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2020-02-26 to 28 Pictures: Charleston, South Carolina

One of the few upsides of having to cancel our Spring Break trip last March at the onset of the pandemic is that we are "stuck" with a rather large voucher from one of those discount airlines. Last autumn, Tricia and I spent a weekend in Savannah, Georgia and had a...

A John 3:16 Craft for Kids

John 3:16 is one of the most well known and reassuring verses in the Bible. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.John 3:16 (NIV) The following is a little craft I threw...

2020-03-01 Pictures: Lyndsey’s College Signing Day

This afternoon Lyndsey made it official, signing her letter of intent to play college basketball for the Hiram College Terriers starting next year. While she made the decision and committed to Hiram before Christmas, she has been looking forward to this day since her...

2020-02-13 Pictures: Lyndsey’s 18th Birthday

I am little behind on posting photos. These are some of my favorites from a couple of weekends ago when we got a chance to celebrate Lyndsey's 18th birthday. It's hard to believe that my little girl is officially an adult. It was nice to have the family all back...

What is DOCTRINE?

Introduction I love working with kids, and I love teaching them hard concepts in ways they can understand. To that end, for years I have been working on a dictionary of theological terms for kids and teens. In sharing those definitions, there seemed no better place to...

If You Want It Done Right

In all likelihood, you know how the phrase ends: If you want it done right, DO IT YOURSELF! This is a bit of a mantra for me, and frankly, something that I struggle with daily both in leadership and in my Christian walk.  In theory, this is easy to accept. ...

What Does God Hate?

This is the little and humble post that started it all. I happened to be reading through my Bible, and this passage impacted me so much that I posted a little blurb about it on Facebook. That was July 28, 2008, and I've been writing and sharing ever since. (Maybe...

Reviews

One of the things I like to do on Dad in the Middle is review various books and other services.  Sometimes these take the form of a multi-post synopsis and review and other times it is a simple review.  Either way, I hope you find these useful to you:


Come Ye’ Children – A Synopsis

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This series is a chapter-by-chapter synopsis, along with my personal observations, of the book Come Ye’ Children by Charles Spurgeon. The book is subtitled “A Book for Parents and Teachers on the Christian Training of Children” and is recognized as one of the most valuable books ever written on the subject the Christian training of Children. It has been used in seminaries since Spurgeon penned it for instructing students on the conversion of children.


Collaborate: Family + Church

Michael Chanley and 35 other leading experts in the field of family ministry weigh in on the topic of the family and church partnering together in the spiritual development of kids. Packed full of great theological exposition and practical suggestions, make sure to read my chapter by chapter synopsis of this book that should be on the shelf of everyone who works in children’s ministry.


Formational Children’s Ministry

When I started my review of Ivy Beckwith’s book, I thought it would be one article. By the time I was done, it was four. This is one of the more thought provoking books I’ve read this year, and even if you don’t agree with everything in it, it is sure to get the wheels in your head turning.


Shepherding A Child’s Heart (A Synopsis)

Shepherding A Child's HeartIn this series, we look chapter by chapter at one of the best books on parenting available today. That book, written by Tedd Tripp, is titled “Shepherding a Child’s Heart.” Any parent interested in the best way to raise their kid(s) should definately check this synopsis and this book.


Top Ten Christian Books for Kids

I worked my way through what I feel are the top ten books for Christian kids in this series including a brief explanation of what each book is. I also included an honorable mention post with ten more resources. If you are looking for a book for your children, or the children in your ministry, this is a great place to start.


What Matters Now in Children’s Ministry

In 2010, a group of children’s ministers brought together some of the leading experts in the field and ask them the question “What matters now in children’s ministry?” The result was this free e-book which I have thoroughly enjoyed working my way through. Each 250-300 word chapter will provoke thoughts and challenge you to do ministry better, and did I mention it’s free! There is no reason not to pick up a copy of this book.


Dad in the Middle Reviews

I am starting to review more and more resources here at Dad in the Middle. These include books, CDs, DVDs, websites, blogs, curriculum, VBS and more. I’ve accumulated them all here in this one handy page for your reference. I’ve always got a bunch of reviews in the hopper so make sure you keep checking back regularly with this page to see what is new.