I was asked an interesting question recently: If I could boil down all that kids' ministry leaders are to do to partner with parents discipling in the home, what would be my one or two biggest takeaways? My answer alliterated because it’s a requirement for current and former Baptist pastors: encourage and equip.

I see encouragement as desperately needed because, when it comes to family discipleship, many parents feel discouraged, have been beaten up, and believe they are failures beyond hope. We know parents aren’t discipling in the home like they should, but they need us to be cheerleaders and advocates more than they need us to be referees and judges. They need a reason to lift their spirits, not one to hang their heads. And we can give them that.

The second critical way I see kidmin leaders supporting parents is by curating family discipleship resources for them. While there are certainly aspects of family discipleship that should be uniform for all parents in all places at all times, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to discipling in the home. Just as churches must contextualize for their communities and members, so too should families. What might work for one family may not work for another. And that’s okay. So, while there’s nothing wrong with providing a single devotional resource for all families, it’s far better to have other options on the backburner for the families for whom that resource won’t “click.”

But to equip families best, go much further than that. If you are able, consider creating a family discipleship library, where you collect a variety of family discipleship resources for parents to look at as they consider what to purchase on their own. In academics, there’s something called an “annotated bibliography.” While a run-of-the-mill bibliography simply lists the books and resources, an annotated bibliography also provides a few summary sentences for each. That’s what you want to be able to provide parents. Some resources will be better for certain families than others; knowing about each resource will enable you to cater a suggestion for families in any season they’re in.

So, what resources should you have in your library? Here are five types to consider as you begin:

Family Devotionals

Thankfully, there are many family devotional resources out there, but parents still need our help here. Many won’t know where to start or how to discern a good devotional from a not-so-good one. Cultivate a curated collection of the best of the best, but remember to be diverse. Families are different—different spiritual maturity, different ages of kids, different family dynamics, different education, etc.—so try to have a variety of devotionals on hand.

Bibles

With so many Christian bookstores having closed, one of the biggest losses is not being able to flip through Bibles. Unlike trade books that are all about the same, reading a Bible is a much more tactile and unique experience. So, do your best to collect as many Bibles for kids, students, and families as you can, including various translations. Your church might have a preferred translation, and that’s great, but we are embarrassingly blessed with many fantastic and trustworthy English translations. Remember, it’s about getting families into the Bible, not necessarily into your church’s preferred translation.

Family Discipleship Books

These would be books that help explain what family discipleship is and how to do it. While family devotions (or “family worship”) is one key part of it, family discipleship is much more than that. Therefore, this is a category of resources you surely want to be conversant about. Some resources are better for families just beginning; others are better for experienced families looking to take the next step. Again, work to cater recommended resources to each family.

Theology, Parenting, and Other Books

In addition to the resources above that focus more narrowly on the act of family discipleship, be sure to have other resources that would support your families. Books on parenting basics, for example, would be wonderful to have on hand, especially for first-time parents. Also, think of questions your parents have asked or that they might ask. For example, I’d encourage you to have some accessible theology books on hand—books that can help parents answer questions their kids ask.

Apps and Websites

While you can’t have a physical copy of these resources, consider a binder that lists apps and websites for families, perhaps with a QR code that allows them to access them, or create posters or some other visual. Alternatively, this could be on a webpage for parents to access. Like the prior category, this is one where you can think broadly and curate as many resources as you can that will help parents in the home.

Brian Dembowczyk (Ph.D., Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the associate publisher at Thomas Nelson Bibles. He previously served as managing editor of The Gospel Project and in full-time ministry. He is the author of Family Discipleship that Works (IVP), Gospel Centered Kids Ministry (B&H), and Faith Foundations (IVP; releases fall 2025).