What do you think?
Rate this book
Total Family Makeover: 8 Practical Steps to Making Disciples at Home
God calls us as parents to be key disciple-makers in our children’s
lives, but if we’re honest, some days it’s a battle just to get them
dressed and ready for school on time. How can you mold their hearts when
sometimes you can’t even find their shoes?
In Total Family Makeover, author Melissa Spoelstra gives parents a
way—a sort of spiritual track to run on—when it comes to building family
discipleship. She focuses on eight key habits of
• Spending Time in Prayer
• Reading God's Word
• Growing Through a Mentoring Relationship
• Finding Community in the Church
• Serving Others
• Taking Time to Rest
• Giving Back to God
• Sharing Your Faith
Disciples are made, not born. Whether your children are babes in arms
or teenagers getting ready to leave the nest, making disciples at home
starts with you! Give your family a makeover with this practical
approach to helping your children learn what it means to be a follower
of Jesus.
lives, but if we’re honest, some days it’s a battle just to get them
dressed and ready for school on time. How can you mold their hearts when
sometimes you can’t even find their shoes?
In Total Family Makeover, author Melissa Spoelstra gives parents a
way—a sort of spiritual track to run on—when it comes to building family
discipleship. She focuses on eight key habits of
• Spending Time in Prayer
• Reading God's Word
• Growing Through a Mentoring Relationship
• Finding Community in the Church
• Serving Others
• Taking Time to Rest
• Giving Back to God
• Sharing Your Faith
Disciples are made, not born. Whether your children are babes in arms
or teenagers getting ready to leave the nest, making disciples at home
starts with you! Give your family a makeover with this practical
approach to helping your children learn what it means to be a follower
of Jesus.
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2016
9 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Spoelstra
39 books112 followersMelissa Spoelstra is a popular women’s conference speaker, Bible teacher, and writer who is madly in love with Jesus and passionate about helping women of all ages to seek Christ and know Him more intimately through serious Bible study. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Bible Theology and enjoys teaching God's Word to diverse groups and churches within the body of Christ. She is the author of Joseph: The Journey to Forgiveness, Jeremiah: Daring to Hope in an Unstable World, and the forthcoming Total Family Makeover: 8 Steps to Making Disciples at Home. She lives in Dublin, Ohio, with her pastor husband and four kids.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 25, 2018
Dear Mom thinking about reading this book -- You are doing a great job. I am all about establishing disciplines for improving our lives. But this book made me feel like I had 1000 other things I needed to be doing. I will sum this up: model the behavior and practices you want your children to have. If you don't pray in front of your children, they won't understand how or why to pray. If you are not kind and generous, they won't be either. If you are looking for ideas of how to help yourself establish a spiritual practice, I would recommend Richard Foster's book Celebration of Discipline instead, then maybe come back to this book only if you need a couple of ideas in one particular area. Don't read this one straight through.
October 5, 2016
Total Family Makeover: 8 Practical Steps to Making Disciples at Home gives parents practical hands-on advice for implementing Proverbs 22:6. How many times have you read this and wondered if you’re training your children correctly?
Train children in the way they should go; when they grow old, they won’t depart from it. ~Proverbs 22:6
I don’t usually read many family or parenting books. However, when I read the Table of Contents for Total Family Makeover by Melissa Spolestra, I knew I would enjoy reading this book! The introduction alone caught my interest with the title, Your Kids are Not Your Report Card.
One of the most memorable takeaways from this book for me, comes in this Introduction (Your Kids are Not Your Report Card). Spoelstra describes the pendulum of parenting where one minute we can feel such pride in our children for their accomplishments (and subsequently feel we share in the success) and another minute we are grabbing our misbehaving child (and the rest of the kids) and running away in shame from a situation that leaves us feeling like a failure of a parent. As much as we try to disconnect from that pendulum, it is such a strong tendency we have. Spoelstra shows the similarity between the rebellion/sinful choices of Adam and Eve and our own children. In doing so, she invited the reader to imagine them in close relationship with God, living as his beloved creations in the perfect environment of the Garden of Eden, and even with God, the PERFECT parent, yet…they still chose to sin. Is their choice a reflection on God as a parent? No. We all have a sinful nature and even if you are the closest thing possible to Earthly perfection as a parent and provide a nearly flawless life for your children, they will still choose to be sinful at times and some of those sins might have more painful consequences and/or drive them further from God than others like that of Adam and Eve.
The chapters had informational titles that tell exactly what the reader will be learning, and I really enjoyed reading what Spoelstra calls the 8 Habits of Growth. These habits are vital to spiritual growth individually and as a family.
Spending Time in Prayer
Reading God’s Word
Growing Through Mentoring
Finding Community in the Church
Serving Others
Taking Time to Rest
Giving Back to God
Sharing Your Faith
Spoelstra uses relevant personal stories to give examples of understanding from a parent who has been there. She comes across as honest and relatable, which is helpful to the reader.
As a parent myself with 3 children in different life stages this book is practical and helpful. I look forward to reading this with my wife to better put into action the content of this book. One of my favorite chapters was Finding Community in the Church. She stresses the importance of getting plugged in, without making the reader feel guilty for missing out.
If you’re struggling with fulfilling Proverbs 22:6, or you’re feeling like you’re stuck in your parenting, or entering a new phase of parenting, I highly recommend this book for you. If you’re on the fence about reading it, consider this statement from the back cover:
Disciples are made, not born. ~Total Family Makeover
NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
September 26, 2016
About the Book:
God calls us as parents to be key disciple-makers in our children's lives, but if we're honest, some days it's a battle just to get them dressed and ready for school on time. How can you mold their hearts when sometimes you can't even find their shoes?
In Total Family Makeover, author Melissa Spoelstra gives parents a way--a sort of spiritual track to run on--when it comes to building family discipleship. She focuses on eight key habits of growth:
- Spending Time in Prayer
- Reading God's Word
- Growing Through a Mentoring Relationship
- Finding Community in the Church
- Serving Others
- Taking Time to Rest
- Giving Back to God
- Sharing Your Faith
Disciples are made, not born. Whether your children are babes in arms or teenagers getting ready to leave the nest, making disciples at home starts with you! Give your family a makeover with this practical approach to helping your children learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
My Review:
Our first ministry is always going to be to our family and loved ones. Making disciples out of our family isn't always the easiest to achieve. I know for our family we have tried to disciple our children and most of the time it goes fairly well. My health took a rather drastic turn that forced me to not get them involved with serving community projects as often as I like. So for us it's rather difficult to help in that way. We do require our children to help out at church when they are old enough so we are trying to foster serving in that manner and for us that works for now.
The author does a great job showing you the in's and out's of discipling your family and she gives excellent recommendations to get you headed in the right direction. My favorite part of these steps would be her suggestion for taking time to rest. I know for us sometimes we get so busy that we forget about this very important truth and it costs us and those we serve.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.
God calls us as parents to be key disciple-makers in our children's lives, but if we're honest, some days it's a battle just to get them dressed and ready for school on time. How can you mold their hearts when sometimes you can't even find their shoes?
In Total Family Makeover, author Melissa Spoelstra gives parents a way--a sort of spiritual track to run on--when it comes to building family discipleship. She focuses on eight key habits of growth:
- Spending Time in Prayer
- Reading God's Word
- Growing Through a Mentoring Relationship
- Finding Community in the Church
- Serving Others
- Taking Time to Rest
- Giving Back to God
- Sharing Your Faith
Disciples are made, not born. Whether your children are babes in arms or teenagers getting ready to leave the nest, making disciples at home starts with you! Give your family a makeover with this practical approach to helping your children learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
My Review:
Our first ministry is always going to be to our family and loved ones. Making disciples out of our family isn't always the easiest to achieve. I know for our family we have tried to disciple our children and most of the time it goes fairly well. My health took a rather drastic turn that forced me to not get them involved with serving community projects as often as I like. So for us it's rather difficult to help in that way. We do require our children to help out at church when they are old enough so we are trying to foster serving in that manner and for us that works for now.
The author does a great job showing you the in's and out's of discipling your family and she gives excellent recommendations to get you headed in the right direction. My favorite part of these steps would be her suggestion for taking time to rest. I know for us sometimes we get so busy that we forget about this very important truth and it costs us and those we serve.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.
June 18, 2017
I like to pick up parenting books pretty regularly, just for the encouragement. If you've read several of them, especially in the Christian realm, like me, there probably won't be anything new in this one. That said, it's still wonderfully done, and I especially recommend it to those just starting to read parenting books. It is full of practical advice and also plenty of questions for digging deeper.
The main focus of the book is you, and how to live as an example to your child. One can't expect a child to do something that the parent isn't willing to do. I really enjoy Spoelstra's writing style. These days, it's getting rarer and rarer for me to connect with authors. She speaks with both wisdom and humbleness, and I appreciate that.
This is a nice book for encouragement, both for those not really looking for anything new, and for those just getting started with parenting advice.
*I got a copy through Amazon Vine.
The main focus of the book is you, and how to live as an example to your child. One can't expect a child to do something that the parent isn't willing to do. I really enjoy Spoelstra's writing style. These days, it's getting rarer and rarer for me to connect with authors. She speaks with both wisdom and humbleness, and I appreciate that.
This is a nice book for encouragement, both for those not really looking for anything new, and for those just getting started with parenting advice.
*I got a copy through Amazon Vine.
October 7, 2016
Have you ever felt that as a woman who takes on many roles, you are sometimes just drowning in a surplus of tasks, needs, demands and wants? From the many hats we wear as mother, wife, grandmother, sister, friend, counselor, co-worker, etc. every part of life can whisk us away and carry us downstream if we are not intentional. Some days, the overwhelming task of being entrusted with the raising and training of my two little ones can seem a bit daunting. I am way less than intentional— I’m just trying to survive! But as Melissa Spoelstra says in this great book Total Family Makeover, God calls us to be the key disciple-makers in our children’s lives and disciples are made, not born. Because parenting is such a deeply personal matter, nearly every sentence of this book resonated with me on a personal level. Melissa gently but firmly reminds us that we cannot use the behavior of our children to be our parenting measuring rod. In other words, we need to "shift our focus from our children’s behavior to the joy-filled adventure of teaching them what it means to follow Jesus.” The rest of the book focuses on eight practical steps to make disciples at home. Each of the eight steps revolves around a basic spiritual discipline or practice that we want our children to embrace in their walk with God— both now and after they leave home. These eight steps are:
- Spending Time In Prayer
- Reading God’s Word
- Growing Through Mentoring
- Finding Community In The Church
- Serving Others
- Taking Time To Rest
- Giving Back To God
- Sharing Your Faith
As much as I love the break down of these eight practices, the way each chapter is explained is truly where the rubber meets the road. Each of the practices begins with Modeling, or looking at the example Jesus set for us in each area. Within this section are extra boxes of practical information, ways to incorporate this into your own family. The section on Modeling is followed by Training, which is equally chock-full of ways to implement each spiritual discipline into your family.
Melissa writes with a familiarity to family life. Even though we’ve never met, through her writing, I feel like she has been a fly on the wall in my living room. More likely, its the Holy Spirit-inspired words of this book that speak so true to the heart of what every family needs— a makeover from the inside out, an intentionality in making disciples, and a plan of how to do that.
This book would be a great study to work through as a small group, church, or group of friends. Each chapter concludes with Group Discussion Questions, Extra study for getting into God’s Word and ways that you can dig deeper on the given topic. I feel like this book would be great for children of all ages. There are suggestions for all age ranges, and everything can be tailored to suit your child’s age. I cannot wait to get started on implementing the practices in this book and continuing to intentionally make disciples of the precious little lives God has entrusted me with.
- Spending Time In Prayer
- Reading God’s Word
- Growing Through Mentoring
- Finding Community In The Church
- Serving Others
- Taking Time To Rest
- Giving Back To God
- Sharing Your Faith
As much as I love the break down of these eight practices, the way each chapter is explained is truly where the rubber meets the road. Each of the practices begins with Modeling, or looking at the example Jesus set for us in each area. Within this section are extra boxes of practical information, ways to incorporate this into your own family. The section on Modeling is followed by Training, which is equally chock-full of ways to implement each spiritual discipline into your family.
Melissa writes with a familiarity to family life. Even though we’ve never met, through her writing, I feel like she has been a fly on the wall in my living room. More likely, its the Holy Spirit-inspired words of this book that speak so true to the heart of what every family needs— a makeover from the inside out, an intentionality in making disciples, and a plan of how to do that.
This book would be a great study to work through as a small group, church, or group of friends. Each chapter concludes with Group Discussion Questions, Extra study for getting into God’s Word and ways that you can dig deeper on the given topic. I feel like this book would be great for children of all ages. There are suggestions for all age ranges, and everything can be tailored to suit your child’s age. I cannot wait to get started on implementing the practices in this book and continuing to intentionally make disciples of the precious little lives God has entrusted me with.
September 18, 2016
t seems like discipleship is the buzzword of current 21st century Christianity. Everyone is going to make disciples and many of the books I’ve read and materials that I’ve gone through at my local church have been geared to make discipleship easier. However, much of the discipleship information that I’ve received has been geared at going through a formal discipleship process with other adults, and the idea of family discipleship is not one that is explicitly made clear. So, when I received the opportunity to review Total Family Makeover: 8 Practical Steps to Making Disciples at Home. After all, I have four children, so I want all the help in disciple-making that I can get.
Spoelstra’s book is based on two main ideas. The first is that your children “aren’t your report card.” The litmus test in parenting is not according to how your children behave, whether they accept Christ or how much they ultimately retain about the Bible. After all, Adam and Eve had a perfect parent, and they still made the wrong decision. At some point, you as a parent have to realize that no matter what tools you give your child, there is a point at which you just have to let go of responsibility for their decisions.
The second idea is that your ability to disciple your children is determined by your actual Christian walk. You must model and directly instruct in order to be an effective discipler. So, with that in mind, all of the topics that Spoelstra takes up in the book are big picture themes for the Christian walk. These include prayer, reading the Bible, mentoring, church community, service, rest, giving and sharing your faith.
In the book, there are admonitions for parents to help them with their Christian walk along with examples from their family on practical ways parents can instruct their children using this discipleship tool. I found myself agreeing many times with Spoelstra and underlining many passages in the book. There were a couple of new practical tips for us to try, but mainly, I found this to be nice refresher of how my walk can be used to model the Christian walk for my children. I was also reminded of many attitudes that frustrate me in my children that are actually perfectly reasonable childish responses to the gospel. I truly felt like I was being ministered to by someone else who was in the trenches of parenting and had made some of the same mistakes that I had along the way, and I appreciated the author’s advice and transparency.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Spoelstra’s book is based on two main ideas. The first is that your children “aren’t your report card.” The litmus test in parenting is not according to how your children behave, whether they accept Christ or how much they ultimately retain about the Bible. After all, Adam and Eve had a perfect parent, and they still made the wrong decision. At some point, you as a parent have to realize that no matter what tools you give your child, there is a point at which you just have to let go of responsibility for their decisions.
The second idea is that your ability to disciple your children is determined by your actual Christian walk. You must model and directly instruct in order to be an effective discipler. So, with that in mind, all of the topics that Spoelstra takes up in the book are big picture themes for the Christian walk. These include prayer, reading the Bible, mentoring, church community, service, rest, giving and sharing your faith.
In the book, there are admonitions for parents to help them with their Christian walk along with examples from their family on practical ways parents can instruct their children using this discipleship tool. I found myself agreeing many times with Spoelstra and underlining many passages in the book. There were a couple of new practical tips for us to try, but mainly, I found this to be nice refresher of how my walk can be used to model the Christian walk for my children. I was also reminded of many attitudes that frustrate me in my children that are actually perfectly reasonable childish responses to the gospel. I truly felt like I was being ministered to by someone else who was in the trenches of parenting and had made some of the same mistakes that I had along the way, and I appreciated the author’s advice and transparency.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 4, 2016
Melissa Spoelstra did a fantastic job on this fun to read book on practical steps to making Disciples at home. I have found over the past years that taking time to rest has been my hardest thing to, so reading on taking time to rest was the chapter that hit me hard showing me I NEED to stop , the laundry can wait till Monday, it is OK if you need a nap, take that nap! So far this year I have been trying harder to rest on Sunday's after church, but for me that is hard at times to do. I love how Melissa explains things, and adds in scriptures that match what she is saying, like when she talks about taking time to observe the Sabbath day, then ends it with Scripture, "For six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on on the seventh day he rested." That is why the LORD blessed that day and made it holy, because he rested. I don't know about you all but I needed that reminder!
My second chapter that I just LOVED was " Reading God's Word", I have a VERY hard time just sitting and reading the bible. I have always had comprehension issues so when I read it does not sink in a lot of the time, but I read it and highlight and date what I read . I am now journaling on Sunday mornings so I remember what was taught that Sunday. After reading this chapter, I feel I need to try to read the bible at least one chapter a day, and journal about what I read and date it so I can grow deeper in God's word. Just like the scripture that Melissa added in with the reminding us we are like babies wanting others to feed us , when we who have been followers for a long time should be the ones teaching others. ( Hebrews 5:12)
One of my favorite scriptures out of Hebrews is ( Hebrews 4:12) talking about the word of God is like a two edged sword cutting between soul and spirit! I LOVE THAT!! I mean don't you? I mean God's work teaches up daily of the good and bad, how we should be and how to not be. After reading this chapter , it has made me think about how much I truly serve God. I pray with my children, why not on Sunday's read to them, or do a Mother Daughter Coloring bible journal together? So I know what I am doing for Christmas now, buying some bible coloring journals for my daughters, and myself so we can grow together in God's Word.
This book is packed FULL of awesome info, and ways for you to GROW. I loved this 205 page book, it was easy to read, easy to follow, and has honestly made me want to grow deeper with Christ as a family. Thank you Melissa for a fantastic book, one I am going to buy a few copies and give as part of my Christmas gifts to some of my church family.
My second chapter that I just LOVED was " Reading God's Word", I have a VERY hard time just sitting and reading the bible. I have always had comprehension issues so when I read it does not sink in a lot of the time, but I read it and highlight and date what I read . I am now journaling on Sunday mornings so I remember what was taught that Sunday. After reading this chapter, I feel I need to try to read the bible at least one chapter a day, and journal about what I read and date it so I can grow deeper in God's word. Just like the scripture that Melissa added in with the reminding us we are like babies wanting others to feed us , when we who have been followers for a long time should be the ones teaching others. ( Hebrews 5:12)
One of my favorite scriptures out of Hebrews is ( Hebrews 4:12) talking about the word of God is like a two edged sword cutting between soul and spirit! I LOVE THAT!! I mean don't you? I mean God's work teaches up daily of the good and bad, how we should be and how to not be. After reading this chapter , it has made me think about how much I truly serve God. I pray with my children, why not on Sunday's read to them, or do a Mother Daughter Coloring bible journal together? So I know what I am doing for Christmas now, buying some bible coloring journals for my daughters, and myself so we can grow together in God's Word.
This book is packed FULL of awesome info, and ways for you to GROW. I loved this 205 page book, it was easy to read, easy to follow, and has honestly made me want to grow deeper with Christ as a family. Thank you Melissa for a fantastic book, one I am going to buy a few copies and give as part of my Christmas gifts to some of my church family.
October 12, 2016
Total Family Makeover: 8 Practical Steps to Making Disciples at Home by Melissa Spoelstra is a comprehensive guide for moms wanting practical, concrete steps for discipling their children. I loved the bright, bold, and pleasing cover of this book - it's gorgeous and very well designed. I wanted to pick it up right away and start reading it when I saw the cover. It also won the Mom's Choice Award! The book description reads:
"Total Family Makeover: 8 Practical Steps to Making Disciples at Home (Abingdon, September 2016)
Train children in the way they should go; when they grow old, they won't depart from it. ---Proverbs 22:6
God calls us as parents to be key disciple-makers in our children's lives, but if we're honest, some days it's a battle just to get them dressed and ready for school on time. How can you mold their hearts when sometimes you can't even find their shoes?
In Total Family Makeover, author Melissa Spoelstra gives parents a way---a sort of spiritual track to run on---when it comes to building family discipleship. She focuses on eight key habits of growth:
-Spending Time in Prayer
-Reading God's Word
-Growing Through a Mentoring Relationship
-Finding Community in the Church
-Serving Others
-Taking Time to Rest
-Giving Back to God
-Sharing Your Faith
Disciples are made, not born. Whether your children are babes in arms or teenagers getting ready to leave the nest, making disciples at home starts with you! Give your family a makeover with this practical approach to helping your children learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus."
Immediately upon opening Total Family Makeover, I felt encouraged. I love how it immediately emphasizes the major truth that we aren't graded on our children's behavior - we aren't a good mom or a bad mom based on how our kids behave. Our job is to train and disciple them, yes, but we cannot control their heart or their behavior. We have to fulfill our responsibility and pray for the results in our children. The book is divided into eight sections, each detailing one of the eight key habits of growth as outlined in the description. Melissa gives us practical steps for each key habit, Scriptures, plans, and more. I love her easy to read style and her realistic, real life approach. This is a book that you can begin practically applying immediately as you read. I highly recommend this book to every mom who is looking to do a better job at discipling their children.
You can purchase a copy of the book here: http://bit.ly/2d5hLtG
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
"Total Family Makeover: 8 Practical Steps to Making Disciples at Home (Abingdon, September 2016)
Train children in the way they should go; when they grow old, they won't depart from it. ---Proverbs 22:6
God calls us as parents to be key disciple-makers in our children's lives, but if we're honest, some days it's a battle just to get them dressed and ready for school on time. How can you mold their hearts when sometimes you can't even find their shoes?
In Total Family Makeover, author Melissa Spoelstra gives parents a way---a sort of spiritual track to run on---when it comes to building family discipleship. She focuses on eight key habits of growth:
-Spending Time in Prayer
-Reading God's Word
-Growing Through a Mentoring Relationship
-Finding Community in the Church
-Serving Others
-Taking Time to Rest
-Giving Back to God
-Sharing Your Faith
Disciples are made, not born. Whether your children are babes in arms or teenagers getting ready to leave the nest, making disciples at home starts with you! Give your family a makeover with this practical approach to helping your children learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus."
Immediately upon opening Total Family Makeover, I felt encouraged. I love how it immediately emphasizes the major truth that we aren't graded on our children's behavior - we aren't a good mom or a bad mom based on how our kids behave. Our job is to train and disciple them, yes, but we cannot control their heart or their behavior. We have to fulfill our responsibility and pray for the results in our children. The book is divided into eight sections, each detailing one of the eight key habits of growth as outlined in the description. Melissa gives us practical steps for each key habit, Scriptures, plans, and more. I love her easy to read style and her realistic, real life approach. This is a book that you can begin practically applying immediately as you read. I highly recommend this book to every mom who is looking to do a better job at discipling their children.
You can purchase a copy of the book here: http://bit.ly/2d5hLtG
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
October 12, 2016
Parenting - a 24 hours, 7 days a week job. There's no end. As Christians, we would like to show Christ's love to our children, as well as instill Christ-like beliefs and attitudes. Easy said than done. Having no kids of my own, even to be an example to my niece and nephew or young kids at church can be difficult. So how can we make disciples of them?! In comes Melissa Spoelstra's Total Family Makeover: 8 Practical Steps to Making Disciples at Home. I'm not saying this is the "bible" to family discipleship, nor am I saying it's fool-proof.
One minor note is that the font seems to be too small, or rather smaller than usual! There's a lot going on here, and the small font does make it seem more condensed.
Each family is different, but in Total Family Makeover, the author provides practical steps, along with biblical references that backs it up. I especially liked the "Practical Approach" areas after each section. The discussion questions at the end of each chapters will also provide questions for each individual to dive deep for the answer, and possible enlighten them. This is a practical guidebook, but I also see it as a study. With the Biblical references, as well as discussion questions relating to your family as a whole, it would be a great couple study to review with your spouse. Together, topics on how can your family grow together, how to pray together, how to deal with anger or how to deal with conflicts will be discussed. In all the main question is how can each member of the family be disciples in Christ? The emphasis on being an example and mentoring children of at all ages makes Total Family Makeover a book for families, young or older.
This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own. For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.
One minor note is that the font seems to be too small, or rather smaller than usual! There's a lot going on here, and the small font does make it seem more condensed.
Each family is different, but in Total Family Makeover, the author provides practical steps, along with biblical references that backs it up. I especially liked the "Practical Approach" areas after each section. The discussion questions at the end of each chapters will also provide questions for each individual to dive deep for the answer, and possible enlighten them. This is a practical guidebook, but I also see it as a study. With the Biblical references, as well as discussion questions relating to your family as a whole, it would be a great couple study to review with your spouse. Together, topics on how can your family grow together, how to pray together, how to deal with anger or how to deal with conflicts will be discussed. In all the main question is how can each member of the family be disciples in Christ? The emphasis on being an example and mentoring children of at all ages makes Total Family Makeover a book for families, young or older.
This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own. For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.
October 1, 2016
I read a lot of parenting books. Some might say to many (my husband who has the kind of confidence in his parenting skills that I really admire). But when you like reading, and you love your children, books that teach you better ways to interact with the little ones in your care are pretty appealing.
Total Family Makeover is a very unique parenting book. It is truly unlike any other book I have read. Most books that purport to give your family a total makeover have to do with the behavior of your children. A few will have to do with your own behavior, and how it affects your family. This book doesn't have anything to do with good behavior.
Everything suggested in this book is a way to disciple, not discipline your children. She lists 8 different areas of spiritual growth, including prayer life, Bible reading, and serving others. Each chapter follows a similar outline, starting with ways to model the spiritual discipline you want to see in your children, with examples given by the ultimate model of spirituality: Jesus. After that is a section on training, which gives practical ways to teach your children directly.
This one didn't make me cry, but there was a section in the "Giving Back to God" chapter that really hit home, and was PERFECT for a situation I was in.
There was one part of the book that I wasn't sure I agreed with. She says that she doesn't think that tying Bible verses to discipline issues is a good idea. I do understand where she is coming from, but it seems to fly in the face of 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Overall this was a great book that got me thinking about things I don't usually take the time to think about.
I was given this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Total Family Makeover is a very unique parenting book. It is truly unlike any other book I have read. Most books that purport to give your family a total makeover have to do with the behavior of your children. A few will have to do with your own behavior, and how it affects your family. This book doesn't have anything to do with good behavior.
Everything suggested in this book is a way to disciple, not discipline your children. She lists 8 different areas of spiritual growth, including prayer life, Bible reading, and serving others. Each chapter follows a similar outline, starting with ways to model the spiritual discipline you want to see in your children, with examples given by the ultimate model of spirituality: Jesus. After that is a section on training, which gives practical ways to teach your children directly.
This one didn't make me cry, but there was a section in the "Giving Back to God" chapter that really hit home, and was PERFECT for a situation I was in.
There was one part of the book that I wasn't sure I agreed with. She says that she doesn't think that tying Bible verses to discipline issues is a good idea. I do understand where she is coming from, but it seems to fly in the face of 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Overall this was a great book that got me thinking about things I don't usually take the time to think about.
I was given this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
September 21, 2016
I wish this book would’ve come out when my babies were, well, babies. The eight steps to making disciples is broken down into logical suggestions with Biblical principles and a few examples of implementation. Even though I’m in the home stretch with my own children, I found there is still a great deal of value to be found in these pages. For me, with two teenagers living at home and one in college the chapter that spoke to me most in my current stage of parenthood was the one on rest. The Lord knows my family, with its busy schedule, needed to hear the importance of building margins of rest into our lives.
The chapters are rather long and would probably be best digested in smaller portions throughout the week. With the deadline of posting this review looming I pushed through the chapters much faster than I would like and believe readers will get the most out of this if they choose one step they want to work on as a family and focus on turning the step into a habit until it becomes natural.
The steps can also be read out of order, which is great because I believe as a parent we know the areas where we are weakest in modeling discipleship in our household and what step we might already have a firmer grasp on. Also understanding the stages in your children’s lives where they need encouragement is important because readers could specifically focus on helping their child with that step.
The Total Family Makeover offers parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, fun and simple ways to train children up into the disciples God created them to be.
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
The chapters are rather long and would probably be best digested in smaller portions throughout the week. With the deadline of posting this review looming I pushed through the chapters much faster than I would like and believe readers will get the most out of this if they choose one step they want to work on as a family and focus on turning the step into a habit until it becomes natural.
The steps can also be read out of order, which is great because I believe as a parent we know the areas where we are weakest in modeling discipleship in our household and what step we might already have a firmer grasp on. Also understanding the stages in your children’s lives where they need encouragement is important because readers could specifically focus on helping their child with that step.
The Total Family Makeover offers parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, fun and simple ways to train children up into the disciples God created them to be.
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
October 3, 2016
I will be honest, I wasn't that excited about reading this book. I more thought, "This will be good for me to read as a parent." But inwardly I was kind of dreading it. I didn't want it to be added to the list of things I should do but would never actually do. Even getting the book I felt a little dismayed at the amount of information that seemed packed into the page. But then I began reading...
WOW. I couldn't be more glad or thankful that I started to read this book. I couldn't stop reading it. There was so much in this book that spoke to my heart as a parent trying to raise my children for God. Melissa Spoelstra's writing is easy and engaging to read. She doesn't expect you to do things exactly like her but invites you to create these 8 steps in ways that will fit your family.
Each chapter has two sections: Modeling and Training. I wish I had words eloquent enough to express how good this was for my soul. This book is more than just a book on how to help raise your kids for Jesus, it is a way to help you get your soul and spirit back into the places that you need them to be so that you can model what you long for your kids to have in their lives.
I highly, highly recommend this book. We've already begun to put this into practice at our home and it fills my heart with joy.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
WOW. I couldn't be more glad or thankful that I started to read this book. I couldn't stop reading it. There was so much in this book that spoke to my heart as a parent trying to raise my children for God. Melissa Spoelstra's writing is easy and engaging to read. She doesn't expect you to do things exactly like her but invites you to create these 8 steps in ways that will fit your family.
Each chapter has two sections: Modeling and Training. I wish I had words eloquent enough to express how good this was for my soul. This book is more than just a book on how to help raise your kids for Jesus, it is a way to help you get your soul and spirit back into the places that you need them to be so that you can model what you long for your kids to have in their lives.
I highly, highly recommend this book. We've already begun to put this into practice at our home and it fills my heart with joy.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
October 6, 2016
The most important job as Christian parents is to guide our children towards a relationship with Christ. But often the mundane tasks of life and trying to stay on top of everything gets in the way of the more important things. The author has created a guideline of sorts that will aid parents as they journey through parenting and help them mold disciples for Christ. Each chapter begins with some thoughts on one of the steps toward making disciples. The author uses scripture and personal stories to guide the reader. The rest of the chapter is divided up into sections labeled modeling and training. There are practical suggestions for implementing the steps into your home. The chapter ends with discussion questions and a lot more scripture.
First - the cover is adorable and definitely made me want to pick up the book. Second, I loved the author's writing style. She made the information interesting. Her practical advice wasn't overwhelming and I finished feeling encouraged and inspired. While I read the book by myself, I can totally see this being used in a parenting or women's study group. The discussion question really made me think and I loved all of the scripture she used to back up her thoughts. I would definitely recommend this book to any parent who wants a little guidance in the area of making disciples.
I received this book free of charge from Litfuse. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.
First - the cover is adorable and definitely made me want to pick up the book. Second, I loved the author's writing style. She made the information interesting. Her practical advice wasn't overwhelming and I finished feeling encouraged and inspired. While I read the book by myself, I can totally see this being used in a parenting or women's study group. The discussion question really made me think and I loved all of the scripture she used to back up her thoughts. I would definitely recommend this book to any parent who wants a little guidance in the area of making disciples.
I received this book free of charge from Litfuse. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.
July 21, 2016
Spoelstra identifies 8 areas of your home in which you can better focus your time and attention.
She provides eight key areas to model: prayer, Bible study, mentoring, community, serving, rest, generosity, and evangelism. Focusing on these areas will, in turn, help you focus as you engage with your children. As parents who follow Christ, it is important to help our children understand the importance of following Christ too.
Within each of these areas of spiritual training, Spoelstra provides so much information. She shares what the key area is, how to develop training in it for yourself and how to model for your children.
One thing I appreciated is the amount of questions that Spoelstra asks the reader to think about. Asking these questions will only help you develop your understanding of each of the key areas. And it will help you decipher how you want to develop these spiritual trainings for your own children.
Spoelstra also includes lots of ideas for activities to engage in practicing each of these areas. The activities were easy to carry out, and definitely helped open up the conversations to help you make disciples at home.
She provides eight key areas to model: prayer, Bible study, mentoring, community, serving, rest, generosity, and evangelism. Focusing on these areas will, in turn, help you focus as you engage with your children. As parents who follow Christ, it is important to help our children understand the importance of following Christ too.
Within each of these areas of spiritual training, Spoelstra provides so much information. She shares what the key area is, how to develop training in it for yourself and how to model for your children.
One thing I appreciated is the amount of questions that Spoelstra asks the reader to think about. Asking these questions will only help you develop your understanding of each of the key areas. And it will help you decipher how you want to develop these spiritual trainings for your own children.
Spoelstra also includes lots of ideas for activities to engage in practicing each of these areas. The activities were easy to carry out, and definitely helped open up the conversations to help you make disciples at home.
October 5, 2016
I'm always looking for tips on helping my family to have a strong spiritual life. "Total Family Makeover" is full of various aspects. This was my first time reading anything by. Mrs. Spoelstra. I like the way she breaks down the 8 Practical steps into:
1) Spending Time in Prayer
2) Reading God's Word
3) Growing through Mentoring
4) Finding Community in the Church
5) Serving Others
6) Taking Time to Rest
7) Giving Back to God
8) Sharing Your Faith
At first, you might think this book is suited for young/newly Christian families, but I love that some of the ideas have helped to inspire new ways to improve what we are already doing to better prayer and spiritual life.
Each chapter ends with discussion questions & would be a great book to introduce to Church small groups. I will be passing this book along to our pastor to either add to the Church library or to use in a small group.
*Disclaimer*
I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I am not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
1) Spending Time in Prayer
2) Reading God's Word
3) Growing through Mentoring
4) Finding Community in the Church
5) Serving Others
6) Taking Time to Rest
7) Giving Back to God
8) Sharing Your Faith
At first, you might think this book is suited for young/newly Christian families, but I love that some of the ideas have helped to inspire new ways to improve what we are already doing to better prayer and spiritual life.
Each chapter ends with discussion questions & would be a great book to introduce to Church small groups. I will be passing this book along to our pastor to either add to the Church library or to use in a small group.
*Disclaimer*
I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I am not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
September 23, 2016
In my opinion, Total Family Makeover is a practical tool for parents to use in learning how to make disciples of your children. In our culture now, I feel like a lot of parenting books don't focus on this topic, which something that I really enjoy about this book. The job of parents is to instill the word of God and to teach them practical habits that they can use in their life to grow them spiritually, which will help them grow into mature adults who are strong in their faith. However, it's really the seed the planting is planting and watering, where the child then is helping it to produce and grow over time as he/she grows.
This book is an awesome reminder of what an amazing gift parenting is and how it cannot be done alone. This book is divided into 8 chapters with very practical application and is good for any parent to utilize with kids regardless of the age. I give this book 4/5 stars. Thank you to the publishers for providing me a complimentary copy for my honest review.
This book is an awesome reminder of what an amazing gift parenting is and how it cannot be done alone. This book is divided into 8 chapters with very practical application and is good for any parent to utilize with kids regardless of the age. I give this book 4/5 stars. Thank you to the publishers for providing me a complimentary copy for my honest review.
October 3, 2016
Total Family Makeover is a helpful and insightful guide to training your children to be better disciples! Melissa Spoelstra shares her own personal experiences and couples them with recommendations based on Biblical principles, giving parents “a sort of spiritual track to run on--when it comes to building family discipleship.” I enjoyed delving into the eight key habits Spoelstra highlights and found encouragement and inspiration within each one. Whether you are just starting a family or are in the later stages of child rearing, Total Family Makeover offers a practical approach for spiritual growth.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.
April 8, 2017
Practical, easy read. This book offers a great start to incorporating biblical practice in your home. The author takes you step-by-step through the "stages" of making little disciples, such as prayer life, reading the word, service to others and the church. This is a good book for anyone who desires to teach biblical truths and are unsure where to start.
Quotes: ** What we sometimes forget is that we also participate in community for the sake of others.
I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Quotes: ** What we sometimes forget is that we also participate in community for the sake of others.
I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2016
Good book that covers the basic spiritual disciplines, with each chapter focusing on modeling and teaching/training, and includes some practical tips. The disciplines are: Prayer, Reading God’s Word, Mentoring, Finding community in the church, Serving others, Rest, Giving Back to God, and Sharing Your Faith. Very biblical topics, but also nothing a christian who has been in the church for a while hasn't heard. I did like the bible support for what she said, just wished there were more suggestions as to how to accomplish it.
September 30, 2016
Easy, practical, makes sense. I loved the format of scripture, stories, and actual activities to do as a family. My husband and I read this together as we tackle what this would like with our now two year old. Great advice and encouragement to us still new parents on concepts to consider as we move forward in our faith and in encouraging the growth of our son's.
October 5, 2016
Total Family Makeover is written conversationally, and points to Jesus throughout as our model for discipling. This is a great resource for families with young children, as well as those of us who may be nearing the finish of our in-home parenting. It will be a great book to pass on to my children when/if the grand kids begin to arrive.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews