Reggie Joiner – Parents’ Baby Steps

Last week I got to spend 24 hours with the great leadership team of reThink in Atlanta, Georgia.  I first met Reggie Joiner last fall and we had a great connection.

With Reggie’s team, we had a great discussion about how to best engage with parents.  The reality is that parents are the primary influence on their kids – far more influential than church leaders.  And yet the last thing parents need is to be motivated by a sense of guilt or a long “to do” list of all the behaviors they should be doing that feels overwhelming.  It feels overwhelming because it is overwhelming.

Reggie gave me the new book he co-authored with Carey Nieuwhof called Parenting Beyond Your Capacity.  I love their definition of  spiritual leadership for parents:  “Spiritual leadership means parents assume the primary responsibility to help their kids take the next step in their pursuit of a relationship with God.”

It’s one step forward.

That reminds me of an invitation at our church that we’ve extended – help one person who doesn’t know Jesus yet take one step closer to Him.

I love that focus on “one step forward”.  It’s so do-able and motivating, while not being overwhelming.

©2010 Fuller Youth Institute