like in daily life. Filled with authenticity, flexibility, humor, and prayer, Frisk outlines how parents can make openings for their children to experience God in their daily lives.
As curriculum pastor at The Meeting House, one of the largest churches in Canada, Frisk calls parents who follow Christ to ask the big questions about the spiritual formation of children and teens. In practical and thoughtful ways, she equips parents to disciple their kids in various stages of childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Raising Disciples will awaken parents to the possibly of Jesus-centered parenting and encourage us to engage in the lost art of discipling our own kids.

Foreword by Marv Penner, director of the National Center for Excellence in Youth Ministry.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781513802589
Publisher:	MennoMedia
Publication date:	09/17/2019
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Natalie Frisk is the curriculum pastor at The Meeting House Church in Toronto, Canada, where she and a team create kids’ and youth curricula for ages 0–18 used by churches worldwide. Frisk is a sought-after speaker on topics of youth and children’s ministry, spiritual formation, and discipleship, and her work has been published in Canadian Youth Workers Magazine and at the ReKnew and Pangea blogs. Frisk has a master’s degree in theological studies from McMaster Divinity College and serves on the board of Be in Christ Church of Canada. She is married to Sam, mom to Erin, and child of God. She loves Jesus, coffee, and samosas.
 

Table of Contents

Foreword 11

Introduction 15

1 The Most Important Thing 25

2 Finding Our Enoughness 43

3 Outsourcing Discipleship 51

4 Down-in-the-Dirt Discipling 59

5 Morality Centered or Jesus Centered? 69

6 It Goes without Saying 81

7 Say and Do 95

8 Stages of Spiritual Development 107

9 Red Ball: Birth to Age Two 119

10 Little Blue Apron: Ages Two to Five 127

11 Coloring Their World: Ages Six to Ten 139

12 In Flux: Ages Eleven to Thirteen 151

13 Finding Grace: Ages Fourteen to Eighteen 163

14 Open Arms: Emerging Adulthood and Beyond 173

15 Bad Timing and What Ifs 183

16 What's the Most Important Thing Again? 191

Resources 197

Acknowledgments 201

Notes 203

The Author 207

Editorial Reviews

For the past few years, I have tried to simplify and share the story of the gospel with small children, and I have relied heavily on Natalie Frisk’s generous insight, expertise, and wisdom. In Raising Disciples, I recognize the same generous spirit, enthusiasm, and love that I appreciate so much about her. In this book, she offers incredibly thoughtful, practical, and personal ways to not only help kids become disciples of Jesus but also examine our own lives as the adults responsible for helping those kids experience Jesus in a true and lasting way.

Tim Penner

Raising Disciples is a breath of fresh air for parents. I love Natalie’s practical approach to living an authentic faith that values the Bible, honors kids, and equips parents to boldly love Jesus. She helps parents understand the developmental stages of childhood and how Jesus is understood at each level. I’ll be sharing this as a resource!

Brenda L. Yoder

Parenting is one of those journeys where there are so many more questions than answers. Whether it’s faith, school, sports, or friends, there are an endless number of circumstances that parents navigate and don’t always win. This book will help you navigate the most important challenge you will face as a parent: the challenge of leading your child to their Savior.

Carey Nieuwhof

This book offers a strategically impactful tactic to change the world. Shaping the next generation is not only what makes Natalie Frisk’s heart beat faster—it’s what will make real differences in the lives of our kids, inside and out. As a Christian leader and parent, I can’t recommend this book more! Surely now is the time to make a meaningful, educated effort to win the hearts of our kids toward Jesus and then release them to influence our world. If you are looking for practical insights and inspiration, this book is it!

Danielle Strickland

The first and most important task of Christian parents is to raise their children to be faithful disciples. Yet few Christian parents actually make this a high priority, with the result that our children are leaving the church in their teens and early twenties at alarming rates. In this well-written book, Natalie Fisk combines biblical insight with a wealth of practical and spiritual wisdom. She seasons this with a healthy sprinkling of humor and great storytelling to inspire all who work with children to effectively carry out this responsibility. Whether you are a parent, a children’s pastor, a volunteer, or just someone who cares deeply about the future of the church, Raising Disciples is a book you’re going to want to read, thoroughly digest, and most importantly, put into practice.

Gregory Boyd

As a parent of two grown kids, I have always wanted my children to love God, serve God, and want to be a part of the church. I did my best in modeling this in every way possible. In some ways I did that really well, and in other ways not so much. We learn from what we do well, as well as from where we fall short. Natalie Frisk’s book is so encouraging, and it equips and guides parents to lead in healthy and loving ways. I love the nonjudgmental tone of realizing that as parents, we’re all humans doing the best we can, and of realizing our strengths and weaknesses are an important part of the journey. This book will not only guide; it will encourage and walk alongside your own journey. We need more encouraging books like this!

Christy Wimber

Help! That’s usually what I find myself saying—okay, maybe yelling—when it comes to figuring out ways I can bring faith alive in my children’s hearts and minds. Raising Disciples is that answer to my SOS cry. How do we make sure our little people start grasping the importance of their faith in Jesus? Natalie Frisk does a great job of creating a lifeline, with helpful tips on how to parent in a Jesus-centered manner. She reminds us that our children are some of the most important disciples we will ever release into the world.

Maggie John

The most significant spiritual responsibility of any generation is the spiritual well-being of the generation that follows. In Raising Disciples, Natalie Frisk outlines how intentionality is the key to raising disciples. May God find us faithful in living out and then, by God’s grace, reproducing a form of discipleship that accurately reflects the likeness of Jesus.

Marv Penner

The great commission starts at home! Thank you, Natalie, for writing this important book! Christian parents and the village that supports them now have a theologically rich and practical guide to helping their children become apprentices of Jesus.

Bruxy Cavey