Why do we need a new parenting strategy now? Hasn’t there always been a generation gap?
As scholars, pastors, and parents of young people, we believe that today’s generation gap is often wider. This gap—as well as the innovative parenting bridges required to cross it—became apparent during a recent four-year study conducted by our team at the Fuller Youth Institute at Fuller Theological Seminary.
In the last two decades we’ve immersed ourselves in more than 10,000 hours of world-class scholarship on teenagers and young adults. More importantly, we convened focus groups and interviews with over 1,300 people of all generations—including hundreds with teenagers and young adults like your kids as well as with parents like you.
To flesh out our understanding of Growing With parenting, we subsequently conducted interviews and focus groups with an additional 79 parents from across the United States. Nominated by church leaders, these parents, who help bring our Growing With parenting definition to life, stem from different geographical regions and denominations, diverse ages and ethnicities, and various marital situations.
Grounded in exciting new research, we want to give families with teenagers and young adults a new language, with tools to guide parents as they think about new relational challenges as opportunities for growth. Growing With is a resource to help parents close the family gap, and give them courage to take the next faithful step on a mutual journey of intentional growth that trusts God to transform them all.
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About the Authors
Kara Powell, PhD
Dr. Kara Powell is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) and a faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary. Named by Christianity Today as one of “50 Women You Should Know,” Kara serves as a Youth and Family Strategist for Orange, and also speaks regularly at parenting and leadership conferences. Kara is the author or coauthor of a number of books, including Growing Young, The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith Curriculum, Can I Ask That?, Deep Justice Journeys, Deep Justice in a Broken World, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World, and the Good Sex Youth Ministry Curriculum.
Steve Argue, PhD
Steven Argue, PhD [Michigan State University] is the Applied Research Strategist for the Fuller Youth Institute and Associate Professor of Youth, Family, and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. Steve researches, speaks, and writes on adolescent and emerging adult spirituality. He has served as a pastor on the Lead Team at Mars Hill Bible Church [Grand Rapids, MI]; coaches and trains church leaders and volunteers; and has been invested in youth ministry conversation for over 20 years.
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Growing up doesn’t have to mean growing apart.
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What others are saying about Growing With
“In Growing With, Kara and Steve approach the topic of parenting with sound biblical wisdom and valuable practical tools. As a mother of two, I will be applying these insights to my own parenting in these rapidly-changing times.”
“What an incredible book! With one teenager and one twentysomething, we feel like Kara and Steve wrote it just for us—and we couldn’t be more grateful. Growing With is chock full of compelling, inspiring, and practical help. We’ll be recommending this book to every parent we know.”
“At a time when the generation gap feels wider and the parenting journey more confusing, Growing With offers a way forward through practical resources, thought-provoking questions, and real-life stories. This is a must-read guide for those wanting to grow and to see their children thrive.”