You may have an amazing program and be well connected to your students, but that doesn't always guarantee a problem-free ministry. Whether it's the guy in the back of the room who's always causing trouble, or the girl in the corner with a look of indifference, disruptive and apathetic students can hinder the effectiveness of your ministry. But you don't have to let discipline problems drive you out of youth ministry (or out of your mind!). In this practical book, youth ministry veteran Les Christie will help you take a positive approach to discipline when it becomes necessary. When Church Kids Go Bad will: reveal the reasons behind problem behavior and show you how to take a positive approach to discipline teach you how to use rules and consequences effectively help you evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in discipline situations (and improve your areas of weakness) give you dozens of specific, practical, helpful ideas you can use immediately with your students In addition to addressing the issues that are common to any youth ministry setting, Les will also give special attention to issues that present even more challenge, such as alcoholism and vandalism, students with learning differences, and teens with attention deficit disorders. After reading this book, you'll feel confident in your ability to use discipline as a tool to keep your group from disintegrating into chaos and frustration, and you'll be equipped to prevent future problems from popping up.

You may have an amazing program and be well connected to your students, but that doesn’t always guarantee a problem-free ministry. Whether it’s the guy in the back of the room who’s always causing trouble, or the girl in the corner with a look of indifference, disruptive and apathetic students can hinder the effectiveness of your ministry. But you don’t have to let discipline problems drive you out of youth ministry (or out of your mind!).In this practical book, youth ministry veteran Les Christie will help you take a positive approach to discipline when it becomes necessary. When Church Kids Go Bad will:- reveal the reasons behind problem behavior and show you how to take a positive approach to discipline - teach you how to use rules and consequences effectively - help you evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in discipline situations (and improve your areas of weakness)- give you dozens of specific, practical, helpful ideas you can use immediately with your studentsIn addition to addressing the issues that are common to any youth ministry setting, Les will also give special attention to issues that present even more challenge, such as alcoholism and vandalism, students with learning differences, and teens with attention deficit disorders. After reading this book, you’ll feel confident in your ability to use discipline as a tool to keep your group from disintegrating into chaos and frustration, and you’ll be equipped to prevent future problems from popping up.

A Powerful Approach to Bringing God's Grace to Kids Did you know that the way we deal (or don't deal) with our kids' misbehavior shapes their beliefs about themselves, the world, and God? Therefore it's vital to connect with their hearts--not just their minds--amid the daily behavior battles. With warmth and grace, Jim and Lynne Jackson, founders of Connected Families, offer four tried-and-true keys to handling any behavioral issues with love, truth, and authority. You will learn practical ways to communicate messages of grace and truth, how to discipline in a way that motivates your child, and how to keep your relationship strong, not antagonistic. Discipline is more than just a short-term attempt to modify your child's actions--it's a long-term investment to help them build faith, wisdom, and character for life. When you discover a better path to discipline, you'll find a more well-behaved--and well-believed--kid.

Josiah and Julia love to go to church. They love to venerate the icons, light candles, and eat the blessed bread. Sometimes they behave very well--but sometimes they make mistakes. Little ones can follow Josiah and Julia through the Liturgy and learn how even the youngest child can honor God by behaving properly in church.

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

Mama of ten Abbie Halberstadt helps women humbly and gracefully rise to the high calling of motherhood without settling for mediocrity or losing their minds in the process. Motherhood is a challenge. Unfortunately, our worldly culture offers moms little in the way of real help. Mamas only connect to celebrate surviving another day and to share in their misery rather than rejoice in what God has done and to build each other up in hard times. There has a be a better way, a biblical way, for mamas to grow and thrive. As a daughter of Christ, you have been called to be more than an average mama. Attaining excellence doesn’t have to be unsettling but it will take committed focus and a desire to parent well according to God’s grace and for His glory. M is for Mama offers advice, encouragement, and scripturally sound strategies seasoned with a little bit of humor to help you embrace the challenge of biblical motherhood and raise your children with love and wisdom. Mama, you are worthy of the awesome responsibility God has given you. Now it’s time to start believing you can live up to it.

Good Kids Gone Bad: Straight Talk from a Prodigal Who Came Home focuses on themes of addiction prevention and recovery geared towards caregivers, parents or individuals caring for those caught in the struggles of substance abuse. The text ties in practical and anecdotal stories along with how God can do the miraculous in helping to change and redeem lives caught in addiction. Author Joe Maxim, has firsthand experience dealing with the darkness of addiction. Both he and his wife Chris, have sought to help others recover from their personal battles through their organization Young Overcomers United (YOU). Maxim sees great benefit from sharing these prevention techniques. He testifies that, "Having witnessed hundreds of situations and from walking with recovering addicts, I believe there are clear warning signs and actionable steps that can be taken long before recovery is necessary." For those who may require additional care, steps to recovery are available, and it's here that Maxim spends more time to better deal with this vital, difficult work. Maxim mentions, "All of the work I do in my ministry is in recovery. While you may not share my calling to help hundreds of young people recover from addictions, you may very well have an addict in your life who you long to see set free from the chains of addiction that bind them." This book from Joe Maxim is passion project that will be a great aid in ministering to the souls, minds, and bodies of those dealing with addiction and the people that care for them.

Informative, artful, and fun, When Good Kids Go Bad: Effective Solutions for Problem Behaviors takes readers inside the minds of our troubled kids and teens. Whether they are mildly irritating or well out of control, readers will leave armed with a broad range of proven techniques to curb negative behaviors and encourage positive ones. Therapists, parents, teachers, and all professionals interacting with these kids will have their questions answered and be given clear instructions on how to begin the road to behavioral and emotional change. Interventions are detailed for use in the home, the classroom, and/or the therapy office so that all adults can begin to march in stride and provide the structure needed to facilitate maximum growth. From the diagnostic process to medication interventions, no stone is left unturned.

Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their seven-year-old stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she's made Molly and Michael's life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard. If that's not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can't get any worse. But they do—when Helen comes.

What does an atheist think about church? Jim Henderson decided that the best way to find out was to ask! So he recruited an atheist—Matt Casper—to visit twelve leading churches with him and give the “first impression” perspective of a non-believer. Week after week, this spiritual odd couple attended services at churches all over the country and documented their experiences at and reactions to each one. Along the way, they found the real value of their journey in the open and authentic friendship that developed as they talked, questioned, joked, and—most important—listened. Follow along with Jim and Casper on their visits, and eavesdrop as they discuss what they found. Their articulate, sometimes humorous, and always insightful dialogue offers Christians a new view of an environment where we’ve become overly comfortable: the church.