It’s a Major Award!

TLDR: Christianity Today named Family Discipleship that Works as a finalist in the “Marriage, Family, and Singleness” category for 2024 book of the year.

It’s December, which means that Thanksgiving is over and we are into Christmas season in full. And one of the traditions many of us have is watching the classic movie, “A Christmas Story.” One of the many memorable and quotable scenes in that film is when The Old Man receives the infamous leg lamp and declares, “It’s a major award!” Well, from now on, I have the privilege of declaring that about my book, Family Discipleship that Works, only with a few caveats.

This morning I received word that my book was a finalist in the “Marriage, Family, and Singleness” category for Christianity Today’s 2024 book of the year. That basically means that Family Discipleship that Works didn’t win that category or come in second and earn the award of merit. However, I’ll take a tie for the bronze medal and call it a “major award.” Truly, though, of all the books published in this category, to have it make that short list is an incredible honor.

Here’s the blurb about my book from the online article:

This book is an accessible, readable resource for families seeking practical ideas about engaging in discipleship together. It has deep theological roots, along with a variety of good stories to make the lessons stick. I enjoyed laughing along with the author and sighing at anecdotes that brought back memories of when my own kids were growing. After finishing the book, I happily gave it to my youngest brother, whose own “littles” are still young. —Jennifer Ripley, psychology professor at Regent University

By the way, Jennifer Ripley is one of the editors of a fantastic and important book Ministering to Families in Crisis that I consider a must-read for those in kids, student, and family ministry.

This book was born out of my PhD dissertation at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Even then, as the thesis and ideas were coming into focus, I had an idea that it could become a trade book that could truly help parents in this important act of discipling in the home. With this recognition today, I hope and pray that the book makes its way into the hands of more parents who might find comfort, encouragement, and hope within it.