#kidmin, #fammin & shift: a book review

Brian Haynes’ recent book Shift: What it takes to finally reach families today has jumped onto the #kidmin scene in recent weeks.  Brian presents a model implemented at his church in Katy, Texas designed to lead & equip families through spiritual milestones from birth into adulthood.

I love the idea of having a system of intentional touchpoints where the family is prepared for what to expect in the next season of parenting.  Brian makes it clear that the system laid out in this book works for his church and may not apply in the context of the reader’s church.  I appreciate that.

Here are my 3 major take-aways:

• Kids will walk through spiritual milestones as they discover & grow in Christ
• Parents need consistent touchpoints where they’re encouraged, prepared & empowered for each spiritual milestone
• Different ministry leaders within the church will champion certain milestones

Brian has identified the major milestones a child will pass from infancy to adulthood.  I appreciate the defined topics for each milestone, giving parents specific things to observe/teach their child.  This is highly beneficial for a parent that desires to lead their child spiritually but may not always know what to look for.  I love the idea that ministry leaders work together to champion certain stages.

Here are my hang ups:

• There’s a whole lot of life that happens between milestones.  What do you have in place that consistently encourages parents and sometimes helps them ‘right the ship’?
• I confess that I’m not crazy about the names of some of the ceremonies Brian offers at Kingsland Baptist Church.  But I think that’s more of a personal issue.  (a.k.a. a-whole-nutha-0prah)  Despite the names, I love what they could accomplish if done right.

In the end, the model Brian presents will not fit my church.  But I can certainly take bits and infuse where possible.  (for example, I’m totally kyping the defined topics… love that)  I appreciate what Brian has sewn into the process of really partnering with families to change the next generation.

As a ministry leader, I think the book is worth adding to the read list for the year.  To check more information about what Brian is doing go to legacymilestones.com.

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