13Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
A mutual journey.
Those are the first three words of our definition of Growing With parenting.
That’s not just how we try to parent. It’s also how we try to live as scholars, leaders, colleagues, and followers of Jesus.
And it’s definitely what made this book possible.
That journey is far better thanks to three teammates at the Fuller Youth Institute—Brad Griffin, Jake Mulder, and Tyler Greenway—who lent their best insights, editing, and research savvy to this book.
We also love sharing this Fuller Youth Institute adventure with the rest of our team, who we brag about at every chance: Jennifer Guerra Aldana, Irene Cho, Macy Davis, Rachel Dodd, Matthew Deprez, Nica Halula, Jen Hananouchi, Cass McCarthy, Giovanny Panginda, Caleb Roose, and Daisy Rosales.
Our research on young people and families is always sharpened by our amazing colleagues at Fuller Seminary, especially Tod Bolsinger, Chap Clark, Scott Cormode, Cynthia Eriksson, Miyoung Yoon Hammer, Ben Houltberg, and Pam King, all of whom offered insights during the development of this project. We also are grateful to the Fuller faculty and deans who provide ongoing guidance to our work, including Justin Barrett, Mari Clements, Joel Green, Dave Scott, Scott Sunquist, Marianne Meye Thompson, and Jude Tiersma Watson.
Every step of our ministry and parenting trek is better (and often faster) thanks to our Advisory Council: Mary Andringa, Jim Bergman, Judy Bergman, April Diaz, Cindy Go, Wally Hawley, Megan Hutchinson, Ken Knipp, Janet Labberton, Jeff Mattesich, June Michealsen, Russ Michealsen, Christa Peitzman, Linda Prinn, Judi Shupper, Albert Tate, Jeremy Taylor, and Jeff Wright. A special thank-you to Advisory Council member Tim Galleher for his herculean work in interviewing and leading focus groups of parents during his sabbatical.
Our Growing With path has been smoothed by a host of sharp leaders, researchers, and parents who gave crucial feedback to our thinking and writing: Jeanelle Austin, Marcos Canales, Annamarie Hamilton, Hal Hamilton, Kristen Ivy, Patrick Jacques, Reggie Joiner, Danny Kwon, Dave Livermore, Linda Livermore, Angel Ruiz, Drea Ruiz, Colleen Sonderman, Steve Sonderman, Shirleen Thorpe, and Virginia Ward.
This book’s journey has been fueled by the entire Baker Books team, the vision and editing of Mark Rice and Brian Thomasson, along with Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Group, who continues to strengthen our collaborative partnership with Baker Books.
To our spouses—Dave and Jen—we can’t imagine parenting without you. For every parenting freak-out moment and late-night conversation, every moment of laughter and tears, and every time you stepped in when we’ve been wiped out: thank you. You have not only made us better parents but better people.
To our kids, not only do we love you, we like you. Thanks for loving and liking us too. When we have fallen short in our parenting, thank you for showing grace and extending forgiveness. Growing with you is a daily adventure, a perpetual gift, and an indescribable joy. We love seeing each of you uniquely respond to Jesus’s invitation to love God and love others. May your lives continue to make this world a better place. We are cheering for you every step of the way.