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Keeping Your Kids on God's Side: 40 Conversations to Help Them Build a Lasting Faith
Empower your kids to respond well to the hard questions that threaten their faith.
It's no secret that children of all ages are being exposed to negative criticism of Christianity as they spend time at school, with friends, or online. Are you prepared to talk with your kids about how they can effectively answer the tough questions that come their way?
In Keeping Your Kids on God's Side, you'll find 40 of the most common challenges kids face--along with clear, easy-to-understand responses you can discuss together. This book will help you...
encourage open dialogue on issues your kids might hesitate to talk about;
replace your children's doubts with the confidence only God's truth can give;
equip your kids to build the good thinking skills essential for today.
It's no secret that children of all ages are being exposed to negative criticism of Christianity as they spend time at school, with friends, or online. Are you prepared to talk with your kids about how they can effectively answer the tough questions that come their way?
In Keeping Your Kids on God's Side, you'll find 40 of the most common challenges kids face--along with clear, easy-to-understand responses you can discuss together. This book will help you...
encourage open dialogue on issues your kids might hesitate to talk about;
replace your children's doubts with the confidence only God's truth can give;
equip your kids to build the good thinking skills essential for today.
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
January 1, 2016
Wow! I was completely surprised by this book. My initial thoughts were that I was totally unimpressed with the title (still not a huge fan, theologically) and the cover, but I decided to give the book a chance based on a blurb written by Nancy Pearcey, whose work I respect. I am so glad I did- just a few pages in I realized that this book is totally different than I expected. I was expecting a light-weight devotional for parents and children, but instead I found a super-solid, super-practical introduction to apologetics for families to explore together.
The author has taken the 40 most significant questions that atheists throw at Christians and given succinct answers that help parents and children understand the main points, without being either too shallow or too thorough (often pointing the reader to further resources on a topic). I already take the home education and spiritual training of my children very seriously, but the introduction was so well written and compelling that it convinced me to make sure that I am not just writing off these questions as "ignorant atheist issues" and instead addressing them openly with my children, leaving room for their questions and honest discussions as they grow. As the author mentions, there is no need for Christian kids to become blindsided by atheist arguments-- they should be exposed to them in a safe environment, where the parents can help them deconstruct the logical and philosophical fallacies that are presented in these supposedly "baffling" arguments (most of them are not so baffling after all, while some, such as the age of the earth, evolution, and its relation to scripture, do require serious thought and study). I also felt like the author did a great job of giving relatable, personal examples, and yet the book feels "tight"- no rambling stories or unhelpful asides.
One caveat is that this book left me feeling a little anxious for the future spiritual state of my (very young) children, a feeling I had to cast on the Lord. Yes, atheism and scientific questions are something we should not ignore with our children, but this cannot replace our children knowing the Lord and seeing that we have a deep relationship with Him as well. I am not saying that the author is ignorant of this fact, it is just not her primary focus in this book. She clearly wants to make sure that parents don't fall in the ditch of only teaching their children about the superficial aspects of their faith without ever exploring the deeper realities and faith (ie: "Jesus died for your sins!" ad nauseam without ever exploring what that really means). But ultimately, our children need to be born again, which involves God's electing purposes, the work of the Spirit, our prayers, the ministry of the word, and our diligent training and teaching in all aspects of faith and life, apologetics being one aspect of that teaching. It is not ultimately about only knowing all the answers and "keeping our kids on God's side", but about God reaching their hearts in Christ through his Spirit and his living word.
This book is such a great resource, especially due to its length, breadth, and intended audience. It belongs on the shelf next to my husband's seminary apologetics textbooks and our family's logic training books, and will fit a unique need as a "quick reference guide" or something to go through with our family. Thanks to the author for writing this book, and for the heart that goes behind all the work that she does. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends (telling them to ignore the title and just read it!) and will definitely consider buying copies for others as our kids grow up.
I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.
The author has taken the 40 most significant questions that atheists throw at Christians and given succinct answers that help parents and children understand the main points, without being either too shallow or too thorough (often pointing the reader to further resources on a topic). I already take the home education and spiritual training of my children very seriously, but the introduction was so well written and compelling that it convinced me to make sure that I am not just writing off these questions as "ignorant atheist issues" and instead addressing them openly with my children, leaving room for their questions and honest discussions as they grow. As the author mentions, there is no need for Christian kids to become blindsided by atheist arguments-- they should be exposed to them in a safe environment, where the parents can help them deconstruct the logical and philosophical fallacies that are presented in these supposedly "baffling" arguments (most of them are not so baffling after all, while some, such as the age of the earth, evolution, and its relation to scripture, do require serious thought and study). I also felt like the author did a great job of giving relatable, personal examples, and yet the book feels "tight"- no rambling stories or unhelpful asides.
One caveat is that this book left me feeling a little anxious for the future spiritual state of my (very young) children, a feeling I had to cast on the Lord. Yes, atheism and scientific questions are something we should not ignore with our children, but this cannot replace our children knowing the Lord and seeing that we have a deep relationship with Him as well. I am not saying that the author is ignorant of this fact, it is just not her primary focus in this book. She clearly wants to make sure that parents don't fall in the ditch of only teaching their children about the superficial aspects of their faith without ever exploring the deeper realities and faith (ie: "Jesus died for your sins!" ad nauseam without ever exploring what that really means). But ultimately, our children need to be born again, which involves God's electing purposes, the work of the Spirit, our prayers, the ministry of the word, and our diligent training and teaching in all aspects of faith and life, apologetics being one aspect of that teaching. It is not ultimately about only knowing all the answers and "keeping our kids on God's side", but about God reaching their hearts in Christ through his Spirit and his living word.
This book is such a great resource, especially due to its length, breadth, and intended audience. It belongs on the shelf next to my husband's seminary apologetics textbooks and our family's logic training books, and will fit a unique need as a "quick reference guide" or something to go through with our family. Thanks to the author for writing this book, and for the heart that goes behind all the work that she does. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends (telling them to ignore the title and just read it!) and will definitely consider buying copies for others as our kids grow up.
I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.
August 3, 2016
First I felt like this author (who has a blog I follow and recommend) and I would be friends. We both have a hunger for apologetics, finding answers and conveying that to our families. Like her I had questions I didn't have answers to, now I'm a apologetics nerd.
This is a solid apologetics book. I can't say all the content is unique.....I kept thinking man we read the same authors. (Turek, Sean/Josh McDowell, Geisler, CS Lewis, Moreland, Strobel, etc) But it's well written. There were a few things she addresses that you don't find in some apologetics books. If this is your first apologetics book....don't devour it, read it slow, take notes, write down thoughts and questions.
If I have a criticism it's these 2 things. I felt like this book was more about informing parents than a how to inform/engage your kids. So it wasn't what I expected. Also....while I appreciated her addressing the different views on Genesis.....I would've loved to see an apologetic case offered for the contents of Genesis 1-11, Adam and Eve, Noah's flood/ark, Tower of Babel and table of nations. To few apologist go there, and I think the church suffers as a result.
This is well worth owning, reading, and keeping as a resource. I also think this book will draw the attention of women, we desperately need our moms, aunts, grandma's, daughters etc. to be equipped and pass that on to their little ones.
This is a solid apologetics book. I can't say all the content is unique.....I kept thinking man we read the same authors. (Turek, Sean/Josh McDowell, Geisler, CS Lewis, Moreland, Strobel, etc) But it's well written. There were a few things she addresses that you don't find in some apologetics books. If this is your first apologetics book....don't devour it, read it slow, take notes, write down thoughts and questions.
If I have a criticism it's these 2 things. I felt like this book was more about informing parents than a how to inform/engage your kids. So it wasn't what I expected. Also....while I appreciated her addressing the different views on Genesis.....I would've loved to see an apologetic case offered for the contents of Genesis 1-11, Adam and Eve, Noah's flood/ark, Tower of Babel and table of nations. To few apologist go there, and I think the church suffers as a result.
This is well worth owning, reading, and keeping as a resource. I also think this book will draw the attention of women, we desperately need our moms, aunts, grandma's, daughters etc. to be equipped and pass that on to their little ones.
February 1, 2016
Short, clear and simple... 40 basic of the faith topic to disuss with kids or even unbelievers. Just common questions. If you are looking for serious and in depth answers, probably not your book but great for the basics. Very easy and practical read.
Only downside for me is theologically, no matter how many answers a child or parent can answer, faith still comes only from God and being born again. Beware thinking that if you do x, y and z, your child will not leave their childhood profession of faith, do what you can, have what answers you can, lead a solid example of a supernatural and passionate faith, but we cannot save or guarantee our children will be saved. Or would even want them to fake it, answers are good, real faith is better. Most of my banter is from the title and stories from the book... it if only I had done this my kids wouldn't have walked away from their faith... trust me if your child was born again, nothing in heaven or earth could have gotten your child away from their faith. That's just baloney. The problem is that they never loved, believed in and submitted to God to begin with, not you didn't have answers to all their questions. Have answers and genuine faith... always be ready to give a defense for the hope you have in christ.
Only downside for me is theologically, no matter how many answers a child or parent can answer, faith still comes only from God and being born again. Beware thinking that if you do x, y and z, your child will not leave their childhood profession of faith, do what you can, have what answers you can, lead a solid example of a supernatural and passionate faith, but we cannot save or guarantee our children will be saved. Or would even want them to fake it, answers are good, real faith is better. Most of my banter is from the title and stories from the book... it if only I had done this my kids wouldn't have walked away from their faith... trust me if your child was born again, nothing in heaven or earth could have gotten your child away from their faith. That's just baloney. The problem is that they never loved, believed in and submitted to God to begin with, not you didn't have answers to all their questions. Have answers and genuine faith... always be ready to give a defense for the hope you have in christ.
July 15, 2023
I finally finished this one! I read most of it slowly through morning time with my kids, but it is meant to equip parents to talk with their kids about all the questions that they will encounter to challenge their faith. It is a fantastic book that I will reference again and again. I didn’t agree with 100 % of everything I. The book, but I definitely feel like we are better prepared to face the questions we will encounter.
July 11, 2023
Natasha Crain does a great job at expressing points concisely and convincingly.
February 16, 2016
Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side: 40 Conversations to help them build a lasting faith, is exactly the type of resource I have been looking for!
I am a young mother and wife to the son of a missionary family. Seeing God work through their lives is an inspiration and I hope to encourage and inspire my own children to seek and grow in their faith.
You see, although my parents were saved when I was about 6 or 7 years old, God was not really a natural and fulfilling part of our lifestyles. New to their faith themselves, I believe they didn’t really know how to teach me about God or how to answer my questions.
Although my family went to church occasionally and said grace, we never prayed or studied the bible together. We certainly didn’t have any conversations that helped grow our faith, unfortunately due to a lack of knowledge, I believe.
As I’ve grown older I’ve taken my knowledge of Christianity into my own hands, although not nearly as much as I should have. I have found that although my faith has grown stronger over the years, I would be at a loss if questioned or even pulled into a slightly deeper conversation regarding Christianity.
Seeing how my husband and his family joyfully congregate around the dinner table and have in depth discussions about their faith warms my heart. I have learnt so much from them and truly enjoy growing in my faith. I hope that someday I can have the knowledge and understanding in my faith to be able to have simple and smooth conversations with my kids about their amazing creator.
Keeping your kids on God’s side is the perfect place to start. The 40 chapters or very appropriately named, conversations contain easily understandable, far less daunting discussions than I have seen elsewhere. The book gets straight to the point and explains it in a way that makes it easy to apply the information to conversations that you can have with your children.
The style of this book is perfect for parents who already have a lot on their plate. Let’s be honest, it’s not easy finding quiet time to read and adsorb such important information. Crain not only provides her readers with applicable information that encourages critical thinking but also combines it with some light hearted anecdotes about her family.
The 5 main topics are divided further into 40 very manageable chapters in which Crain presents the basics you need to know in typically no more than 5 or 6 pages. Totally doable for a busy parent!
I am a young mother and wife to the son of a missionary family. Seeing God work through their lives is an inspiration and I hope to encourage and inspire my own children to seek and grow in their faith.
You see, although my parents were saved when I was about 6 or 7 years old, God was not really a natural and fulfilling part of our lifestyles. New to their faith themselves, I believe they didn’t really know how to teach me about God or how to answer my questions.
Although my family went to church occasionally and said grace, we never prayed or studied the bible together. We certainly didn’t have any conversations that helped grow our faith, unfortunately due to a lack of knowledge, I believe.
As I’ve grown older I’ve taken my knowledge of Christianity into my own hands, although not nearly as much as I should have. I have found that although my faith has grown stronger over the years, I would be at a loss if questioned or even pulled into a slightly deeper conversation regarding Christianity.
Seeing how my husband and his family joyfully congregate around the dinner table and have in depth discussions about their faith warms my heart. I have learnt so much from them and truly enjoy growing in my faith. I hope that someday I can have the knowledge and understanding in my faith to be able to have simple and smooth conversations with my kids about their amazing creator.
Keeping your kids on God’s side is the perfect place to start. The 40 chapters or very appropriately named, conversations contain easily understandable, far less daunting discussions than I have seen elsewhere. The book gets straight to the point and explains it in a way that makes it easy to apply the information to conversations that you can have with your children.
The style of this book is perfect for parents who already have a lot on their plate. Let’s be honest, it’s not easy finding quiet time to read and adsorb such important information. Crain not only provides her readers with applicable information that encourages critical thinking but also combines it with some light hearted anecdotes about her family.
The 5 main topics are divided further into 40 very manageable chapters in which Crain presents the basics you need to know in typically no more than 5 or 6 pages. Totally doable for a busy parent!
April 25, 2018
I really appreciate the time, thought and heart behind this book. I think it is excellent for parents who are not well versed on these topics, and a good reminder for those who have passing knowledge. The layout is simple and easy to read. And in about 250 pages Crain gives you quite a bit of food for thought to start you on the right path for this journey.
As someone who has passing knowledge and maybe more in some areas, this was sort of like skimming the surface. But really, that is what Crain is going for here. She wants to introduce you to the issues and give you a base to start on. She definitely encourages you to continue to purse studying these topics further. And I would second her on that.
Overall, a good read, that I can recommend to parents.
As someone who has passing knowledge and maybe more in some areas, this was sort of like skimming the surface. But really, that is what Crain is going for here. She wants to introduce you to the issues and give you a base to start on. She definitely encourages you to continue to purse studying these topics further. And I would second her on that.
Overall, a good read, that I can recommend to parents.
July 28, 2020
Over all a good read. There were chapters where I found myself disagreeing with how she presented the material, mostly because it was a bit simplistic, but the book is good starting place for parents who are new to apologetics.
August 25, 2021
After ignoring the title, [really wish it was worded better] I really enjoyed the mini dives into so many topics that my kids (or really any age believer) will encounter and need to figure out what/why they believe. So much information, but an excellent resource!
April 8, 2021
Wonderful Resource!!
July 14, 2023
A great apologetic for building up my own faith and looking ahead to what questions my kids will have some day. This book lacked a bit in application, but the argumentation was sound.
July 19, 2016
People often trust their personal experiences over every other kind of evidence for their beliefs. The most common response I hear when I first explain what the world apologetics means is some version of "I'm a Christian because I know in my heart Christianity is true." One mom told me, "I can only teach my kids what I know I've experienced, and they'll have to develop their beliefs based on their own experiences." ...There are much more to offer our children as reasons for belief than a description of how we've personally experienced God.
Maybe you have experienced or know someone that has- children growing up in Christian homes and later in college denying Christianity all together. For me personally, my children are now married and having children of their own. Did they have questions and doubts? Yes, we all do and this gem of a book gives a parent a start with 40 questions to get the conversation going with our children. To develop critical thinking and more than just experiencing something in our heart. It's not about emotionalism but the truth of God's plan and who he is.
The book is divided by 5 parts and within each of these parts a series of questions. The first part Conversations About God, Conversations About Truth and World Views, Conversations About Jesus, Conversations about the Bible, Conversations about Science. As you can see this is about conversations. But as parents, we need to know how to start and how to think about these conversations before someone else does. Believe me! With social media, cultural differences, peer pressure, these questions will be bombarding our children. It is better for us to have these conversations with our children to think together what challenges the Christian faith and having a deeper understanding of Christianity. The affects of sin, creation, just to name a few tells us so much more about the sovereignty of God than the feel good Christianity that is so prevalent today. Why is creation so important and what does it tell us about God and redemption. Answering these questions with understanding can only give you and your child a deeper faith when your faith is questioned.
A book to get to the conversation going.
A Special Thank You to Harvest House Publishers and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
Maybe you have experienced or know someone that has- children growing up in Christian homes and later in college denying Christianity all together. For me personally, my children are now married and having children of their own. Did they have questions and doubts? Yes, we all do and this gem of a book gives a parent a start with 40 questions to get the conversation going with our children. To develop critical thinking and more than just experiencing something in our heart. It's not about emotionalism but the truth of God's plan and who he is.
The book is divided by 5 parts and within each of these parts a series of questions. The first part Conversations About God, Conversations About Truth and World Views, Conversations About Jesus, Conversations about the Bible, Conversations about Science. As you can see this is about conversations. But as parents, we need to know how to start and how to think about these conversations before someone else does. Believe me! With social media, cultural differences, peer pressure, these questions will be bombarding our children. It is better for us to have these conversations with our children to think together what challenges the Christian faith and having a deeper understanding of Christianity. The affects of sin, creation, just to name a few tells us so much more about the sovereignty of God than the feel good Christianity that is so prevalent today. Why is creation so important and what does it tell us about God and redemption. Answering these questions with understanding can only give you and your child a deeper faith when your faith is questioned.
A book to get to the conversation going.
A Special Thank You to Harvest House Publishers and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
January 25, 2022
The importance of this book and subject matter cannot be overstated. This is a book that every Christian parent needs to have on their shelves. Our children are leaving the faith in shocking numbers as they reach college age. Recent surveys estimate that only 6% of Christians actually hold to a Biblical Worldview. SIX PERCENT!! Among 18-29 year olds, it is a dismal 2%.
This book offers a primer in basic apologetics to equip parents to help their children have a faith that is grounded. Natasha does a beautiful job breaking down big concepts into smaller bite sized nuggets and quick chapers for busy parents.
The book is divided into "Conversations" as follows:
Part 1: Conversations about God
Here she tackles evidence for the existence of God along side some of the challenges that actually can cause adults to walk away from thier faith...How can a loving God send people to Hell? How can God judge people who have never even heard about Jesus? Why is God so hidden? and much more... She guides the reader through Biblical and logical answers to these questions and equips parents with information needed to tackle these issues in discussions with thier kids.
Part 2: Conversations about Truth and Worldviews
In this section, she covers objective vs subjective truth (a major issue in our culture today!!) then goes on to tackle the questions-- Do all religions point to the same truth? How can Christians claim they know what is objectively true? How can personal experience help determine what is true? and other truth and worldview issues. This section is so helpful to Christian parents who are raising kids in a "self help" "live your truth" culture. We must equip our kids to know TRUTH and see and identify lies when they encounter them.
Part 3: Conversations about Jesus
This portion of the book is very helpful to elevate Jesus, who is the central figure of Christianity, beyond "just a really good guy." Natasha answers the questions: How do we know Jesus really existed? Did Jesus really claim to be God? Did Jesus' followers really believe he was God? Why did he have to die on the cross for our sins? What are the historical facts about the resurrection that nearly every scholar agrees on? What are the major theories people use to explain those facts? Why do Christians believe a supernatural resurrections best explains the facts? How can Christians believe miracles are even possible? This section covers so much about Jesus that I really didn't even realize could be questions until I began to read. I grew up in church and it never occured to me that there are people who get hung up on the person of Jesus and his bodily resurrection. But, our curious kids may not be like I was, taking everything at face value. If they have questions, this section will equip you to answer them. If they don't, it will still help to illuminate their understanding and deepen their faith.
Part 4: Converations about the Bible
Here Natasha covers some really important issues related to the Bible and the answers help us to teach our children that it is THE central authority for living the Christian life. She starts with some basic questions related to the canon of scripture--How were the books of the Bible selected? Why were books left out? Can we trust the authors? Then she tackles questions about translation: How do we know the Bible we have today says what the authors originally wrote? Does the Bible have errors and contradictions? Last portion of this section she tackles the really hard questions: Does that Bible suport slavery? Rape? Human sacrifice? These conversations are so important because when the infallibity and authority of the Bible gets undermined by these questions, it opens the door for so much misunderstanding and bad theology to influence our faith.
Part 5: Conversations about Science
In this last section, Science and the Bible are explored. Specifically, she wades into the origin of the world conversations-- Young Earth vs Old Earth and Creation vs Evolution. It is actually an interesting section in that she doesn't take a side, she just equips you as a parent with the information that the proponents of the issues appeal to so that you are better suited to understand all the intracacies of the various positions.
Last in the book are 10 tips for having deeper faith conversations with your kids.
This book is very well researched and the footnotes will give you plenty of additional books and websites to explore if you want to go deeper into any of the questions she covers. But it also offers just enough info for you as a busy parent to guide your kids through some faith building conversations that will deepen the intelluctual side of their faith..and yours too!
I will also mention that this book is covered in a "book club discussion" format in churches across the country through a ministry called Grassroots Apologetics for Parents or GAP for short. See if there is a chapter near you: https://www.grassrootsapologeticsforp...
This book offers a primer in basic apologetics to equip parents to help their children have a faith that is grounded. Natasha does a beautiful job breaking down big concepts into smaller bite sized nuggets and quick chapers for busy parents.
The book is divided into "Conversations" as follows:
Part 1: Conversations about God
Here she tackles evidence for the existence of God along side some of the challenges that actually can cause adults to walk away from thier faith...How can a loving God send people to Hell? How can God judge people who have never even heard about Jesus? Why is God so hidden? and much more... She guides the reader through Biblical and logical answers to these questions and equips parents with information needed to tackle these issues in discussions with thier kids.
Part 2: Conversations about Truth and Worldviews
In this section, she covers objective vs subjective truth (a major issue in our culture today!!) then goes on to tackle the questions-- Do all religions point to the same truth? How can Christians claim they know what is objectively true? How can personal experience help determine what is true? and other truth and worldview issues. This section is so helpful to Christian parents who are raising kids in a "self help" "live your truth" culture. We must equip our kids to know TRUTH and see and identify lies when they encounter them.
Part 3: Conversations about Jesus
This portion of the book is very helpful to elevate Jesus, who is the central figure of Christianity, beyond "just a really good guy." Natasha answers the questions: How do we know Jesus really existed? Did Jesus really claim to be God? Did Jesus' followers really believe he was God? Why did he have to die on the cross for our sins? What are the historical facts about the resurrection that nearly every scholar agrees on? What are the major theories people use to explain those facts? Why do Christians believe a supernatural resurrections best explains the facts? How can Christians believe miracles are even possible? This section covers so much about Jesus that I really didn't even realize could be questions until I began to read. I grew up in church and it never occured to me that there are people who get hung up on the person of Jesus and his bodily resurrection. But, our curious kids may not be like I was, taking everything at face value. If they have questions, this section will equip you to answer them. If they don't, it will still help to illuminate their understanding and deepen their faith.
Part 4: Converations about the Bible
Here Natasha covers some really important issues related to the Bible and the answers help us to teach our children that it is THE central authority for living the Christian life. She starts with some basic questions related to the canon of scripture--How were the books of the Bible selected? Why were books left out? Can we trust the authors? Then she tackles questions about translation: How do we know the Bible we have today says what the authors originally wrote? Does the Bible have errors and contradictions? Last portion of this section she tackles the really hard questions: Does that Bible suport slavery? Rape? Human sacrifice? These conversations are so important because when the infallibity and authority of the Bible gets undermined by these questions, it opens the door for so much misunderstanding and bad theology to influence our faith.
Part 5: Conversations about Science
In this last section, Science and the Bible are explored. Specifically, she wades into the origin of the world conversations-- Young Earth vs Old Earth and Creation vs Evolution. It is actually an interesting section in that she doesn't take a side, she just equips you as a parent with the information that the proponents of the issues appeal to so that you are better suited to understand all the intracacies of the various positions.
Last in the book are 10 tips for having deeper faith conversations with your kids.
This book is very well researched and the footnotes will give you plenty of additional books and websites to explore if you want to go deeper into any of the questions she covers. But it also offers just enough info for you as a busy parent to guide your kids through some faith building conversations that will deepen the intelluctual side of their faith..and yours too!
I will also mention that this book is covered in a "book club discussion" format in churches across the country through a ministry called Grassroots Apologetics for Parents or GAP for short. See if there is a chapter near you: https://www.grassrootsapologeticsforp...
July 25, 2019
In recent decades, the Western church has experienced a mass exodus of youth. Some estimate about 70 percent of children raised in church abandon the faith by the time they attend college. Many leave because their faith lacks deep roots, or they have encountered questions about their faith they can’t find satisfactory answers for.
Author Natasha Crain describes the problem this way: A lack of robust spiritual training has resulted in a featherweight faith for many of today’s young adults, and that faith is being blown away by attacks from our secular culture (p. 12, italics in the original).
To help parents prepare their children to thrive in a culture that is hostile towards Christianity, Natasha Crain wrote Keeping Your Kids on God's Side: 40 Conversations to Help Them Build a Lasting Faith.
Although called a collection of conversations, this book doesn’t contain scripts. Each short chapter concisely answers one question that challenges Christianity. You, the parent, begin by reading the book yourself. Then you can use its information to explain issues to your children at a level they can understand.
In addition, this book serves as a reference work. The chapters mostly stand on their own, and the author cross-references to other sections when topics overlap. So, when you or child run into a question about the faith, you can simply turn to the appropriate chapter for a quick answer.
The list of forty questions are grouped into five sections:
1. Conversations About God: This part covers issues such as the problem of evil and whether faith is the opposite to reason.
2. Conversations About Truth and Worldviews: This part includes questions such as “Do all religions point to the same truth?” and “Are Christians less intelligent than atheists?”
3. Conversations About Jesus: This section gives a defense of Jesus’ existence and explains why Jesus needed to die on the cross for our sins.
4. Conversations About the Bible: This section describes how the Bible came to be and corrects some false views our culture has about biblical teachings.
5. Conversations About Science: Part five summarizes the creation vs. evolution debate.
The last chapter provides a few tips on how to incorporate faith discussions into family life. Those of you who are new to the arguments used to defend the faith (which is called apologetics) and to teach it to your children may want more information than what is provided here. But Crain gives enough to get you started without making you feel overwhelmed.
Natasha Crain writes in the first person in a casual style and sometimes tells personal stories to illustrate an idea. Carefully leading the reader through her arguments, Crain has designed this book as an excellent introduction to apologetics for those who are beginners.
Because this book briefly surveys various topics, you might find yourself wanting more information on specific ideas. The endnotes reference some resources with which a reader can dig deeper into a given subject. Yet, this book could use a complete resource list for further reading.
Overall, it’s an excellent book for someone to get their feet wet in apologetics and to help them to raise their children knowing why they believe what they believe.
©2019 Lorinda K. F. Newton. All rights reserved.
Author Natasha Crain describes the problem this way: A lack of robust spiritual training has resulted in a featherweight faith for many of today’s young adults, and that faith is being blown away by attacks from our secular culture (p. 12, italics in the original).
To help parents prepare their children to thrive in a culture that is hostile towards Christianity, Natasha Crain wrote Keeping Your Kids on God's Side: 40 Conversations to Help Them Build a Lasting Faith.
Although called a collection of conversations, this book doesn’t contain scripts. Each short chapter concisely answers one question that challenges Christianity. You, the parent, begin by reading the book yourself. Then you can use its information to explain issues to your children at a level they can understand.
In addition, this book serves as a reference work. The chapters mostly stand on their own, and the author cross-references to other sections when topics overlap. So, when you or child run into a question about the faith, you can simply turn to the appropriate chapter for a quick answer.
The list of forty questions are grouped into five sections:
1. Conversations About God: This part covers issues such as the problem of evil and whether faith is the opposite to reason.
2. Conversations About Truth and Worldviews: This part includes questions such as “Do all religions point to the same truth?” and “Are Christians less intelligent than atheists?”
3. Conversations About Jesus: This section gives a defense of Jesus’ existence and explains why Jesus needed to die on the cross for our sins.
4. Conversations About the Bible: This section describes how the Bible came to be and corrects some false views our culture has about biblical teachings.
5. Conversations About Science: Part five summarizes the creation vs. evolution debate.
The last chapter provides a few tips on how to incorporate faith discussions into family life. Those of you who are new to the arguments used to defend the faith (which is called apologetics) and to teach it to your children may want more information than what is provided here. But Crain gives enough to get you started without making you feel overwhelmed.
Natasha Crain writes in the first person in a casual style and sometimes tells personal stories to illustrate an idea. Carefully leading the reader through her arguments, Crain has designed this book as an excellent introduction to apologetics for those who are beginners.
Because this book briefly surveys various topics, you might find yourself wanting more information on specific ideas. The endnotes reference some resources with which a reader can dig deeper into a given subject. Yet, this book could use a complete resource list for further reading.
Overall, it’s an excellent book for someone to get their feet wet in apologetics and to help them to raise their children knowing why they believe what they believe.
©2019 Lorinda K. F. Newton. All rights reserved.
January 12, 2023
Unhesitating, enthusiastic five stars. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This is a very important book for Christian parents to read.
KYKOGS is basically an apologetics primer for parents - helping them understand the controversy around and Christian responses to various questions and challenges to the faith that our kids will almost certainly hear at some point. We live in an age that’s increasingly hostile to faith, and for many Christian parents, that is both unfamiliar and bewildering territory. KYKOGS offers a terrific and approachable introduction to understanding that world and equipping our kids to navigate it.
Natasha Crain does a simply fantastic job distilling many complex issues into understandable terms without oversimplifying them or caricaturing anti-faith challenges. Her use of examples and illustrations from real life makes many of the concepts even easier to understand. This is a TERRIFIC starting place for parents new to apologetics and a useful summary of many core issues for those who already have some apologetics knowledge. Many parents will, I think, find their own faith challenged and deepened by studying it.
I particularly appreciated Natasha’s treatment of various Christian positions on creation, origins, and age of the earth. She presents the arguments clearly, without obviously favoring any particular side, so that parents and kids alike can understand WHY people believe what they do. It’s important for kids to understand why that particular subject stirs up debate even amongst Christians and where the different camps disagree with one another. (Hint: It *isn’t* that some believe the Bible and some do not.) Those chapters alone make KYKOGS a tremendously valuable resource.
KYKOGS is basically an apologetics primer for parents - helping them understand the controversy around and Christian responses to various questions and challenges to the faith that our kids will almost certainly hear at some point. We live in an age that’s increasingly hostile to faith, and for many Christian parents, that is both unfamiliar and bewildering territory. KYKOGS offers a terrific and approachable introduction to understanding that world and equipping our kids to navigate it.
Natasha Crain does a simply fantastic job distilling many complex issues into understandable terms without oversimplifying them or caricaturing anti-faith challenges. Her use of examples and illustrations from real life makes many of the concepts even easier to understand. This is a TERRIFIC starting place for parents new to apologetics and a useful summary of many core issues for those who already have some apologetics knowledge. Many parents will, I think, find their own faith challenged and deepened by studying it.
I particularly appreciated Natasha’s treatment of various Christian positions on creation, origins, and age of the earth. She presents the arguments clearly, without obviously favoring any particular side, so that parents and kids alike can understand WHY people believe what they do. It’s important for kids to understand why that particular subject stirs up debate even amongst Christians and where the different camps disagree with one another. (Hint: It *isn’t* that some believe the Bible and some do not.) Those chapters alone make KYKOGS a tremendously valuable resource.
January 24, 2024
What an amazing and important resource for Christian parents!
This is such a helpful apologetic resource. Natasha addresses all kinds of questions our children might run into in the world that would make them question their faith in God. This book helps parents better understand Christianity and the claims against our faith with great responses and evidence for God and things concerning Christianity.
The book is divided into five sections:
1. Conversations About God
2. Conversations About Truth Worldviews
3. Conversations About Jesus
4. Conversations About the Bible
5. Conversations About Science
There was so much in this book and some of the Science stuff was a little over my head to be honest, but oh so very interesting! Definitely going to enjoy using this as a resource and using it in the future as my children get older to have these really important conversations. At the end of the book, she has a great list of tips for having these deep conversations with your children.
Thank you @harvesthousepublishers for a copy of this book for my honest thoughts!
This is such a helpful apologetic resource. Natasha addresses all kinds of questions our children might run into in the world that would make them question their faith in God. This book helps parents better understand Christianity and the claims against our faith with great responses and evidence for God and things concerning Christianity.
The book is divided into five sections:
1. Conversations About God
2. Conversations About Truth Worldviews
3. Conversations About Jesus
4. Conversations About the Bible
5. Conversations About Science
There was so much in this book and some of the Science stuff was a little over my head to be honest, but oh so very interesting! Definitely going to enjoy using this as a resource and using it in the future as my children get older to have these really important conversations. At the end of the book, she has a great list of tips for having these deep conversations with your children.
Thank you @harvesthousepublishers for a copy of this book for my honest thoughts!
September 8, 2022
A good basic intro to some of the common questions kids may have about faith and the Bible. It felt a bit too “surface” for me personally. But as an introduction for parents new to apologetics, it’s about right.
I wish the book had a different title and cover. As a mom of tweens/teens, I would also like to see more about how to address these topics with older kids/teens who are likely to ask more probing questions. So many of her examples are related to younger kids.
I also got a little annoyed by how often she italicizes words for emphasis. It was a bit much — multiple words italicized on each page. I felt a little like one of her small children, where she was having to *really* *emphasize* *each* *important* *word*.
I would recommend this to people who have younger kids, who don’t have time to read more deeply at the moment, and are new to apologetics. It’s a good introduction, and she provides plenty of references for further reading.
I wish the book had a different title and cover. As a mom of tweens/teens, I would also like to see more about how to address these topics with older kids/teens who are likely to ask more probing questions. So many of her examples are related to younger kids.
I also got a little annoyed by how often she italicizes words for emphasis. It was a bit much — multiple words italicized on each page. I felt a little like one of her small children, where she was having to *really* *emphasize* *each* *important* *word*.
I would recommend this to people who have younger kids, who don’t have time to read more deeply at the moment, and are new to apologetics. It’s a good introduction, and she provides plenty of references for further reading.
February 9, 2023
I hope you aren’t tiring of reading reviews of books on apologetics, because I certainly am not tiring of reading them. This one is backlist from Natasha Crain (one of my favorite apologists) and is written with the aim of empowering kids (via their parents) to respond to tough questions about Christianity.
Today’s youth are leaving their Christian upbringings at unprecedented rates; as parents, our role is to provide our kids with a solid Christian foundation, one that is based on more than simplistic answers and admonitions to “just believe because the Bible says so.” Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side encourages parents to talk with our kids about the challenging aspects of Christianity that may become stumbling blocks when they begin making their faith their own: issues such as why God allows evil, how to reconcile evolutionary science with the story of Creation, evidence for the Bible’s authenticity, and the nature of objective truth. These are really difficult subjects, and Natasha offers thoughtful answers with evidence and information from a range of sources.
While written with parents in mind, this book is an excellent resource for any Christian (parents or not) wanting a comprehensive guidebook for responding to specific arguments from atheists and other skeptics. The format is easy to follow, and the explanations are robust but not overly complicated.
As much as I appreciated this book (and learned a great deal [even having previously read several similar books], especially in the final section about science and the Bible), I do feel it was mis-marketed and inaccurately titled. This is not a collection of actual conversations to have with kids; there are no suggested scripts or prescribed methods for walking through these questions with kids. I would love to have this in guidebook form as a way of working through the material in a more educational and systematic way.
That said, I do recommend parents read this book in order to build up your own understanding of these issues so that you are prepared for kids’ spontaneous questions as they arise, which they inevitably will. We parents are the gatekeepers of our children’s growing faith lives, and that means engaging their difficult questions. I love that Natasha does not downplay kids’ and parents’ doubts or misgivings and trusts them (and us) with the whole truth of God and the Bible, even when that truth isn’t always easy to understand. Books like this one help to us raise up thoughtful Christians who have solid intellectual understanding of the faith we profess.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (Rounded to 5 Stars on Goodreads) // Book Format: Audiobook
Today’s youth are leaving their Christian upbringings at unprecedented rates; as parents, our role is to provide our kids with a solid Christian foundation, one that is based on more than simplistic answers and admonitions to “just believe because the Bible says so.” Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side encourages parents to talk with our kids about the challenging aspects of Christianity that may become stumbling blocks when they begin making their faith their own: issues such as why God allows evil, how to reconcile evolutionary science with the story of Creation, evidence for the Bible’s authenticity, and the nature of objective truth. These are really difficult subjects, and Natasha offers thoughtful answers with evidence and information from a range of sources.
While written with parents in mind, this book is an excellent resource for any Christian (parents or not) wanting a comprehensive guidebook for responding to specific arguments from atheists and other skeptics. The format is easy to follow, and the explanations are robust but not overly complicated.
As much as I appreciated this book (and learned a great deal [even having previously read several similar books], especially in the final section about science and the Bible), I do feel it was mis-marketed and inaccurately titled. This is not a collection of actual conversations to have with kids; there are no suggested scripts or prescribed methods for walking through these questions with kids. I would love to have this in guidebook form as a way of working through the material in a more educational and systematic way.
That said, I do recommend parents read this book in order to build up your own understanding of these issues so that you are prepared for kids’ spontaneous questions as they arise, which they inevitably will. We parents are the gatekeepers of our children’s growing faith lives, and that means engaging their difficult questions. I love that Natasha does not downplay kids’ and parents’ doubts or misgivings and trusts them (and us) with the whole truth of God and the Bible, even when that truth isn’t always easy to understand. Books like this one help to us raise up thoughtful Christians who have solid intellectual understanding of the faith we profess.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (Rounded to 5 Stars on Goodreads) // Book Format: Audiobook
February 23, 2023
I remember reading the garbage bin that is Ken Ham’s view on parenting Christian kids in college and thinking “wow. This is garbage”. If you haven’t read it’s basically “teach your kids young earth creationism or they’ll go to Hell”. At the time, I kept my mouth shut and tried to blend in with the fundamentalism, but in retrospect, with the deconstruction going on, I feel like I was right. The way to keep your kids Christian isn’t to beat your particular views in to them.
This book gives several options of how you can solve a lot of questions kids have. And tips on how to open those conversations. In the section on creation her child asks “mommy? Did God really make the world in 6 days?” And she suggests “The Bible tells us God made everything, but sometimes God tells us things using history or poetry or metaphor. It’s up to you to decide how you think God did that as you get older, but I’m always happy to talk about it with you and answer your questions.”
This book gives several options of how you can solve a lot of questions kids have. And tips on how to open those conversations. In the section on creation her child asks “mommy? Did God really make the world in 6 days?” And she suggests “The Bible tells us God made everything, but sometimes God tells us things using history or poetry or metaphor. It’s up to you to decide how you think God did that as you get older, but I’m always happy to talk about it with you and answer your questions.”
July 30, 2017
Some statistics are showing that a staggering 3 out of 4 kids are leaving the church during young adulthood. Why? "Faith" in God is being replaced by something much more concrete and reliable: science. This book takes a wide-angle look at some of the top questions that EVERY christian should have good answers to. If parents don't have answers to their children's doubts then science and the secular culture will be glad to offer plenty of alternative ways to view the world. Science is wonderful and completely compatible with Christianity for without God, we'd have no reason to expect laws of logic, mathematics, reason, and order to allow science to even work amongst the chaos sheer unguided evolution would give us. Natasha Crain does a fantastic job at illustrating the gravity of our kid's eternal salvation and then shows us how so called "faith" is actually nothing more than trusting in what we have good reasons to believe.
August 15, 2023
As a mom of four kids, I’ve encountered several times that they have asked me faith questions that I knew I should be able to answer. Kids can ask the most random things, and when difficult faith questions arise unexpectedly I often fumble to give an answer that feels satisfactory. I plan to purchase a hard copy of this book so I can reference it whenever needing a quick refresher. The author also advocates for proactively asking your kids those hard questions so they can be better prepared when they encounter them in life. In the beginning of the book that idea felt intimidating, but by the end it felt empowering. I could bring up the topics on my time when I felt ready to face them head on.
March 9, 2023
This book is an excellent tool for any Christian parent. Wether your kids are newborns or grown adults, we all have questions when it comes to the Christian Faith. Natasha Crain brings up 40 important topics of conversations to have with our children BEFORE they ever encounter those questions on their own. Giving the parents a chance to research and address those questions together with their children, instead of the child feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed in their search for answers. An amazing defense of the Christian faith, and written extremely well; I recommend this book to all fellow Christians.
February 25, 2023
I was blown away with the amount of information Natasha managed to pack into this extremely accessible book. I would call this a must-have for Christian parents, while strongly encouraging all Christian adults to pick it up and take a read (I myself am not a parent, but I took so much away from it!). While Natasha applies this information to a family setting and raising children, I could see how it could be used in any setting where intentional faith discussions are taking place. Thank you, Natasha, for a wonderful contribution to the intellectual Christian world!
February 27, 2024
4.5🌟
This book covered a lot of topics that often come up in opposition to Christianity. She covered 40 questions that you should try and discuss with your children to help them better understand their faith and better be able to defend their faith. Definitely very thought-provoking, and things that I want my children to know. A few of the questions I felt like she maybe went more to science than to the Bible, which I kind of understand what there are some things that we just have to take by faith.
This book covered a lot of topics that often come up in opposition to Christianity. She covered 40 questions that you should try and discuss with your children to help them better understand their faith and better be able to defend their faith. Definitely very thought-provoking, and things that I want my children to know. A few of the questions I felt like she maybe went more to science than to the Bible, which I kind of understand what there are some things that we just have to take by faith.
April 19, 2019
I highly recommend Natasha Crain's wonderful book! It is an excellent primer for Christian apologetics, geared towards parents who want to train up their children in a solid, Biblical worldview. We have just completed our first 10-week series of classes for parents at our church, The Summit Church, using this book as our guide. Parents love this resource! I can't wait to teach this series again.
June 4, 2019
I'd consider this book a MUST-HAVE for any Christian parent. When you must navigate spiritual conversations with your child, this book acts as a guiding hand to help you know HOW to have those kinds of conversations without arguing or debating. It helps you lead children logically through the tough and tricky topics that we, as Christians, have a duty to equip our children with the knowledge they so desperately need in this world.
Highly recommend!
Highly recommend!
August 3, 2022
I learned a lot reading this book and feel more confident in my faith because of it. I would recommend this to all Christians even if they don't have children in their household. I honestly feel like I need to re-read this because there was so much information and I don't even know if I took it all in. It's an excellent read. I didn't give it five stars because I wasn't a fan of how they broke the book down, but otherwise it was a good book.
July 14, 2017
Readable, understandable, applicable
A wonderful compendium of evidence based and reason based conversations. A mom who is being asked questions by her children and discovering that years of church attendance has not prepared her with the abundant evidence available to answer reasonable questions.
A wonderful compendium of evidence based and reason based conversations. A mom who is being asked questions by her children and discovering that years of church attendance has not prepared her with the abundant evidence available to answer reasonable questions.
January 19, 2018
Very informative and objective. Natasha does a great job of consolidating some tough questions and objections into bite size summaries that can quickly be referenced in the future if needed, with tools and suggestions for further research. Great thoughts and ideas on how to build these conversations into your family and very motivational to take action.
September 4, 2019
This is a good collection of questions and issues you and your kids will likely be presented with as Christians. While I don’t agree with her underlying apologetics philosophy that comes out in some of the chapters, I think the author has done a good job of compiling these common questions, presenting the various perspectives, and providing resources for additional study.
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