Partnering with Parents

The Crossroads Student Ministry (CSM) knows that a huge part of discipleship happens in the home. Parents, for better or worse, have a profound influence on the spiritual lives of their teenagers. This means that a crumbling foundation of faith among teenagers is as much an issue for parents as it is for the church. To make mature disciples out of the next generation, parents and the church must join together like never before.  This is why at CSM we are commited to:

  • Biblical, Family-Focused Discipleship (Deut. 6:4-7, Eph. 6:4)
  • Cooperation not competition between student ministry leaders and parents
  • G.U.T.T. Checks - Parents should expect and encourage pastoral counsel and soul care for their teen from all of our student ministry leaders. We aren't afraid of hard, honest, conversations about a student's heart. But we also promise to always enter into those spaces with a spirit of Grace, Unity, Truth, and Trust.
  • Equipping Parents for Kingdom-Living in a Post-Christian Culture

Free Parent Resources (Downloadable):

Family Discipleship: Leading Your Home through Time, Moments, and Milestones by Matt Chandler & Adam Griffin

Discipling your family can feel like an intimidating task, but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming or complicated. With a simple plan in place, discipleship is something every parent can do.

Pastors Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin have made it their mission to help you develop a sustainable rhythm of gospel-centered discipleship focused in three key areas: time, moments, and milestones. Filled with suggestions, sample plans, and Scripture references, this book begins with the end in mind—equipping you to create a unique plan for your family as you raise your children in the love and fear of the Lord.

Click the cover for a free download or purchase from the publisher here.

Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp

What is your calling as a parent?

In the midst of folding laundry, coordinating carpool schedules, and breaking up fights, many parents get lost. Feeling pressure to do everything “right” and raise up “good” children, it’s easy to lose sight of our ultimate purpose as parents in the quest for practical tips and guaranteed formulas.

In this life-giving book, Paul Tripp offers parents much more than a to-do list. Instead, he presents us with a big-picture view of God’s plan for us as parents. Outlining fourteen foundational principles centered on the gospel, he shows that we need more than the latest parenting strategy or list of techniques. Rather, we need the rescuing grace of God—grace that has the power to shape how we view everything we do as parents.

Click the cover for a free download or purchase from the publisher here.

Friendship with the Friend of Sinners: The Remarkable Possibility of Closeness with Christ by Jared C. Wilson.

The Bible calls Jesus the friend of sinners, but it's hard to imagine what friendship with Jesus really looks like. How are we supposed to feel that close to a holy, perfect, and invisible God? How do we see Jesus as the real person he is? And how do we experience true friendship with him when we struggle to maintain true friendship on earth?

Join author Jared C. Wilson as he explores what it means to be a friend of Jesus. Through candid personal stories and insights into the Gospels, Wilson uncovers easily overlooked details of the close relationship Jesus had with his followers. He reveals the ways we often hold Jesus at arm's length and shows how to draw close to him through radical honesty, consistent communication, and unconditional love. 

Click the cover to read a free excerpt from the publisher.

10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (And Answer) About Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin.

Going to school, hanging out with friends, or scrolling through social media feeds, teenagers are sure to face real challenges to faith in Jesus Christ. And whether you consider yourself a Christ follower or not, these questions can seem like deal breakers.

Backed by state-of-the-art research, personal stories, Harry Potter illustrations (warning: spoilers!), and careful biblical study, this book doesn’t dodge tough questions. Instead, it invites teenagers to ask their hardest questions about Christianity and to find surprising, life-giving answers.

Click the cover to get a FREE ebook version.

Guilt vs Shame in Parenting (Axis Parent Guide). 

We’ve all felt it—that sick feeling in the pit of our stomachs. A sense of complete unworthiness and isolation, an awareness that we are utterly unlovable. That feeling is shame, and it’s something everyone experiences. We feel shame for how we look, our personalities, failing others and ourselves, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time— you name it. If there is anything in life that matters to us, we will have to navigate shame in that area because we are imperfect people.

As parents, it’s crucial that we first recognize how to deal with our own shame and then evaluate what messages about shame we’re communicating to our children. Shame is powerful and unavoidable, but if we learn to recognize and navigate it, we and our children can actually learn to be stronger people because of it

Shame grows by isolating us with a twisted and distorted view of our identity. If the gospel is true, then guilt allows us to take responsibility for our actions and repair even the messiest of relationships.

Click the cover to view the whole parent's guide for FREE.