Customer Reviews
Get's Christian faith back to the home but to what degree 
2008-04-13
Well I love Voddie's preaching and he certainly knows how to write a good book too. This book clarifies that the Church starts in the home and that a family as a whole needs to support each other in their worship of Christ first and foremost. This then drastically changes the way the local church deals with different generations in their congregation as their ministry becomes about strengthening people's relationship with Christ as a whole made up of families.
I was left wondering given Voddie's push toward home schooling and not participating in sports (if they teach that sport is more important that God) how this doesn't end up forming a tribe where the children are sequestered into a place that can't interface with the rest of the world? But I do see his point that the school system has a lot of problems with it, that amongst others teach either directly or by osmosis things contrary to Christian faith.
It's certainly timely and engagingly written.
Convicting 
2008-04-08
I bought this book after attending a Men's conference where Voddie spoke. This book is not for those who are not willing to be convicted. God sets the rules, not Voddie, not us. Excellent book. Your family will definitely benefit.
An Ideal Shaper! 2008-03-12
This book has powerfully affirmed a hunch my husband and I already have, that the home should be the primary setting for spiritual formation. Voddie makes a case for the necessity of family worship. He uses Deuteronomy 6 to help impart God's design that His ways be taught diligently to our children. As a homeschool family, Voddie and his wife utilize the catechism to impart biblical theology to their children, and he expands on its usefulness which I found to be a good practical tip.
Voddie spends the last part of the book describing the family integrated church structure, a revolutionary concept to me in that it does not involve the segregation of the church body by age. The church is viewed as a "family of families," and children are not ushered out the back door to their respective meeting area. Instead, sitting on the pews of a family integrated church are "intact Christian families who can model worship and family" to other families or individuals growing in the Lord. As Voddie states, "I would much rather have little Johnny (hypothetical unchurched child) sitting with me, my wife, and children, than have him over in the youth building..." Voddie is a great defender of this notion of family-driven faith, is sweetly charitable to those opposed, and overall an inspiring man of God and family.
A Powerful Call for a Revolution in Families & Churches 2008-03-10
Multiple studies have shown that over 80% of all teens that are active in evangelical American churches have completely abandoned Christianity by their 2nd year of college.
What's the problem? How do we solve it?
Voddie Baucham has a simple and Bible-based answer:
Our children are falling away because we are asking the church to do what God designed the family to accomplish.
What does he mean by that statement? At one time Christian worship, teaching, & ministry was primarily a function of the family. It was considered normal for families to sing hymns together daily, for the father to systematically teach the Bible daily, to pray daily, for the family to look for ways to minister and reach out to others. The family as a unit was the cornerstone, the basic building block of Christ's Kingdom here on earth.
Today, however, it is far different. The center of most children's religious interaction, worship and learning is the church, from nursery to teen youth group. Although well intentioned, it is a poor substitute for family driven faith.
This book is a well-written introduction to the concept of family driven faith. It has chapters on the importance of the marriage bond, family worship, family teaching and education, and what a family centered, family integrated church can look like compared to the ordinary evangelical church of today. Voddie is passionate but humble, vocal but not argumentative about his vision for families and for churches. If you have children, this book is must reading if you desire to see your children (and your grandchildren) walking faithfully with God all their lives.
A must read! 2008-02-20
This has to be one of the best, most powerful books on parenting and family that I've ever read! I knew from just reading the Introduction that this was going to be a powerful, life changing book. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
Good Book 2008-07-04
This is a book that you will want to pass around. I gave it to my daughter and her husband and they in turned have someone else that is interested in reading it after them. Some chapters are rather boring to keep reading but if you stick with it there are great truths to be found. If applied in your family, they WILL make a positive difference in your lives. We as a family have been doing most of what is suggested in the books since we have had children, my oldest being 25 years old. All 4 children are serving God and being a blessing for those around them. This book contains Great Truths that are Needed in the Church Today!
Respond to the critics... 2008-06-18
Jeremiah 6:10
To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.
First things first, if you find this book "offensive" ask yourself "why" I respectfully disagree with the critics, specifically the one comparing this to a "cult". That is a strong and hateful statement and it is the FURTHEST from the truth. I recommend to read the book along with the scriptures that Dr. Baucham's uses to back it up and let the Holy Spirit convict you (or not).
I actually met Dr. Baucham's son Trey - what a pleasure to meet this young man. The fruit is there!! Unless you've met this man and seen the fruit that he is producing, I strongly suggest you reserve your harsh judgement of him. Pluck the plank out of your on eye first.
Take the time to read what Dr. Baucham has to say and to spiritually discern the message that is being given. Let God speak to you in how this message is applicable to your family and/or what principles you need to apply. It won't be the same for everyone.
Scripture says:
2 Timothy 4:3
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
Make sure you're not letting your "itching ears" be your guide, rather let God convict you in areas that you need to be convicted in. This book IS a wake up call. RISE UP and take the challenge!
A Wake-Up Call 2008-06-11
Attention Christian father: You are deceiving yourself if you think you are doing your best by faithfully dropping your kids off to youth group every week. You won't know how far off the mark you are until you read this thoughtful, passionate and biblically-supported work. This book will tell you why we are losing 8 out of 10 of our "church kids" by the time they finish their sophomore year of college. But thankfully, Pastor Baucham shows us how to reverse this alarming trend. This book, along with his podcast message, "The Centrality of the Home", will jolt you into action. Don't wait; your children's eternity is at stake.
Challenges your thinking 2008-04-24
Interesting a reviewer said Baucham teaches "Beating kids=good! Evolution=Bad!" ...it tells you right there that reviewer has succumbed to the culture that Baucham ironically warns people against (the culture says spanking=beating kids and macroevolution=fact). For everyone else, this book shows Christians how our practices have been influenced by the culture (rather than the other way around) and how those practices are unbiblical. I myself have been sounding that call as well, but Baucham sheds light on some additional issues that I hadn't considered. It is eye-opening and revolutionary.
By the way, a couple reviewers expressed their concerns about Vision Forum Ministries...but what about their philosophy is unbiblical? If everything should be scrutinized by the light of His Word, then make sure your criticism of Vision Forum is based on Scripture and not just "It makes me uncomfortable." When Jesus preached, most of what He said made people uncomfortable. "Lack of comfort" is not a sufficient excuse to criticize a ministry or philosophy unless you can also back up your criticism with Scripture (taken in context, of course).
Vision Forum Cult strikes again-Don't waste your money 
2008-04-22
Luckily I didn't buy this book, I found it discarded in the trash area in the waiting room of my children's gymnastics studio. I thought it looked interesting so I read through it. I'm glad I didn't spend any money on it. This is just a rehash of the Vision Forum Cult's mandate of modern Christian family life. Homeschooling=Good! Youth Groups=Bad! Beating kids=good! Evolution=Bad! I think his basic premise, that parents need to seriously undertake their children's spiritual education and growth and not abdicate them to other people is correct to some degree, but his book just meanders and goes down the path that all these VF cult members drone on and on about ad nauseum in their internet blogs. (How can they homeschool all the time while writing all these blogs?) Don't buy this book, save your money and take your kids out for ice cream. My understanding is that Dr. Baucham's children have not graduated college yet and are, in fact, fairly young, so I have a hard time accepting him as an "expert" in the field of parenting. Further, he bills himself as an evangelical for intellectuals, but he left Rice University to transfer to HBU? That wasn't a move up. Maybe he seems intellectual to someone who graduated from Patrick Henry College, or to the Duggars, but I think that particular claim is inflated. By the way, homeschooling is no guarantee that your kids won't turn 18 and go crazy. You can't keep them in the compound forever, can you? Unless you are in the FLDS compound that is. The only "magic forumula" (tongue in cheek) is prayer for your children, not a rehash of the Vision Forum Cult indoctrination manuals.
