Woven by Meredith Miller

Last Sunday, during River Roundtable, guest preacher Steve Watson mentioned a book that we love!

In Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn’t Have to Heal From, Meredith Miller explores how we can help children connect with a loving God in ways that are healthy and lasting, and casts a vision for how to do this even while deconstructing faith and/or not having all the answers.

So much of what Miller talks about aligns with the approach we've been using in RiverKids/Youth for decades. It is wonderful to be able to have a book like this to recommend to our parents and volunteers! If you are interested in checking it out, we have a copy available in the River's Lending Library!

And, we were also excited to discover that Miller has additional resources available for families and churches on her website. Things like a podcast ("Ask Away") where kids can ask anything about the Bible, and a weekly subscription-based newsletter ("Great Big Bible Story Walkthrough") that equips families to explore the Bible together in life-giving ways. We recommend checking them out!

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About Woven
Most Christian parenting books are ready with exact practices every family should follow in order to raise obedient children. In this obedience-training model, faith is a wall, constructed brick by brick, as adults tell children what to believe and how to behave.
 
But what if obedience is not the goal of Christian parenting? What if it’s our job as parents to instead help our kids get to know God and discover that God can be trusted?  And what if faith is not constructed brick by brick, but rather woven strand by strand?
 
Much like a spider’s web, in which anchor strands and internal threads combine to form a unique web, Woven can help children anchor to who God is and have faith practices that are rich, textured, and all their own. Kids need space to explore the Bible, ask big questions, and even change their understanding of God and faith along the way. With Woven, families can nurture the kind of faith that can flex and grow, be broken and repaired. This is the sort of faith that can stand up to the life a child will live, the doubts they will encounter, and the questions that will come up along the way.  
 
So many parents want to pass along their faith, but know that God is so much bigger than the list of do’s and don’ts they were taught about as children. They want to pass along a faith their child doesn’t have to heal from. Woven is the guidebook parents have been looking for. With a deep reverence for scripture and suggested activities to help your family grow in faith together, Woven is for parents who want to go beyond a list of do’s and don’ts and pass along a resilient faith based on genuine love for and trust in God.

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About Meredith Miller
Meredith Miller is a pastor and a parent who has spent most of the past twenty years helping families follow Jesus. She has been involved with Fuller Youth Institute since 2007 and from 2014-2019 she was Curriculum Director for the children's ministry at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, Illinois. Meredith holds a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, as well as a B.A. in Religious Studies and Spanish Language & Literature from Westmont College. She is pastor of Pomona Valley Church and calls Southern California home.