Family Discipleship: Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin’s Approach
Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin address the challenge of making disciples within the family. Their approach emphasizes a sustainable rhythm of gospel-centered discipleship, recognizing the home as the primary discipleship environment. They provide a practical framework focused on intentionality.
Overview of Family Discipleship
Family discipleship, as presented by Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin, centers on parents intentionally guiding their children in faith. It’s about fostering a gospel-centered environment at home, prioritizing the spiritual growth of the family. This approach recognizes that parents are the primary spiritual influencers in their children’s lives. Family discipleship isn’t about perfection or complex programs; it’s about consistently pointing children to Jesus. It emphasizes creating a culture where faith is naturally integrated into daily life. The aim is to equip parents to cultivate a sustainable rhythm of discipleship, leading their children to love and fear the Lord. It’s an ongoing journey, marked by grace and reliance on the Holy Spirit, not a destination. The framework is designed to be adaptable to each family’s unique circumstances and personalities, acknowledging parental imperfections along the way.
Key Concepts from the Book
The book emphasizes three key areas: Time, Moments, and Milestones. These concepts provide a framework for parents to intentionally disciple their children, integrating faith into everyday life and significant events.
Chandler and Griffin emphasize the importance of carving out dedicated, intentional time for family discipleship. This involves purposefully gathering the family for gospel-centered activities and conversations. Establishing consistent routines, such as family devotions or shared Bible reading, is crucial. Intentional time creates a predictable space for spiritual growth, fostering deeper connections and shared understanding of faith. It provides a structured opportunity to impart values, teach biblical truths, and model Christian living. Prioritizing this dedicated time demonstrates the significance of faith within the family dynamic, shaping a home environment centered on Christ.
Moments: Leveraging Spontaneous Opportunities
Beyond scheduled time, Chandler and Griffin highlight the significance of leveraging spontaneous, everyday moments for discipleship. These unplanned opportunities arise naturally within family life, offering unique teachable moments. Engaging in conversations sparked by current events, addressing questions arising from daily experiences, or offering guidance during challenging situations all fall into this category. Recognizing and seizing these moments allows for organic integration of faith into everyday life, demonstrating its relevance in real-time. Parents can model a Christ-centered response to various situations, guiding their children to apply biblical principles. By being attentive and intentional, parents can transform ordinary moments into valuable opportunities for spiritual growth.
Milestones: Celebrating Significant Events
Chandler and Griffin emphasize the importance of recognizing and celebrating significant life events as opportunities for discipleship. Milestones such as birthdays, graduations, confirmations, and even holidays provide natural contexts for reflecting on God’s faithfulness and His role in shaping lives. These occasions can be intentionally leveraged to teach biblical values, share testimonies, and reinforce faith-based principles. Celebrating milestones with a focus on spiritual significance can create lasting memories and strengthen family bonds. Incorporating prayer, scripture readings, and acts of service into these celebrations can instill a deeper understanding of God’s love and guidance. By intentionally framing milestones through a biblical lens, parents can create a legacy of faith.
Authors: Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin
Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin, both pastors, bring their ministry experience to guide parents. They offer practical insights for gospel-centered family discipleship, drawing from their roles in church leadership.
Matt Chandler’s Background and Ministry
Matt Chandler serves as the lead pastor of teaching at the Village Church in Dallas, Texas. He also holds the position of president at the Acts 29 Network, demonstrating his commitment to church planting and leadership development. Chandler’s influence extends beyond his local church, impacting a wider network of churches and leaders. He earned his BA from Hardin-Simmons University, equipping him with a foundation for his theological and pastoral work. With his wife, Lauren, and their three children, Chandler navigates the realities of family life while leading a prominent ministry. His experience shapes his perspective on family discipleship.
Adam Griffin’s Background and Ministry
Adam Griffin is the lead pastor of Eastside Community Church in East Dallas, Texas. He previously served as an elder and spiritual formation pastor at the Village Church, indicating his long-standing commitment to discipleship and spiritual growth within a church context. Griffin holds a Doctor of Education Ministry (DEdMin) from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the host of The Family Discipleship podcast. Adam lives with his wife, Chelsea, and their three sons: Oscar, Gus, and Theodore. His experiences within his own family significantly inform his approach to family discipleship, providing practical insights for parents.
Practical Application of Family Discipleship
Implementing family discipleship involves creating a plan tailored to your family’s unique dynamics. It’s about modeling faith, intentionality, and seizing daily opportunities for gospel-centered conversations. This encourages parents to guide their children effectively.
Creating a Sustainable Rhythm
Developing a sustainable rhythm in family discipleship involves integrating faith into the everyday flow of life. This isn’t about adding another task but rather weaving gospel-centered moments into existing routines. Start by identifying natural opportunities for conversations about faith, values, and Scripture. Consider incorporating regular family prayer, even if brief. Model your own relationship with Christ, demonstrating authenticity and vulnerability. Consistency is key, but don’t be discouraged by imperfections. Adjust your approach as your children grow and your family dynamics evolve. Remember, the goal is to cultivate a lifelong journey of faith, not achieve a perfect discipleship program. Focus on grace and growth over rigid adherence to a plan.
Critical Reception and Reviews
Critics and readers praise the book’s practicality and its framework for guiding families. Reviewers appreciate the book’s realistic approach, acknowledging parental imperfections, while offering helpful strategies for unique family dynamics.
Praise for Practicality and Framework
Readers widely commend the book for its intensely practical nature, avoiding simplistic, one-size-fits-all solutions. Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin provide a framework that challenges and equips parents to fulfill their divine calling to disciple their children in all seasons of life. The book demystifies family discipleship, challenging parents to utilize readily available opportunities. Its fresh, biblical approach is lauded for offering practical suggestions for bringing Christian influence on children from birth onward. Reviewers note the framework facilitates gospel integration into all aspects of family life, making discipleship feel less intimidating and more achievable with a simple, sustainable plan.
Addressing Parental Imperfections
The book acknowledges the reality of parental imperfections, offering encouragement and guidance to parents who feel flawed or inadequate. It provides a down-to-earth guide to forming a family discipleship framework that aligns with individual personalities and gifts. The authors recognize that parents don’t have to have it all together to effectively disciple their children. The book’s realistic approach resonates with parents, recognizing imperfections while guiding them to develop strategies suited to their unique families. It emphasizes that the task of discipleship is empowered by the Holy Spirit, working through imperfect parents to shape their children.
Resources and Tools Provided
The book offers practical suggestions, sample plans, and Scripture references to aid parents in creating a unique discipleship plan. These resources equip families to raise children in the love and fear of the Lord.
Scripture References and Sample Plans
The resource is filled with carefully selected Scripture references designed to guide families in understanding biblical principles related to discipleship. These verses serve as foundational truths for shaping family values and beliefs. In addition to scriptural guidance, the book provides sample plans that act as practical templates for implementing discipleship within the home.
These plans cover various aspects of family life, including dedicated time for Bible reading, prayer, and meaningful conversations. The sample plans offer adaptable structures to suit unique family dynamics and schedules. They present starting points and ideas for integrating faith into daily routines and special occasions. Families are encouraged to customize these plans to align with their specific needs and goals, fostering a personalized approach to discipleship.
Target Audience
The primary target audience is Christian parents seeking guidance in discipling their children. The book is designed for parents of all ages and stages, regardless of their prior discipleship experience.
Christian Parents
This resource directly addresses Christian parents who feel overwhelmed or ill-equipped to disciple their children effectively. It acknowledges the challenges of modern parenting, especially in a “Pinterest-perfect” era, and offers a practical, accessible framework. The book is for those who desire to raise their children in the love and fear of the Lord, regardless of their current confidence level. It’s for flawed parents who believe God can use them to shape their kids toward knowing and enjoying Jesus. It provides a vision and tools for making family discipleship a doable, joy-filled responsibility, empowering them through the Holy Spirit.
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