Faith That Lasts: A Father and Son on Cultivating Lifelong Belief

by Cameron McAllister, Stuart McAllister, Chris Brooks (Foreword by)

Overview

"Please fix my kid."

In their work as Christian apologists, father and son Stuart and Cameron McAllister have heard many variations on this theme from concerned parents. It's a sentiment lots of Christian parents can relate to—a deep and fearful sense of their own inadequacy to raise their children in the faith amid a seductive culture that's often hostile to Christianity.

In Faith That Lasts, the McAllisters reflect on their own experiences of coming to Christian faith—Stuart from a life of crime on the streets of Glasgow, and Cameron in the context of a loving Christian home. Together they outline three dangerous myths that we all too easily buy into: that fear can protect our children, that information can save them, and that their spiritual education belongs to the experts. They reconsider each myth in the light of the Christian faith and their own experiences.

When our confidence is rooted in the good news of Jesus, our homes can be places of honest conversation, open-handed exploration, and lasting faith.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780830848157
Publisher:	IVP
Publication date:	01/26/2021
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	216
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Cameron McAllister is a speaker and writer focused on bridging the gap between discipleship and apologetics. He is the co-host of Thinking Out Loud, a weekly podcast about current events and Christian hope. He and his wife Heather live in Atlanta, Georgia with their two children.

Stuart McAllister is a speaker and writer. Since becoming a Christian in his home country of Scotland in 1977, he has traveled the globe, first smuggling Bibles and Christian resources to churches behind the Iron Curtain. Throughout almost forty-five years of ministry, he has spoken to students, business professionals, and government and community leaders. He has been a frequent contributor to many publications including writing chapters for the books Beyond Opinion and Global Missiology for the 21st Century.

Cameron McAllister is a speaker and writer focused on bridging the gap between discipleship and apologetics. He is the co-host of Thinking Out Loud, a weekly podcast about current events and Christian hope. He and his wife Heather live in Atlanta, Georgia with their two children.

Stuart McAllister is a speaker and writer. Since becoming a Christian in his home country of Scotland in 1977, he has traveled the globe, first smuggling Bibles and Christian resources to churches behind the Iron Curtain. Throughout almost forty-five years of ministry, he has spoken to students, business professionals, and government and community leaders. He has been a frequent contributor to many publications including writing chapters for the books Beyond Opinion and Global Missiology for the 21st Century.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Chris Brooks
Introduction: Your Home Has a Culture (Whether You Like It or Not)
Part One: Three Common Misconceptions in Christian Homes
1. Fear Protects
2. Information Saves
3. Spiritual Education Belongs to Experts
Biographical Interlude: Stuart's Story
Part Two: A Father's Response to the Three Misconceptions
4. Cultivating Discernment
5. Cultivating Love
6. Putting On Christ
Biographical Interlude: Cameron's Story
Part Three: A Son's Response to the Three Misconceptions
7. Failing Successfully
8. Loving Virtuously
9. Imitating Righteously
Conclusion: Building the Culture of Your Home
Acknowledgments
Notes

What People are Saying About This

Holly Ordway

"Far too many young people abandon Christianity as they enter their teenage years, and all too often, families struggle with how to help their children sustain their faith into adulthood. In this thoughtful and insightful book, Cameron McAllister and Stuart McAllister present a solid framework for personal spiritual formation and developing the culture of the home that provides conditions for robust and lasting faith. There are no quick fixes offered here, and that's all to the good; instead, the son-and-father writers provide a model of how to do the hard, necessary, and rewarding work of discipleship in the family."

From the foreword by Chris Brooks

"Stuart and Cameron have discovered that Christ's strength is truly made perfect in our weaknesses, and that his grace is sufficient for the challenges that come along with building a faith that lasts from one generation to the next. To be sure, their insights will disrupt your assumptions, but in the process, you will become the type of person that God uses to pass authentic faith to your sons and daughters."

Jana Harmon

"Within today's shifting, superficial culture, our children are desperately searching for something solid, true, meaningful, and enduring. Countering quick fixes and fearful responses, Stuart and Cameron McAllister provide a much-needed correction to our superficial view of Christian parenting. Through scriptural wisdom and their own lived experience, they call us toward intentional, embodied understanding of life within the deep riches of Christ. This book is essential reading for any parent who wants to live and pass along a lasting faith to their children."

Scott Sauls

"Every now and then I come across a book that I wish had been written decades ago. As the father of two grown children, this is certainly one of them. From two very different pathways that led to Christ as their shared destination and home, the McAllisters write with truth, frankness, and hope for all who are eager to parent their children well (or, perhaps better said, to not mess our children up too much). As I look back on my own parenting, this father'son duo has helped me see that even our greatest mistakes are not only covered but can be turned to good. Why? Because, as they demonstrate in these pages, successful parenting is more about humility and surrender than it is about 'getting it right.' I highly recommend this book."

Mary Jo Sharp

"The McAllisters have crafted a candid and unassuming look into a father'son relationship that helps us see what redemption truly looks like in a fallen world. Their story centers on a single life-changing question, 'Son, why do you call yourself a Christian?' As both sides of this one question unfold, we are invited to a thriving, maturing faith that is as realistic and messy as it is necessary and life giving. Beautifully written, relatable, and accessible, this work will be one that is timeless in its influence."

Chris Brooks

"Stuart and Cameron have discovered that Christ's strength is truly made perfect in our weaknesses and that his grace is sufficient for the challenges that come along with building a faith that lasts from one generation to the next. To be sure, their insights will disrupt your assumptions, but in the process, you will become the type of person that God uses to pass authentic faith to your sons and daughters."

Os Guinness

"Rich, wise, and eminently helpful, Faith That Lasts is magnificent. It speaks to the heart of the challenging problem of handing on the torch of faith, and its father'son authorship is the best demonstration of the success of the counsel they offer."

Thomas Tarrants

"This is a valuable and much-needed book for Christian parents who want to raise their children to know and follow Christ. It gives a very helpful account of how two Christian parents applied godly wisdom in shepherding their son's heart through the ups and downs of his journey to Christ while living in secular Europe and amid the cultural Christianity of the American South. It also provides important insights into today's toxic culture and how to avoid three well-meaning but ineffective strategies for helping our children stay faithful. I wish I had read something like this when I was raising my children. Highly recommended!"

Editorial Reviews

"The McAllisters have crafted a candid and unassuming look into a father-son relationship that helps us see what redemption truly looks like in a fallen world. Their story centers on a single life-changing question, 'Son, why do you call yourself a Christian?' As both sides of this one question unfold, we are invited to a thriving, maturing faith that is as realistic and messy as it is necessary and life giving. Beautifully written, relatable, and accessible, this work will be one that is timeless in its influence."

Mary Jo Sharp

"Stuart and Cameron have discovered that Christ's strength is truly made perfect in our weaknesses and that his grace is sufficient for the challenges that come along with building a faith that lasts from one generation to the next. To be sure, their insights will disrupt your assumptions, but in the process, you will become the type of person that God uses to pass authentic faith to your sons and daughters."

Chris Brooks

"Within today's shifting, superficial culture, our children are desperately searching for something solid, true, meaningful, and enduring. Countering quick fixes and fearful responses, Stuart and Cameron McAllister provide a much-needed correction to our superficial view of Christian parenting. Through scriptural wisdom and their own lived experience, they call us toward intentional, embodied understanding of life within the deep riches of Christ. This book is essential reading for any parent who wants to live and pass along a lasting faith to their children."

Jana Harmon

"Rich, wise, and eminently helpful, Faith That Lasts is magnificent. It speaks to the heart of the challenging problem of handing on the torch of faith, and its father-son authorship is the best demonstration of the success of the counsel they offer."

Os Guinness

"This is a valuable and much-needed book for Christian parents who want to raise their children to know and follow Christ. It gives a very helpful account of how two Christian parents applied godly wisdom in shepherding their son's heart through the ups and downs of his journey to Christ while living in secular Europe and amid the cultural Christianity of the American South. It also provides important insights into today's toxic culture and how to avoid three well-meaning but ineffective strategies for helping our children stay faithful. I wish I had read something like this when I was raising my children. Highly recommended!"

Thomas Tarrants

"Every now and then I come across a book that I wish had been written decades ago. As the father of two grown children, this is certainly one of them. From two very different pathways that led to Christ as their shared destination and home, the McAllisters write with truth, frankness, and hope for all who are eager to parent their children well (or, perhaps better said, to not mess our children up too much). As I look back on my own parenting, this father-son duo has helped me see that even our greatest mistakes are not only covered but can be turned to good. Why? Because, as they demonstrate in these pages, successful parenting is more about humility and surrender than it is about 'getting it right.' I highly recommend this book."

Scott Sauls

"Far too many young people abandon Christianity as they enter their teenage years, and all too often, families struggle with how to help their children sustain their faith into adulthood. In this thoughtful and insightful book, Cameron McAllister and Stuart McAllister present a solid framework for personal spiritual formation and developing the culture of the home that provides conditions for robust and lasting faith. There are no quick fixes offered here, and that's all to the good; instead, the son-and-father writers provide a model of how to do the hard, necessary, and rewarding work of discipleship in the family."

Holly Ordway

"Rich, wise, and eminently helpful, Faith That Lasts is magnificent. It speaks to the heart of the challenging problem of handing on the torch of faith, and its father-son authorship is the best demonstration of the success of the counsel they offer."

--Os Guinness, author of The Call: Finding and Fulfilling God's Purpose in Your Life

From the Publisher