Reading List for Understanding and Ministering to Families (revised 1-24-00)

Spring Term 2000

Rev. Dr. Carol Sherman, Instructor

The reading list for this course is extensive and I confess it will be expensive —a total of around $120 per student. I apologize for that, but please believe me these books will be ones you turn to time and again for guidance, to form programs, to loan to parishioners, and even for personal help! The books will be on reserve; sharing of texts is also a way of dealing with the expense factor.

The reading assignments for each week will run around 130 pages; if you look at the books, you’ll see the reading is never abstract or boring! Some is even large print and has big diagrams on many pages!

Some books will be read by the entire class. For other topics, half the class will read one book and half will read another on the same general topic, leading to a discussion of what each can offer us in ministry to families. In the case of the half-and-half, I have anticipated a class size of 10, so I ordered 5 or each. Pay close attention and buy only one of the "matched set", leaving "the other half" for a classmate. (At our first class session on February 1, there may be some swapping of books as students decide they’d prefer reading "the other" book. Also, if you choose to, you can always buy a copy of the books you did not personally have to read for class; just don’t do it until class has gotten underway and we know if there are extra copies available.)

Required: The Family Handbook—(Browning, Anderson, et al)

Understanding Us—(had to be special ordered by instructor; buy in class $13.00)

Either Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts—(Parrott and Parrott)

or It Takes Two—Joy of Intimate Marriage—(Lester and )

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families – (Covey)

How to Really Love Your Child—(Campbell)

How to Really Love Your Teenage—(Campbell)

Either Divorce and New Beginnings –(Clapp) and Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible---(Adams)

or Ending Marriage, Keeping Faith (Nichols) and The Blended Family (Frydenger and Frydenger)

An as-yet-to-be-selected resource on "parenting our aging parents"

Recommended: The Five Signs of a Loving Family—(Chapman)

Fine Young Men –(Gurian

Reviving Ophelia –( Pipher)

In the Shelter of Each Other—(Pipher)

The Five Love Languages—(Chapman)

Becoming Married—(Fite and Anderson)